a dirty mess

I saw Les Miserables last night. As for a review, I will offer two points.

First, if you do not like singing then avoid this movie. I did not actually count, but I am fairly confident that 95% of the movie is singing.

Second, go see the movie. The music is excellent. The acting/singing is impressive. The ending is beautifully powerful.

Heading into the film I was not overly familiar with the story. I probably "read" it in high school, which means I never actually opened the book. After last night, I wish I had.

Aside from the ending, there was one scene in particular which made me pause. It was when Jean Valjean carried Marius through the Paris sewer system in order to save him.

Marius is unconscious due to his injuries and Jean is trudging his way through human waste. At certain points the two men are up to their chins with Jean desperately trying to keep the two from drowning. It is a rather grotesque scene.

And yet the scene is a beautiful picture of what Christ did for us. 

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved. ~Ephesians 2:4-5

Christ did far more than reach down and pull our dead bodies from the rotten and filthy pit we willingly called home. He jumped into the pit. He covered himself in our mess. He became gross and disgusting by taking on our sin.

And by doing so, Christ saved us. He brought us to life when we were dead. 

The scene is also a great picture for how we are called to minister to one another. We should follow His example and willingly jump into the mess of others and carry them out.