I recently had the joy of seeing my favorite musical, Les Misérables, live at the Phoenix Theatre. It was beyond marvelous! While I’ve loved this show for many years, what resonates with me most is its overarching theme: Love.
It also contains my favorite quote of all time: “And remember the truth that once was spoken: To love another person is to see the face of God.”
When Herbert Kretzmer set out to adapt Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables for the English stage, he didn’t just translate words—he distilled the novel’s deeply radical theology into a single, immortalizing moment. Hugo’s original 1862 masterpiece is driven by the conviction that human grace, mercy, and active love are the ultimate manifestations of the divine in a broken world.
This truth is beautifully highlighted in the grand finale of the stage production, sung as Jean Valjean passes into the next life.
As you reflect this week, what is your favorite quote or passage? How does it shape the way you live and love others? Give it some thought—I’d love to hear what moves and inspires you.
Shalom,
Paul