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The Paradox of the Gospel. You are Valjean and you are the Bishop

The Paradox of the Gospel. You are Valjean and you are the Bishop

Nov 27

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Les Miserables Valjean's soliloquy lyrics (2012) - YouTube

Devotional Thoughts of the Day:

9  That was the true light which shines upon every man as he comes into the world. He came into the world – the world he had created – and the world failed to recognise him. He came into his own creation, and his own people would not accept him. Yet wherever men did accept him he gave them the power to become sons of God. These were the men who truly believed in him, and their birth depended not on the course of nature nor on any impulse or plan of man, but on God. John 1:9 (Phillips NT)

He told me that I have a soul
How does he know?
What spirit comes to move my life?
Is there another way to go? (Jean Valjean’s Soliloquy- Les Mis)

Go out into the streets to look, find, knock on doors,instruct and evangelize!
In a history marked by vulnerability our Lord Jesus Christ breaks in with an unstoppable strength and courage. That’s the Good News,the core of our preaching: the outright proclamation of this irruption of Jesus Christ incarnate, dead and risen, in our history.

The humblest Christian is called to live a miracle, a life that is a moral and spiritual life with such intensity and such purity that no human being can do it—only Jesus Christ can do it.

Yet this is no evangelicalistic theology, which is grounded in the same triumphalistic anthropology of the “I” (“I have decided to follow Jesus—no turning back, no turning back”). Instead—I believe that I cannot believe—the reversed Trinity of Luther’s catechism holds in tension the human inability in theology, faith, and life with the Holy Spirit’s work through Word and Sacrament. Thus, the third article is the actual turning point of the entire catechism, because everything that follows (prayer, sacraments, living in community) is precisely what happens to unbelievers when, the Holy Spirit acts on them, turning our “Woe is me!” into “Kyrie, eleison” (Lord, have mercy!). The theology of the reversed Trinity is literally “theo-logy” (God word), where God speaks to us and by speaking declares the old new, the sinner a saint, the unbeliever a believer—God’s service to us, not ours to God.

This mornigns devotional readings were accompanied by Les Mis, and the words of Jean Valjean kept echoing in my ears, as he considers the humble bishop who paid for his salvaiton…and yet Jean’s attitude was not to face who he was, but to create a new life, ignoring who he was. (In the book, this is a constant theme, for him and Javert.)

Their journey is the vulnerability that Pope Francis notes, a vulnerability we need, a lack of resistance to the incarnation, for Jesus must become incarnate in each of our lives.

It is the only way to change our cry of despair, as Wengert notes, from dismay and despair to the expecation of God hearing and acting on our cry for mercy. That is the only way we can live in the life of Christ that Tozer explains, a life that is obviously not ours, for it is not within our ability.

How does the bishop know Jean ValJean has a soul? Because the bishop has one, and has seen Christ invade it. It is why the silver is worth far less than Jean’s soul. It is why the investment is worth it, though it will take decades, with only a glimpse of the return here and there. Not until his death…is it revealed. ( I believe Colossians 3:1-4 explains this quite well)

You have a soul, and I have one as well. It is where the Holy Spirit dwells, bringing us peace, even as we struggle within this life.It is were our faith, our dependence on God is formed. It is where joy resonates from, when anxiety and trauma threaten to overwhem us. It is where peace exists, far beyond our comprehension, it is where we know His love more intimately than we can express.

Yet, we can share it with others… for that to is a miracle. You are ValJean and you are the Bishop.



Pope Francis, A Year with Pope Francis: Daily Reflections from His Writings, ed. Alberto Rossa (New York; Mahwah, NJ; Toronto, ON: Paulist Press; Novalis, 2013), 366.

A. W. Tozer and Marilynne E. Foster, Tozer on the Holy Spirit: A 366-Day Devotional (Camp Hill, PA: WingSpread, 2007).

Timothy J. Wengert, Martin Luther’s Catechisms: Forming the Faith (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2009), 46.

Posted in Ancient Future, Augsburg and Trent, Catholic Theology, Martin Luther, Pope Francis, Tozer

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Anne Hathaway, Les Mis, and….Liturgy

Jan 6

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Devotional Thought of the Day:

Disclaimer – I am not a fan of musicals, or even stage theatre.  I did like Phantom and Wicked because of the plots – but.. I would much rather see a great concert (Kansas, Styx) or the LOTR if I am sitting in theatre seats.

Having said that, my wife and I saw the movie Les Mis the other night.  ( Did I say I hate musicals?)  Those acting in the movie intrigued me, and I went, preparing to make a sacrifice to see the movie.

From the first, I was stunned by Anne Hathaway.  Not the cutest role ever for her, not by a long shot.  But perhaps the most breathtaking performance of her life. As she goes from purest despair and lament over her situation, as hopeless as any can be… her voice sings a song that is normally one that is supposedly, “inspiriational”.  You hear it on shows like American’s Got Talent, when someone wants to impress the judges with their voice – range, power all of it.  Anne’s performance rises up against all of them, and confronts them all- for the song is one of lament, of pain, of anguish – and she sings it that way.

One of the reasons I don’t like stage musicals – is that they are, for many, simple performances.  They are directed and choreographed in such a way… that the power of voices overcomes and drowns out the power of the story, the pathos of the charachter, as they throw themselves into singing the song – for the song’s sake.  The play simply becomes the vehicle for solo performance after solo performance, with some group pieces tossed into the mix.  Not so with this one – the music and singing served the play – and I have to admit – not even begrudgingly, that it was incredible.  Because everything served the story – because the actors and actresses – Anne especially, seemed driven to live the role.

Sometimes I think we treat church like that – the liturgy serves to set up this hymn or that choir or praise team piece.  We sit and yes, we sing, but for some reason, we forget the story line – we don’t throw ourselves – whether pastor, musicians, or congregation into the story that is being revealed.   When we say AMEN! after we have been told we have been cleansed of the guilt and shame of our multitude of sins – we react – that’s nice… oh yeah Amen!.  When we sing the Kyrie, our heart doesn’t plead for the Lord’s mercy and presence…and love as we hear our needs – our desperate need for God’s presence… realized.

One of my dreams – one of my goals, has been for a long time – to help people not just be involved in the liturgy – but to live it – just as Anne does the role.  To sing with the passion appropriate – as we sing the Gloria to do so with the awe of those who have realized – He has had mercy! He is here!  The Church, His Bride, He has come for!   As we sing the Sanctus, the great Holy Holy Holy – we hear the angels and archangels and all the host of heaven joining in with us…. as we pass the peace – to share the joy of realizing that God has not only reconciled us to Him, but to each other…that ALL is forgiven.

And when we sing the Agnus Dei – as the Lamb of God – who takes away the sins of the world… as He shares His body, His blood, with us, the awe… the majesty, the raw love – there for us… and the joy of Simeon’s Song – as we walk away from the feast – knowing that God is with us, that we have seen, we have tasted salvation…. oh the joy that should be evident from our voices.

I am not saying we should act, but you get the feeling that Anne somehow wasn’t acting – she was the role – she was in the story.   Not really sure how she did that – for Les Mis is a work of fiction – though it touches us all at a deep emotional level.  SO much more should the real story of the Liturgy – of the need for God, of His coming and teaching and healing and feeding and loving and cleansing and….bringing us into His presence… that story should sweep us all off our feet… and into the story in which we live.

For liturgy is not just a way to “do church”.  It is our story, intertwined with that of Christ, that runs the gamut of every emotion… that leaves us… in His peace….

I pray this helps you….become the church…not just be there……

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