Do You Hear the People Sing?

I used to say that experiencing a performance of Les Misérables was the closest I've ever felt to God. Last night Erin and I went to see the show here in DC and I can say without a doubt this is still true.

I know that sounds too strong. I know it's a musical, in the same category as Cats and Rent and Showboat for many people. But G.K. Chesterton said every good story is a retelling of the Gospel, and that is what Les Misérables is. A story of a broken man who is shown mercy and grace and given strength to spend his life showing mercy to others. A story of how mercy does not abolish the Law but fulfills it. A story which calls all of us to look down in compassion upon our fellow men and women, caught in the muck of a hellishly damaged world. A story of how as we do this, we hasten the day when the wretched of the earth will live in freedom with God, how violence will cease and chains will be broken and redemption will be made complete.

I hadn't seen the play since high school, and I gained so much understanding this time through. In the context of DC, I finally realized how important the political themes of the story are. Here is a play that could have been about the triumph of the oppressed over tyranny. Until today I thought Victor Hugo's novel was set against the French Revolution, but it's not. It covers the June Rebellion of 1832 (a century later), in which a group of students tried unsuccessfully to overthrow the French government. Though the play is sympathetic to these students, it is obvious that their efforts are futile. And so the play isn't ultimately about political freedom, it is about the ransom of the miserable, and how the hope, love, and mercy of God will ultimately redeem what the systems of angry men cannot.

And the music, the music, the music. I don't know if you've ever listened to something so awe-inspiring you felt you couldn't hold it inside you, but I will admit publicly that I cried nearly nonstop through the first act.  I used to complain about the synth-heavy arrangements in the show bringing down the beautiful melodies and blistering vocals, but it has recently been re-orchestrated and the new score is breathtaking. I just couldn't handle it.

Les Misérables makes me remember. It reminds me that there is deep beauty in the story I believe. It reminds me that beyond the Christian kitsch and corpreligion, there are creative people who see magnificent art in the Gospel and the Gospel in art. It reminds me of the ancient interplay of justice and mercy, and the call to serve the least among us. It reminds me who I am.

Image: daliborlev