Les Miserables

[a bishop has just spare the life of Jean Valjean.  Valjean had stolen from the bishop when he gave him shelter, and yet the bishop showed love instead of the law.]

There is really not a whole to add to this scene.  This movie as a whole is beautiful.  It is the showing of mercy by the bishop that has rescued the soul of Valjean.  Valjean had been a criminal for stealing a "mouthful of bread."  He was sent to prison 2o years ago.  He was lost in this world in which so much injustice happened.  He was content to be in the old testament, a tooth for a tooth.  At the witness of the bishop though he learned that there is more to our life than simply revenge.  

Valjean recognizes how indebted he is to the bishop, and recognizes the evil of his actions, he is ashamed by his life.  Yet he believes in the words the bishop had told him, that he has a soul, and that he is somebody good.  How often do we need this in the world?  Somebody to take the time to look at us with love, and call us brother (or sister)?   I remember I had a teacher who used to talk about this similar experience.  He came to teach at a poor inner city school.  He had to leave the classroom for a little while on his first day and he put this kid in charge.  Later he found out that a lot of the teachers at the school thought this kid was trouble.  This kid for my teacher became a really good, and noble student.  The teacher eventually asked the kid about this experience, that for him he was a great kid, but all these other teachers thought so poorly about him.  The kid had said it is because you treated as if I was good.  You believed in me.  

If we start with not trusting people, what makes us any different from the average person.  We are called to something more.  This clip educates us in the line from Scripture..."This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Jn. 13:35