Wicked

Yesterday while we were cleaning our house my roommate and I were blasting the soundtrack to Wicked the Broadway musical. Now, I have to confess, I have never seen the production (though I hope to change that someday!) but I love the music. Thus, the following comments have only the perspective of the song and not the whole script.

One song starts: "No good deed goes unpunished No act of charity goes unresented" Elphaba, the wicked witch, is contemplating how her good intentions have not worked out the way she wanted and have resulted in misunderstanding and resentment from others.

Towards the middle of the song Elphaba asks a profound and self-searching question: "One question haunts and hurts, too much, too much to mention: Was I really seeking good or just seeking attention? Is that all good deeds are when looked at with an ice-cold eye?"

I have had to answer the "am I really seeking good or just attention" question on multiple occasions in my life. Sometimes the answer is, yes, I really wanted to do good, to make life a little easier for someone. Other times the painful truth is I just wanted someone to notice me, or to say "oh how wonderful you are!"

When I can answer that I was seeking good, I feel peace - even if others misconstrue my intent. That inner peace does not however mean I don't feel pain that others misunderstand, but it does mean I can move forward and keep seeking to do good and avoid just seeking attention despite the opinions of others.

As I listened to these words yesterday and thought about them, I realized that Jesus Christ warned against the threat of seeking attention for good deeds. When he was giving the Sermon on the Mount he cautioned:

"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly." (Matthew 6:1-4)

Back to the song - Elphaba's response to her own question made me sad: "If that's all good deeds are, maybe that's the reason why No good deed goes unpunished. All helpful urges should be circumvented. No good deed goes unpunished. Sure, I meant well Well, look at what well-meant did. All right, enough - so be it! Let all Oz be agreed: I'm wicked through and through" she ends the song saying: "I promise no good deed will I attempt to do again, ever again"

I want to make a different promise: I promise I will continue to attempt to do good deeds, even if others view them with an ice cold eye. I will continue to attempt to do good deeds especially when they seem to go unnoticed. I will continue to attempt to do good deeds even when I feel my good deeds are not making a difference. And, I promise to keep asking myself if I am seeking good, or seeking attention - and when I'm seeking attention to adjust my intentions and actions.

America

Seeing as today is the 4th of July, I think this is a wonderfully appropriate time to get around to this post that has been brewing for quite some time.

First, I want to share four quotes about America that I have come across in the past nine months or so that capture some of my thoughts and feelings:

"It will do us not good to be naive about the challenges we face in this country. We do have problems, and they are not a few. There are issues that demand our earnest, inspired attention. But there is too much fruitless carping and criticism of America. What might become of this land if we spoke less of its weaknesses and more if its goodness and strength, its capacity and potential?"

- Gordon B. Hinckley, Standing for Something

"There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America."

- President Bill Clinton, first inaugural address January 20th, 1993

"In reaffirming the greatness of out nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom."

- President Barack Obama, inaugural address January 20th, 2009

"Now we might not always get it right But there's nowhere else I rather build my life"

- Rodney Atkins "It's America"

I love living in America. I don't think that means I would not like living in another place. I have lived in several places including the West, the South, and New England. The places and the people in each have been wonderful. Each has pros and cons. That is true of any place in the world. Personally, I side with Gordon B. Hinckley and think that while we must be aware of the challenges we face (be it as Americans or more simply as human beings wherever we find ourselves) we must also focus on goodness, strength, capacity and potential. And Rodney Atkins is right - America/Americans don't always get things right. But, as President Obama said, there are many wonderful unsung hero's who work hard to carry us towards greatness.

In some of my graduate classes we would talk about some of the things going on in other countries related to policy affecting children, the environment, education and other things. There were often comments about how much better some policy about bike travel was in Sweden than in America. Or how the Finnish education system is so superior to our K-12 education. I have friends from Finland, and I asked them about their experience. As I listened to my classmates and my friends I realized that often the best of another country was being compared with the worst in America. That seems to be an unfair comparison to me. Again, I emphasize that I think there is much room for improvement, and collectively Americans should work to make live better for all of us who live here. But, I also submit that if we look for it, we can find, build on and expand the goodness in this great land.

I am proud to be an American. I am grateful for the chances that we collectively have. I hope to be on of the risk-takers, makers and doers that, as President Obama said, is not afraid to work or faint-hearted. My sincere desire is that I personally, and Americans generally, strive more to use what is right with America to cure what is wrong with America.

God Bless America