I recently watched Wicked for the second time. And it still, exceeded my expectation. The visuals were dazzling and had my heart pounding. The songs especially Unlimited and Defying Gravity had me smiling like it was the first time. And the lines? Even wittier, even sharper than I remembered.

I walked into the theatre expecting entertainment with maybe a sprinkle of  The Wizard of Oz nostalgia. What I didn’t expect was to walk out with a journal full of questions about human nature, courage, and the stories we choose to believe about others, and ourselves. It left me holding a mirror up to my own heart. Because more than the green face paint and broomsticks, Wicked is a story about perception, prejudice, power, and most of all TRUTH.

Here are the reflections that stayed with me long after the curtain closed.

Born This Way?
One of the most striking questions raised in the play is: Are people born wicked? Or do they have wickedness thrust upon them?
It’s haunting, but also liberating to consider that we are born with a clean slate. Innocent. Curious. Capable of great love and great light. And yet through judgment, rejection, misunderstanding, then white starts turning into gray. What starts out pure slowly distorts.

Elphaba wasn’t wicked. She was simply different. And that was enough for the world to turn against her.

The Power of Being Seen
There’s a moment when Elphaba unintentionally unleashes her powers, causing a stir in the classroom. People are scared. But instead of punishing her, her teacher sees something else: TALENT.

It hit me hard. Because how often do we confuse unfamiliar with dangerous? How we silence the extraordinary because it shows up in ways we don’t expect.
All it took was one voice to say, “You have something special.” And in that moment, Elphaba’s life takes a new direction. Sometimes, that’s all it takes, to be seen, to be spoken to. It’s a quiet nudge to all of us. Never underestimate the power of being seen. Never underestimate the power our words hold to another life.

Unlimited: A Song, A Mindset
“Unlimited. My future is unlimited…”
It’s more than a lyric, it’s a reminder.

Our past does not define the ceiling of our future. Even when others try to limit us, even when we doubt ourselves, there is always space to grow beyond what’s been written for us.
Believing in what’s possible is where transformation begins.

Dr. Dillamond : When Voices are Silenced.
“If you make it discouraging enough, you can keep anyone silent.” — Dr. Dillamond, Wicked

The talking goat professor, Dr. Dillamond, finds himself gradually silenced. His very identity is threatened, and eventually, he’s removed from his position.

It’s subtle, yet painful. Discouragement doesn’t always shout, it often whispers. And when the system repeatedly tells someone they don’t belong, the easiest thing to do is to fade away. Sometimes, oppression doesn’t come as a roar. It comes as a whisper that tells us to keep quiet, play small, or stay in line.

When discouragement grows loud enough, it can muzzle even the wisest voices.

His story is a warning: when voices are quieted, we all lose a bit of our collective wisdom.

The Wizard and the Trap of Applause
The Wizard of Oz wasn’t evil, per se. He was just caught. Caught in the facade. Caught in the praise. Caught in the version of himself that others believed in.

When people told him he was “wonderful,” he didn’t correct them. He leaned into the illusion, because who wouldn’t want to be adored? Eventually, the illusion swallowed him whole.
It’s a cautionary tale for any of us chasing approval. It’s dangerously easy to become a prisoner of the persona we create to please others. And I’m reminded … I only need an Audience of One. I don’t need the applause of many or anyone because I have Him who knows me. His applause is louder than any uproar. Whenever I feel the pull for approval, I return to this truth: I don’t need to be loud to be seen by the One who truly knows me. This song keeps me grounded :

I don't need my name in lights
I'm famous in my Father's eyes
Make no mistake
He knows my name
I'm not living for applause
I'm already so adored
It's all His stage
He knows my name oh, oh
He knows my name oh, oh

I'm not meant to just stay quiet
I'm meant to be a lion
I'll roar beyond a song
With every moment that I've got
True to who You are
You saw my heart
And made
Something out of nothing
- He Knows My Name by Francesca Battistelli

Defying Gravity: The Courage to Rise
Of course, Wicked’s most iconic anthem is Defying Gravity. And it’s not just a song about flying, it’s about rising.
Rising above judgment.
Rising above fear.
Rising above who the world says you’re supposed to be.

It’s that defining moment we all face at some point where we stop waiting for permission and choose to live truthfully, even if it means flying solo.

The Other Side of the Story
But if there’s one takeaway that truly left an imprint on me, it’s this:
There is always another side to the story.

Elphaba was labeled as “wicked,” but the truth never made it to the spotlight. Her reputation was built on lies, her actions twisted by those in power. And it makes you wonder … how many people in real life are living under labels they never asked for?

How many “villains” are just misunderstood?
How many “outcasts” are simply walking a different path?

It reminded me that judgment is easy but context is everything. Behind every story is another version waiting to be heard. And behind every person is a history we don’t see.

So maybe the question isn’t “Is she wicked?”
Maybe it’s: “What don’t I know yet?”

Wicked isn’t just a reimagining of Oz. It’s a challenge. A call to question how we define good and evil, how we treat those who are different, and how quickly we accept one version of the truth.
And maybe that’s what Wicked ultimately teaches us:
That truth isn’t always what’s seen. That judgment is often louder than understanding.
And that the most radical thing we can do is pause, lean in, and look again.

Because behind every label is a life.
And behind every “wicked” face is a story still unfolding.

And maybe, just maybe, the most courageous thing we can do is to defy the gravity of assumption and CHOOSE COMPASSION instead.

Let these words remind us:

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
— 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)