First, a disclaimer. Although this post discusses details of the
movie/musical Les Misérables, there
really is nothing about the plot that cannot be found by reading any newspaper or internet review and only the very beginning of the movie is really discussed. However, if you want to see nothing about the
film until you have seen it, don’t read this!
Today I went to see the movie Les Misérables. Oddly, although I’ve listened to the Broadway
Soundtrack many times, and know the basic premise of the story, I really didn’t
know or remember much about the details.
And so it was that, in the first few minutes of the film, I was amazed
by one of the most powerful exhibitions of grace that I have ever seen in
film. After Jean Valjean has been
paroled after serving a 19-year sentence for stealing a loaf of bread for his
sister’s dying child, he is understandably bitter and angry, vowing never to
forgive the injustice that has been done to him. After stealing the silver from a convent, he
is caught and the Bishop, instead of accusing him and sending him back to
prison, tells the authorities to that he has given Valjean the silver and, in
fact gives him more. In a moment that I
imagine to be much like Jesus talking to the woman caught in the act of
adultery, he says, “Use this silver to make yourself an honest man.” In the next scene, Valjean is sobbing in
front of the altar, completely broken down and overwhelmed by this act of
grace, which has given him an opportunity at a new start. He dedicates his life to the service of God
and others, vowing never to forget what has been done on his behalf.
There is so much to say just about that one
little bit. It is key to the rest of the
film, another 2+ hours’ worth. However,
it is also key to my life, to my Lenten journey and to my relationship with
God.
In reading reviews and comments about the
film, it seems this moment is glossed over as “heartwarming” or an “act of
kindness” and somehow, to me, the fullness of its meaning is lost. The deeper meaning, to me, is that this is
exactly how it looks when God redeems us.
This is why the life and death and resurrection of Jesus have such
power. Jean Valjean could be considered
a “small time” criminal, a “minor” sinner.
He was treated unjustly, wasn’t he?
He “only” stole a loaf of bread. And surely, because of his sorry
circumstances, he could be justified for stealing the silver from the
Bishop. However, the law sees it
differently. He is no different from any
other criminal. He has committed a crime
and he must pay the penalty. But the
penalty he has to pay, far beyond the hard labour of prison, is also a life of
bitterness and hatred.
Many of us have found ourselves in this
same boat. We don’t consider ourselves
really “that bad” of sinners. We’re
generally honest, hard working and just trying to get along in life. Meanwhile, we’ve been hurt, often by the
Church and by those we love, perhaps our parents or our friends. We feel justified in living lives underpinned
by bitterness and perhaps even revenge.
We seek out churches and therapists who help us to see how we’re not to
blame and that we don’t need to be caught up in all that negativity and guilt
and shame.
However, we’re missing out on a big piece of the puzzle if we stay there. Jean Valjean almost missed it. But, of course, if he had, Victor Hugo would
not have had a story. The story is that
ALL of us, no matter how big or small our offenses, live in a world embittered
by sin, by fear, by guilt, despair and revenge.
A literal reading of the Bible attributes this state of sin to Adam and
Eve eating the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Whether that story is literally true or
whether it is a metaphor (or a parable or an allegory, I’m never sure which),
it is clear that SOMEHOW, the wonderful and perfect Creation that God intended
has gone horribly wrong. It is still
beautiful, to be sure, but horrible things happen, often to really good, nice
people. And, despite our best
intentions, we often do horrible things to those we love.
So, what happens when, in our bitterness
and guilt, someone says, “I love you, wholly and completely. You are beautiful just the way you are,
because I MADE YOU THAT WAY. And I
forgive you for all of the wrong you have done, even the wrong that you’ve kept
hidden way deep inside. I see all that.
I KNOW you. And you are mine. “ How do I
respond to that? How do you respond to that?
If I really, truly take that all in, the
only way I can see to respond to that is the way Jean Valjean responded. It is so overwhelming to realize that I have
been saved from a life of bitterness and fear and regret that really, all I can
do is cry and pray and throw myself at the mercy of God and commit my life to
following that example of grace and forgiveness.
Of course, the rest of the story, as I’ve
repeated over and over on this blog, is that God became one of us and is
intimately familiar with every kind of suffering we’ve experienced. Jesus took it all on and he overcame it. And that’s why we can trust him when he
invites us to lay it all down and follow him.
There is more to say about this. The notion of “Cheap Grace” comes to
mind. A discussion of the rest of Jean
Valjean’s story and his struggle to stay true to his promise to God to act with
integrity and kindness is well worth further exploration. Those will have to wait for another
night. For now, I’m contemplating this
powerful scene in the context of today’s churches. It’s either “believe in Jesus or you’ll go to
Hell because you’re a miserable worm” or “forget all that shame and guilt
stuff, God made you good and so you’re good. Period.” I think it’s neither and it’s both. I am a miserable worm and destined for
Hell. Whether that is a Hell of my own
making, in this life, or a place of eternal suffering in the hereafter is not
really as relevant as that fact that without the kind of grace embedded in the
life, death and resurrection of Christ I am doomed to hopelessness and despair. On the other hand, I AM a precious Creation
of God and I no longer have to feel guilt and shame for what I’ve done BECAUSE
of that grace. At one extreme, the Gospel
is not really “Good News” and at the other, it is pretty much meaningless.
As I contemplate this awesome, powerful
grace, I want to leave you with a line from one of the final songs in the film:
“To love another person is to see the
face of God.” May I love others in a way
that shows my gratitude to God for this most amazing grace.
Amen.