I went through a time when I partied hard. I went on academic probation in college and my life was without meaning at the time. My drug induced stupors began to be normal, and I found myself in places where my life was in danger, just so I could “pick something up.” There were times when I would alley race under whatever influence. I remember being air-born from one alley to another across a busy street. I think about what would have happened if a family had been walking by. They would be dead, and I would be in jail. My friend lived in an apartment complex near where I made the jump and saw my red ‘76 Chevy Nova. When people asked, “do you recognize that guy,” he told me he said “no.” Heck…I didn’t recognize that guy.
I woke up after one particular “experience” (that’s all I’ll say about that) and realized that I was going in the wrong direction. At that point in my life, the party atmosphere became distasteful. The choice became easy. However, I still struggled with self-control because I hadn’t fully surrendered to Jesus Christ. I prayed the following prayer and was immediately immersed in the Holy Spirit, “Lord Jesus, save me. I can’t do this anymore alone. I know You love me. I’m ready to follow You. I thank You for dying a sinner’s death for my sins. I thank You for raising Yourself from the dead 3 days later. You are God and I’m not. I know You’re perfect and Holy. Please forgive me for all I’ve done. Please bring me to salvation… So, I say, “Yes” to you. I say, “Yes. I will obey you and I want you to be Lord of my life””.
The Masterpiece play named “Les Miserables” describes a world where people are damned into a life of victimization. “Les Miserables” means victim or wretched poor. The world forced these wretched poor into bad decisions and death rather than showing them lovingkindness or hope. People were further accused by the law and subjected to slavery and death. There appeared to be no way out for anyone. The law does the exact opposite of saving a person. Instead, it accuses and condemns individuals to death. People are punished by a law that cannot save them. The innocent cannot affect good because if they break one small law, they are lawbreakers and are subject to the same penalty of prison or death. So, the world remains corrupt. People die in their sin each day and the world goes on claiming another victim. However, this play, Les Miserables, written in 1862 by Victor Hugo, is about an exit strategy.
The main character, Jean Valjean, who is sentenced for stealing a loaf of bread for his family, finds redemption. A Bishop lets him off the hook even though Valjean originally stole his silverware. The bishop, just as Jesus Christ had done before, was not in this world to condemn it, but to save it. While Valjean was yet a thief and an enemy of righteousness, the bishop did not take out his wrath on him. Jean Valjean is transformed at that moment. The restoration story continues as Jean Valjean saves other individuals, despite the pursuit of a relentless law that seeks to destroy them and doesn’t care about the family that he loves. He doesn’t fool himself into thinking that the law is not apathetic toward him, but rather, he knows it wants to extinguish his flame. Instead, the fruit of his labor is a thriving business, a town that is better with him in it, and a legacy passed on to the younger generation. He remains in God’s grace and finds a way out of the evil situation.