“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wrong.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-5
My favorite song in Wicked the Musical is “For Good.” Written by Stephen Schwartz, it is one of the most recognizable songs from the show. It is a heartfelt duet sung by lead characters Elphaba and Glinda near the very end of the show when they are saying goodbye to each other. It truly is a farewell song.
Elphaba is a misunderstood student at Shiz University, born with green skin, for which she is ridiculed her whole life. She is a person who is not hesitant to stand up for what she believes is right. Elphaba is forced to flee Oz, leaving behind a friend that has changed her “for good.” Glinda is a wealthy and popular girl who has always had her way. She despises Elphaba after she accidentally volunteers to be her roommate. But she finds that by living as roommates, Glinda begins to see the good in her, which unearths the good within herself.
Here’s what Stephen Schwartz says about this farewell song. “All the songs I write are my children, which, of course, is a bit of a cliché, but we do try not to play favorites. I’m really proud of “For Good.” I am so proud of how it has come to be used outside the show for everything from graduations to funerals.” He’s quick to add, “I want to give the book writer of Wicked, Winnie Holzman, some credit, because she actually came up with the title. When we were first talking about the final song for Elphaba and Glinda and I was brainstorming with her, and at one point she just said in the conversation, ‘Well, you know, they have had such an impact on one another. Really, they have changed each other for good.’ And I said, ‘I’m hanging up now because that’s one of the best titles for a song I can imagine. Thank you for giving me the title. Now I am going to go write it.’”
We all have people in our lives who have helped to bring about change in us for the better, just as we’ve been able to help bring about change in others. Sometimes change is brought about as a resolution to strife we have faced, while other times, change comes naturally just by being a friend.
The gift of God’s grace is constant and available at any time. I encourage you to spend some time reflecting on who has helped change your life for good and take the time to express gratitude to them. Let us all remember His grace as we strive to see the best in others and focus on our similarities rather than our differences.
– Marsha Long, Director of Hospitality Ministries
