Law & Grace

December 12, 2019

Linda and I aren’t thespian aficionados, but we do occasionally enjoy a good stage production. I was almost ecstatic (can you believe it?) when in September I discovered her favorite was coming to Buffalo, and tonight we were swept up in the drama and music of Les Mis. As we drove into the night at the end of the performance, she asked me what part I liked best. 

For raw emotion, Fontine’s “I Dreamed a Dream” and Jean Valjean’s prayer have to top the list; the first for its portrayal of the harsh reality of life that as she sang, “killed the dream in me,” and the second for the depth of love and sacrifice Valjean had for his “adopted” son Marius. But for pure power, it’s when the priest rescues Valjean from Javert by giving him the silver candlesticks in addition to the chalice Valjean had stolen, then tells him, “I have bought your soul for God.”

The power of this story is I that it is a tale of pure redemption, of grace. Valjean received it and lived out of it. His nemesis Javert on the other hand, was unable to believe and accept grace. For him, the law was paramount, and justice had to prevail. His inability to receive grace was his downfall; Valjean’s acceptance was his salvation. Such is life, tension between law and grace. As one who leans towards law, I need regular reminders of grace lest I end up like Javert, dead even while living, the law having rendered me incapable of grace.