Tuesday, October 14, 2008

"To love another person..."

The most powerful part to me of my favorite musical, Les Miserables, is the closing scene, when Jean Valjean is at the end of his life. Fantine comes to him as an angel, and sings "Take my hand / I’ll lead you to salvation / Take my love / For love is everlasting / And remember / The truth that once was spoken, / To love another person / Is to see the face of God."



It's hard for me to get through that moment dry-eyed, even when I'm just listening to a CD. Memories from my life--and from that musical--always pour through my mind and I know how unselfishly loving others does bring an undeniable closeness to God.



This morning during my scripture study, I wondered to what Victor Hugo was referring as "the truth that once was spoken." Was he quoting scripture or other literature? I'm still not sure--if someone has insight, please let me know!



However, I did recall Matthew 25:40: "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

3 comments:

Maria said...

Matt,
I'm not sure what the truth that once was spoken was either, but it also sounds like the message of Moroni 7:48 (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/moro/7). (Even though this is a less likely candidate for Hugo's source, since he wasn't LDS in his lifetime).

Jessica said...

I think like the pervious post that it is talking about the gift of Charity. To love someone as God does is to become like God and eventually to see His face.
I think that the if you look back over Hugo's life is is searching for the truth of God, and not just for religious practice, but to truly find who God is. He said that (catholic) religion would fall but that people would find the more true nature of God" That is not a direct quote. I think that "the truth that once was spoken here" refers to the truth that all human beings are born with to have a truths once again impressed upon our hearts of the premortal existence. Christ and then again Paul not to mention Moroni, have much to say about Charity. All human beings are born with, the light of Christ in our hearts. I am sure Hugo was impressed to write what he wrote. I am sure that all human hearts long to know who they are and as they begin an honest search, the Holy Ghost reveals truth to all men and women about how to live a better and more holy life and how to inspire others along the way, even for years.

Matt said...

Jessica, thanks for those thoughts! I like that interpretation about relearning truths here that we once knew.

Maria, thanks, too for the Moroni verse. Nice cross reference.