Since children have entered the picture, we haven’t ventured to Playhouse Square as much, but on a near-weekly basis, I sing through some Les Mis to warm up the voice on the car ride in before the chanting ensues on Sunday mornings. Part of the reason, I’m sure, is the entire storyline emerges from different pivotal moments in the history of France, a country I still hold dear because of my beloved high school French teacher. Another is all these entrancing songs that stick with me in the car and beyond.
However, what ultimately reels me into Les Mis every single time is the immense religious depth, and even into the trenches of the faith journey that we do not always look forward to exploring along whatever path with Christ we follow in this life. There are many instances in which this much-more-than-a-bunch-of-songs-thrown-together musical unleashes the soul-provoking wonders.
It begins with a priest, who’s willing to give up, pretty much, the entire arsenal of his Altar Guild to a criminal to give him a bit of a Resurrection chance with his repenting life, as all the precious silver is just…given away; like it’s…just what the priest is supposed to do all along.
It continues with a woman who famously sings “I Dreamed a Dream,” when she firmly believes that “There was a time when men were kind/When their voices were soft…Then it all went wrong.” And, we Original-Sin-thrust-upon-us Christians wonder…was there really such a time? Was there a time when humanity…wasn’t quite so evil? Was that really the case even during our nostalgic “good ‘ole days?” But that still doesn’t draw me in as much as…
Javert: the Inspector, Law par-excellence, antagonist over-and-against our adored and cherished Jean Valjean, convict, who skipped out on parole over time and needed justice thrust upon him with all the resources Javert had to unleash; not just for an individual wrong to be made right (in a sense), but for the dignity of a country, of justice, of common human decency. But as the wonderful mirror-of-the-human-condition known as Les Misérables continues to reveal not only about Javert, but of us: we struggle with mercy, with grace, even, dare we say…Resurrection, especially for the convicted Jean Valjeans among us.
Of course, Jean Valjean’s convicted-for circumstances brings up one of the late-night ethical dilemmas to converse with other fellow life-wonderers (or even just in our own mind): do you steal a loaf of bread to save a loved one? Regardless, for the Javerts of the world (as the duty so calls), the intentions are meaningless. A crime is a crime. And so Javert seems to make it his life-defining mission to ensure Valjean continues to suffer the consequences of his actions; the blemish against the Law, France, and, well…humanity (at least to Javert).
Then comes the moment when Jean Valjean has a chance to exact revenge on Javert (obviously you need to see the musical/movie for more precise details, or vaya con dios if you dare take on Victor Hugo’s book…you know, the original Les Misérables), to finally stop the endless race to avoid Javert’s relentless tenacity at every turn. Instead, Jean Valjean simply, beautifully, says, “you are free and there are no conditions. no bargains or petitions. There’s nothing that I blame you for. You’ve done your duty, nothing more.”…as if, Valjean is giving Javert a bit of a…Resurrection chance: for new life immersed in mercy and grace that not even France combined with all the law and order can possibly contain.
But Javert is already convinced that his heart, shaped by a life-long journey of ensuring such law and order, cannot possibly contain such a Gospel. He’s convinced that such sinners have “fallen from God, fallen from grace.” When Javert considers the Jean Valjeans of the world: “He knows his way in the dark, mine is the way of the Lord. Those who follow the path of the righteous shall have their reward. And if they fall as Lucifer fell, the flames, the sword…” will emerge to ensure justice to be done to us sinners beyond France and the rest of the earthly world.
We, forgiven-and-set-free-Gospel-thrust-upon-us Christians, might initially react: “Absolutely not!” But…we have our moments, let’s be honest. We have our limits on the mercy-unleashing. We have our yearnings for vengeance. We all have our breaking points. We all have…a bit of Javert in us at different points in our life: those trenches of our faith journey that we rather not talk about; but they’re there. It tears apart friendships. Grudges cloud over the most loving families. Those emotionally gut-wrenching trenches are nearly impossible to get out of…at least, for us on our own.
We don’t need to hear the words just on Sunday, or through some pastor in a white robe pouring water over us against our will in our baptism, or when we near the end of the faith journey in this earthly realm. We forgiven-and-set-free-but-still-can’t-quite-accept-it Christians need reminded daily: “you are free and there are no conditions. no bargains or petitions. There’s nothing that I blame you for.” Not even the cross is meant to set blame on us either (we Good-Friday-rememberers ask)? Not so much.
In the end, the Resurrection doesn’t just operate at the conclusion of a mortal life; it’s meant to happen in this life too…every day. No conditions, no bargains or petitions. Thanks be to God that the Risen Lord doesn’t operate that way for the Javerts, Jean Valjeans, for all the wonderers on this journey of faith with that Risen Lord by our side all the way from the beginning to the end and beyond. Amen!
In Christ,
Pastor Brad