“To love another person is to see the face of God.” That is the last line of the amazing musical rendition of Victor Hugo’s monumental novel Les Miserables. I just got back from seeing Les Mis with Kara and it was… scrumptulescent! Les Mis is theological poetry the likes of which the world rarely is graced with. Hugo’s main character Jean Valjean is the embodiment of a Christlike parable from the moment the compassionate priest “buys him for God” by forgiving him of theft that would surely have sent him back to prision for decades more.
Valjean is the picture of mercy and compassion as he saves Fantine from jailtime after she is attacked by a man whom she would not sleep with. Again Valjean is the embodiment of integrity as he goes to confess his true identity so that another convict would not go to jail in his stead. Oh my I could go on and on and on. Suffice it to say that Valjean is an amazing picture of a person who truly understands grace and redefines their entire life by that grace, that can only come from Christ. If bookstores sold the Bible and Les Miserables together as a “value pack” or something, I would whole heartedly approve.
Seriously folks… it was church.
Who am I? I’m 24601!
I’ve always been familiar with the story of “Les Miserables,” but only recently, via video, did I get to see and hear the whole operatic adaptation. It is indeed magnifique. Maybe I’ll get around to writing something about it on my own blog, “Faithful in Adversity.” While mostly loving it to pieces, I do have a few small criticisms. One is that very line of the lyrics, “To love another person is to see the face of God.” There are loves which are selfish, manipulative, obsessive, unhealthy, adulterous, etc.–and so do not do ANYTHING to bring us any closer to God. If I were directing a production of Les Miz, I would change that line to say, “To love UNSELFISHLY is to behold the face of God.” This wording would fit very nicely the three characters who are singing at the finish–Valjean, Fantine and Eponine–because all of them DID show unselfish love on Earth, and so can be expected to be joyful companions to each other in Heaven.
When I was at my lowest point during a relationship breakdown I had to reflect on my greater contribution to the general failure of my life to stay on course, it was clear there was nobody else to blame. I thought I couldn’t find a shred of dignity left to pick up my cross and drag it that little bit further until I was strong enough to carry it easily.
Then I heard this:
Who am I?
Can I conceal myself for evermore?
Pretend I’m not the man I was before?
And must my name until I die
Be no more than an alibi?
Must I lie?
How can I ever face my fellow men?
How can I ever face myself again?
My soul belongs to God, I know
I made that bargain long ago
He gave me hope when hope was gone
He gave me strength to journey on
It was the kick in the pants I needed. It was enough to make me remember that although Jesus carried his cross and was crucified on it – it wasn’t the cross that killed his earthly body in the end.
Somewhat embarrassed at my weakness I pciked myself up and threw myself back at the coal face of life. I could have died back then of shame or grief, now I’m a captain of industry.
Thank God