Les Misérables Quotes

In December, I finally finished reading Les Misérables. I’ve been a longtime fan of the musical and had been in the process for quite some time of reading the complete unabridged version in the original French. While some parts were slow (Victor Hugo can be quite verbose), overall it was excellent. As much as I love the play, there were some elements that only the book could really capture. For instance, the ending plot thread with Valjean’s confession and departure was incredible and very emotional in the book making the play/movie seem rushed. Maybe it’s because that was the most recent part I read, but that was one of the most powerful parts of the book to me. It shows a darker side of Marius as he tries to push Valjean away and distrusts him because of his past. Meanwhile, Jean Valjean lets this happen because of his own remaining guilt. It’s such an amazing story of redemption and love and is very hopeful despite the title. Another thing I loved was the fact that a lot of the lines in the original French play were quotes from the book that I recognized as I was reading. In the recent movie, which was also excellent, the changes from the play followed the book which made for an incredible combination of being faithful to both the play and the novel.

Here are some quotes that I liked from the book (that I can remember). If you notice a mistake in my translations, let me know and I'll fix it.

« Le rire, c’est le soleil; il chasse l’hiver du visage humain. »

Laugher is the sun; it chases winter from the human face.

« Nourrir le peuple est un bon but, le massacrer est un mauvais moyen. »

To feed the people is a good goal; to massacre them is a bad method.

« Citoyens, il n’y aura dans l’avenir ni ténèbres, ni coups de foudre, ni ignorance féroce, ni talon sanglant. Comme il n’y aura plus de Satan, il n’y aura plus de Michel. Dans l’avenir personne ne tuera personne, la terre rayonnera, le genre humain aimera. Il viendra, citoyens, ce jour où tout sera concorde, harmonie, lumière, joie et vie, il viendra. Et c’est pour qu’il vienne que nous allons mourir. »  – Enjolras

Citizens, in the future there will be neither shadows, nor thunderbolts, nor ferocious ignorance, nor bloody heels. Since there will no longer be Satan, there will no longer be Michael. In the future no one will kill anyone, the earth will shine, the human race will love. It will come, citizens, this day where all will be agreement, harmony, light, joy and life, it will come. And it is in order that it will come that we will die.

« Jean Valjean ne put s’empêcher de contempler cette vaste ombre claire qu’il avait au-dessus de lui; pensif, il prenait dans le majestueux silence du ciel éternel un bain d’extase et de prière. »

Jean Valjean could not help but contemplate this vast clear shadow that he had above him; pensive, he took a bath of ecstasy and of prayer in the majestic silence of the eternal heavens.

« Une chose l’avait étonné. c’était que Jean Valjean lui eût fait grâce, et une chose l’avait pétrifié, c’était que, lui Javert, il eût fait grâce à Jean Valjean.

Où en était-il? Il se cherchait et il ne se trouvait plus. »

One thing had astonished him, that Jean Valjean had given him grace, and one thing had had petrified him, that he, Javert, he had given grace to Jean Valjean. Where was he? He was searching for himself and he could no longer find himself.

« Un malfaiteur bienfaisant, un forçat compatissant, doux, secourable, clément, rendant le bien pour le mal, rendant le pardon pour la haine, préférant la pitié à la vengeance, aimant mieux se perdre que de perdre son ennemi, sauvant celui qui l’a frappé, agenouillé sur le haut de la vertu, plus voisin de l’ange que de l’homme! Javert était contraint de s’avouer que ce monstre existait. »

A benevolent criminal, a compassionate convict, soft, helpful, merciful, repaying good for evil, giving forgiveness for hate, choosing mercy over vengeance, preferring to lose himself rather than to lose his enemy, saving the one who had hit him, kneeling on the height of virtue, closer to angels than to man! Javert was forced to admit that such a monster existed.

« Il avait certainement toujours eu l’intention de remettre Jean Valjean à la loi, dont Jean Valjean était le captive, et dont lui, Javert, était l’esclave. »

He had certainly always had the intention of turning Jean Valjean over to the Law, to which Jean Valjean was a captive, and to which he, Javert, was a slave.

« L’amour, c’est la bêtise des hommes et l’esprit de Dieu. »

Love is the folly of men and the spirit of God.

« Le bonheur sec ressemble au pain sec. On mange, mais on ne dîne pas. »

Dry happiness resembles dry bread. You eat but you don’t have a meal.

« Il leur semblait que les chagrins, les insomnies, les larmes, les angoisses, les épouvantes, les désespoirs, devenus caresses et rayons, rendait plus charmante encore l’heur charmante qui approchait ; et que les tristesses était autant de servantes qui faisaient la toilette de la joie. »

It seemed to them that the grief, the insomnia, the tears, the agonies, the terrors, the despair, having become caresses and sunbeams, made the lovely moment that was coming even more lovely; and that the sorrows were as much servants that groomed joy.

« la meilleure manière d’adorer Dieu, c’est d’aimer sa femme. »

The best way to love God is to love your wife.

« Il y  avait de la joie partout sur moi, le fond de mon âme restait noir. Ce n’est pas assez d’être heureux, il faut être content. »

There was joy all over me; the depths of my soul remained dark. It’s not enough to be happy, you must be glad.

« Dieu a ses instruments. Il se sert de l’outil qu’il veut. »

God has His instruments. He uses them for the purposes that He wants.

« Ici une courte digression est nécessaire. »

Here a short digression is necessary. (Summary of the entire book)

« Ce n’est rien de mourir ; c’est affreux de ne pas vivre. »

It’s nothing to die; it’s frightening not to live.

« Voulez-vous un prêtre ? – J’en ai un, répondit Jean Valjean. »

“Do you want a priest?” “I have one,” responded Jean Valjean.

« Ce sont les partages de Dieu. Il est là-haut, il nous voit tous, et il sait ce qu’il fait au milieu de ses grandes étoiles. »

This is the position of God. He is up above, he sees us all, and he knows what he is doing in the midst of his great stars.

A Time to Betray

I just finished reading A Time to Betray by Reza Khalili. I have to say I was blown away. I never thought I’d read an autobiography that was so thrilling, suspenseful and emotional that I couldn’t put it down. The book reads like a fiction spy novel, but is Reza’s actual memoirs about growing up in Iran and living through the Iranian revolution.

The book describes Reza’s childhood in Iran under the Shah and follows his relationship with his two closest friends, Naser and Kezem. While Reza is in the US for college, the Iranian people under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini oust the Shah and begin an Islamic revolution that promises freedom and prosperity. Reza returns home after getting his computer engineering degree and joins the Revolutionary Guards with Kazem who is a devout Shi’a Muslim. However after seeing things like the American Embassy hostage crisis, friends arrested tortured and executed by the regime, and the beginning of a war with Iraq, Reza becomes disillusioned with the Revolution and decides to go to America to tell the CIA what he knows in hopes that America can help save his country. He ends up working for the CIA as a spy in the Revolutionary Guards. The book takes a deep look into his emotional struggle as he leads a double life, fights guilt over betraying his family, friends and country, and tries to be there for his wife and young son while being pulled in every other direction by the Guards and the CIA.

Several things jumped out at me about the book. It describes history that I knew very little about. I had only a vague knowledge about the revolution or the Iran-Iraq war in the ‘80s. It was fascinating to learn about these events from a personal perspective as well. It was also heart gripping to watch Reza’s struggle to keep his disloyalty a secret from his family even when that meant they hated him for supporting the revolution. It gave me a graphic association to Evin Prison where American-Iranian pastor Saeed Abedini was recently jailed for his Christian faith. It reinforced a growing love for Iran and Persian culture. Another element that began to show up in the end was his growing disillusionment with how the US deals with Iran. He cites how after all these years, the situation in Iran is still the same and the US keeps trying to accomplish appeasement strategies that have failed in the past. It was a very interesting commentary.

I would definitely recommend this book if you have an interest in the Middle East and Iran in history or current events, or if you’re just looking for an exciting (nonfiction) read.

Should Christians celebrate Chanukah?

Tonight was the last night of Chanukah. I’ve eased into celebrating the holiday over the past several years, but this was the second year that I really observed it. As a gentile Christian, it may seem strange at first why I’d be interested in celebrating this holiday that may appear to be an alternative to Christmas. But I would say that it’s very fitting for Christians to celebrate Chanukah too. Here are a few reasons I can think of:

1. Jesus celebrated Chanukah. A fun fact is that the only place in the Bible that explicitly mentions Chanukah is the New Testament in the Gospel of John. “At that time the Feast of Dedication [Chanukah] took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Yeshua was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.” (John 10:22-23). At a time when everyone was celebrating God’s miracles, Jesus makes a bold declaration that his own miracles speak to him being the Messiah and one with God Himself.
2. Chanukah is a holiday that celebrates God’s miracles. God provided supernaturally by enabling the oil for the menorah to last 8 days while the Temple was being rededicated after its defilement by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. As I prayed this week thanking God for his “miracles, wonders and salvation in those days in this time,” I was reminded that God is still active today, and He still works miracles. He was faithful in ages past and will continue to be today.
   "Our God, our help in ages past,
   Our hope for years to come,
   Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
   And our eternal home."
   (Isaac Watts, 1718)
   
3. Themes of light defeating darkness are always good reminders of God’s faithfulness. God saved His people Israel yet again from physical and spiritual destruction, and he will continue to be Israel’s savior. Just as the sages say “a little light dispels much darkness,” John begins his account of the life of Jesus by declaring “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5). 

So can you celebrate Chanukah and Christmas together? They are different holidays celebrating different events but I think they complement each other well. Chanukah celebrates deliverance from evil that would not allow us to worship God. Rather than assimilate into the ways of this world, we rise up and shine the light of God into the darkness. Jesus (Yeshua) came as the light of the world. On Christmas we celebrate the light shining out into darkness and the darkness not being able to overcome it. The birth of Messiah is Joy to the world and enables us to "arise and shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you... And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." (Isaiah 60:1,3)

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. ... For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:2,6)

Happy Chanukah and Merry Christmas!

Multilingual Worship

I love languages.  When I'm in a new place or with someone who speaks another language, I usually try to pick up at least a few words here and there. There's something very significant and powerful about language.  Singing in multiple languages has fascinated me ever since I first started singing with the Jacksonville Children's Chorus in 1998. I think I had my first major exposure to multilingual worship in Israel. Many of the congregations sang in Hebrew, Russian and English at the very least.  When we went to services at The Shelter in Eilat, other languages such as Arabic and Spanish and Sudanese were also used. Multilingual worship is great reminder that one day we will hear the praises of those Jesus has redeemed from every tribe, language, people and nation (Revelation 5:9).

When I was attending Congregation Beth Messiah, our worship leader was involved in a ministry called Proskuneo that encourages and enables multicultural and multilingual worship. I just watched a short video series from them on youtube that gives really helpful, practical tips on how to incorporate language into musical worship.  Hope it can be a helpful resource to many congregations and individuals leading worship.

Part 1: Display lyrics in other languages

Part 2: Add one word in a new language

Part 3: Call and Response

Part 4: Song medley blending a traditional or well known song with a song from another country

Part 5: Simultaneous worship in multiple languages!

Part 6: Sign Language

Part 7: Multilingual verses

Taryag Mitzvot (613 Commandments)

I remember finding it interesting the first time I heard that there are 613 commandments in the Torah.  I had never counted them, and I really didn’t plan to. All that I cared about was that there were commandments, not how many – especially if the number was as odd as 613 (coincidentally, it is a prime number). I also found it interesting that while the Rambam’s list of 613 commandments is the most widely quoted, others have had different opinions on which mitzvot make up the total of 613. Although I found it curious that you could have a list with a set number but not agree on what made up the list, 613 was good enough for me. So as far as I was concerned, there were 613 commandments in the Torah.

The other day, I got to thinking though.  That’s not the only Biblical list with a set number but shifting members.  Take the Twelve Tribes of Israel, for instance. Very rarely are they listed the same throughout Scripture.  Really there are 14 names to choose from (including Joseph and his sons Ephraim and Manasseh), so sometimes it leaves out Levi because they did not have a land inheritance, usually Joseph is replaced by two half tribes of his sons. In Revelation 7, it lists Joseph and Manasseh but not Ephraim or Dan.  Another example is the Ten Commandments which differ slightly whether you’re Protestant, Catholic or Jewish but all contain 10 commandments (they’re all faithful to the text of Exodus 20/Deuteronomy 5 too). Another slightly different but possibly applicable instance is the Twelve Apostles. I think this is more an issue of reporting Greek or Hebrew names in the different Gospel accounts.  However, after Jesus’ resurrection, they did choose a replacement for Judas Iscariot to keep the number at 12.

So maybe it isn’t so odd to have 613 Commandments after all. Maybe I’ll have to count them someday and make my own list.

If you'd like to see a couple lists and some good background, go to this website.

The Jewish Gospels by Daniel Boyarin

I just finished reading The Jewish Gospels by Daniel Boyarin.  I was very impressed.  Boyarin’s engaging book succeeded in reinforcing some things I knew, in opening me up to accept new possibilities and understandings of the early Jewish Church, and in getting me to think critically about the context of the Gospels.

One thing that intrigued me from the start is that Boyarin is an Orthodox “non-Christian Jew” (to use some of his terminology). I read something a while back commenting on the high volume of books about Jesus coming out recently by Jewish authors such as Amy Jill-Levine’s Jewish Annotated New Testament or Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s Kosher Jesus.  It seems that the Jewishness of Jesus is getting more exposure, which is encouraging.

Boyarin’s main point was that the Gospels are particularly Jewish in their context, style, and content. He challenges the common view that distinctively “Christian” doctrines such as the divinity of Messiah or the suffering Redeemer led to an early split between Christianity and Judaism.  Instead, he argues that all these ideas were well developed in first century Jewish theology.  The distinction and the controversy was that Yeshua claimed to fulfill these Messianic and divine expectations.

One point he develops early on is that the distinction between Christianity and Judaism was ambiguous for much longer than I had originally thought.  I have usually pinned the Bar Kokhba Revolt (early second century) as one of the defining points driving the wedge between Christianity and its Jewish roots. Boyarin points out that as late as the council of Nicaea and afterwards, sources indicate that the “problem” of Jewish Christians (or Christian Jews from the Rabbinic side of things) was still very relevant.  He cites Jerome (347-420) who talked about a sect referred to by the Rabbis as “minei” or “Nazarenes” who followed Jewish practices but whose beliefs were essentially those of the Nicene Creed.  Apparently, this group of Jewish Christians didn’t fit in with either side of the developing religions of Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism.  Not too much has changed in the past 1600 years. The resurgence of the Messianic movement in the past century suffers some of the same issues.

I really enjoyed the exposition of Daniel 7 about the “one like a Son of Man”.  It’s interesting to see that the concept of a second divine person (eventually to be equated with the Messiah) was present in Judaism well before Jesus. He dates the book of Daniel like many scholars to be written in the second century BC.  I prefer an earlier date for the book much closer to the Babylonian captivity. If that is the case, these ideas were very early players in Jewish theology. And there are other passages in the Prophets that point to a divine Messiah as well.  Boyarin does an excellent job connecting these ideas from the Tanakh and Jewish tradition prior and contemporary to the Gospels with Jesus’ claims in the Gospels.  He focuses mainly on the Gospel of Mark which has challenged me to spend some more time studying that Gospel this summer. He explains some of the scenes in Mark such as Yeshua’s words and actions on Shabbat in light of the Messianic and divine overtones of describing himself as the “Son of Man.” He argues that ironically the title “Son of God” highlights the humanity of Yeshua as the Messiah while “Son of Man” makes his claim to divinity.  I hadn’t thought of that before. He also offers good explanations of Yeshua’s views on ceremonial washing, keeping kosher, and the necessary suffering of Messiah.  He points out that even later Rabbis (into the Middle Ages) held traditions of a suffering Messiah based on Isaiah 53 and other similar passages.  Since these Rabbis admittedly had no great love or sympathy for Yeshua, these ideas must not have originated with him.  He just had the audacity to apply these divine Messianic Redeemer identifications to himself.

A couple small criticisms that didn’t really take away much from the overall point of the book:  It was harder for me to follow the discussion on 1 Enoch and 4 Ezra probably because I’m not as familiar with these non-canonical books. That’s probably something I should look into more though. In this discussion though he spent a lot of time describing how theophany (God manifesting Himself as a man) and apotheosis (a man becoming God) are doctrines that had been developing in the centuries before Jesus and were merged in the Gospels.  I would argue that Christianity is more a story of theophany than apotheosis. It’s almost as if he’s making a case for henotheism much like in Mormon theology. An example of where I would disagree is Boyarin’s claim that at his baptism, Yeshua became God (apotheosis). Yeshua was pre-existent as the divine Messiah but chose to humble himself to live as a man while never becoming any less than God. So there’s no need for the human Messiah Yeshua to ascend to divinity. I know Boyarin is a scholar, so that is the approach he takes, but his tone and discussion of early Canaanite religion and the developing Jewish theology almost makes it sound like God, or the concept of God, is a continually changing entity rather than the immutable creator of all who chooses to reveal Himself to us.

Overall, this was great book.  It was a quick read but there’s so much good stuff in there that I will probably be skimming sections again for a while.

Wise Discussion on Insider Movements

The Gospel Coalition has had a series of posts recently on Insider Movements and Muslim ministry.  I've really liked reading these because they've been insightful looks at the good as well as the dangers on all sides of this controversial issue.  They don't blast any one approach, but try to frame the issue with the Gospel.  I hope more dialogue like this can happen because ultimately the glory of Messiah is our aim.

• Leading Muslims to Jesus: Questions to Consider by L. D. Waterman
• How Islamic Can Christianity Be? by J. T. Smith
• How to Share the Gospel with Muslims by J. T. Smith
• Questions and Biblical Guidelines for Missionaries among Muslim Peoples by Erik Hyatt
• Piper Responds to the Insider Movement by Collin Hansen