Another Story

Must Begin

Another Story
Must Begin
A Lent Course Based on

Les Misrables
Jonathan Meyer

For Charlotte and Ellie and all who search

Contents
Foreword 7
Introduction 9

First published in 2013 by

Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd
1 Spencer Court
140142 Wandsworth High Street
London SW18 4JJ
2013 Jonathan Meyer
The right of Jonathan Meyer to be identified as the Author
of this work has been asserted in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 978-0-232-53027-8
Extracts from Les Misrables by Victor Hugo, translation by
Norman Denny, first published by The Folio Society in 1976.
Copyright 1976, The Folio Society. Used by kind permission
of the Folio Society and the translators estate.
Scripture quotations, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 the Division
of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission.
All rights reserved.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Designed and produced by Judy Linard.
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Bell & Bain, Glasgow

WEEK ONE: Fantine and Cosette 21

Leaders note 23
To start you thinking 23
Session One:
Fantine 27
Cosettes dream 30
Closing prayers 32

WEEK TWO: The Bishop of Digne 33

Leaders note 35
To start you thinking 35
Session Two:
A prayerful man formed by experience 45
The sharing of bread and wine and an outpouring

of grace 47
Closing prayers 49
WEEK THREE: Jean Valjean 51

Leaders note 53
To start you thinking 53
Session Three:
Degradation 59
The disarming effect of grace 60
Battles with conscience 62
Another story must begin 63
Closing prayers 63

Contents

WEEK FOUR: Javert 65

Leaders note 67
To start you thinking 67
Session Four:
Duty to the law 73
The way of the Lord? 73
I am the law 74
Closing prayers 76

WEEK FIVE: Redemption and Salvation 77

Leaders note 79
To start you thinking 79
Session Five:
Bring us home 85
Who am I? 86
Closing prayers 88
Further Thoughts
End Notes

89
93

Foreword
Grace Can Change Us
I often recall during my time as a valuer with one of the
major auction houses visiting a client with a considerable
collection to sell. He was a successful businessman, and if
one were going to label him, it would be that he was of the
Wheres theres muck theres brass school of business. He
was a northerner who had got there by hard graft. He was
a supporter of charitable work and gave quite a lot to the
arts. It was at a time when there was considerable unrest in
the country, and there was a real feeling that aspects of the
structure of our society might be challenged. I said to him
over lunch, Doesnt the breakdown of society alarm you? I
was somewhat taken aback by his response: No, Jonathan. I
think its absolutely marvellous, fantastic! What so many of
us fear, he saw as an opportunity.
God grant that as we walk with Christ through a broken
and hurting world, we may journey on with compassion and
grace, just as the Lord Jesus did, seeing our journeying as an
opportunity to reach out to others in grace and love. Let us
remember how powerful grace truly is to change lives, and
as we experience it, exercise it, too, not knowing how it may
affect the other. And let us pray that the suffering of Lent
giving way to the joy of Easter may be a reality not just for
us, but for all those with whom we come into contact.

Introduction
Early in March of 2012 I received a telephone call out of the
blue from a location manager asking if it might be possible
to consider the church of which I am priest-in-charge to be
used for some filming. The church of St Mary the Virgin in
Ewelme is very beautiful and has an exceptional history, so
it was not uncommon to get such a request. I indicated that
it would be fine for a small group to come and look over the
church, although I was a little put out that they wanted to come
at 7.30 the following morning. When I did open the church on
that crisp morning, I was surprised to find that about twenty
people arrived, and even more surprised to find the Oscarwinning director of The Kings Speech, Tom Hooper, among
them. I hadnt grasped the magnitude of the project we were
being asked to help with. I had seen and knew about the stage
musical version of Les Misrables, but I was not aware that a
film was being planned.
Not much was said, but I took another call indicating
that the director liked the location, and would it be possible
to arrange for fake snow in the churchyard? I then began
to realise that this was something a bit bigger than I had
anticipated. My first responsibility was to point out that
permission would be required. This process, or obtaining
a faculty as it is termed, is generally dreaded by clergy,
misunderstood by most and resented by churchwardens,
who feel they are adequate custodians of their churches. In
fact, it is a useful safeguard, especially in the case of filming,
because it ensures that the nature and content to be shot is in
keeping with the beliefs of the church. For example, there
have been instances of satanic material for thrillers being
filmed in churches, which caused considerable offence, so I

Another Story Must Begin

Introduction

was anxious to find out exactly what they wanted to film in

or around the church.
I was particularly pleased to find out that the proposal
was to transform the south side and porch into the exterior
of the residence of the Bishop of Digne. Jean Valjean, the
newly released convict, would arrive in the snow, take refuge
in the porch and then be taken in by the bishop, where he
would receive love and respect, food and lodging. The next
day, having left early with the silver, and being brought back
by the constable, the bishop exclaims, So there you are, Im
delighted to see you. Had you forgotten that I gave you the
candlesticks as well? Theyre silver like the rest, and worth a
good few hundred francs. 1 Valjean is released, the gendarmes
withdraw and then the bishop says to Valjean in a low voice:

without water to achieve the effect), rushing from the church

porch singing Another Story Must Begin.
Only nine months later, we saw his contorted face on
screen, running in anguish from the door, and our church
digitised onto a rocky promontory in Provence. It was as
if the transformation of our church into another place, part
of a profoundly moving narrative abundant with Christian
themes, could be a metaphor for how, just as Valjean is
transformed by the magnanimity of the bishop, we might be
transformed by Victor Hugos majestic story.
As I was preparing for a service in late January, wondering
what to do for our Lent course, I suddenly felt sure that to
consider the film and reflect on the story would make an
excellent basis for such a course. In scriptural terms, Lent
is the forty days and forty nights that Jesus spent in the
wilderness. He was led into the wilderness by the Spirit
and there, during a time of prayer and temptation, he had to
come to terms with his destiny. Some people will still see this
period as a battle with the devil; the drama of how evil seeks
to overthrow good, and how good is unshaken and prevails.
Apart from the narrative of the temptations, we have no clue
as to what Jesus felt or thought. But we can imagine this time
of testing and of prayer as the way in which he came to terms
with his humanity; the way he struggled to accept that it was
his destiny to align himself with the ways of God. If fully
human, he had to struggle with his conscience, as we do, and
with the temptation to resist always taking the easy route. He
had to become fully aware of those around him and of their
needs. He had to put his ideals in line with his life and the way
in which he was going to live it.
We do not approach Lent in a spirit that calls us to be Jesus,
but we are called to follow Jesus. During our Lenten journey,
we too should seek to try to ascertain what Gods will is for
us. As we will note during the chapter on the Bishop of Digne,
Conscience is the amount of inner knowledge we possess.
To that extent, our Lenten journey should be to understand
ourselves better.

10

Do not forget, do not ever forget, that you have promised

me to use the money to make yourself an honest man. Jean
Valjean my brother, you no longer belong to what is evil
but to what is good. I have bought your soul to save it from
black thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to
God.2
What could be more suitable for filming in a church during
Lent? The chancellor duly granted the faculty and filming
took place on 21 March 2012.
On a warm, sunny day, villagers gathered by the
churchyard wall to catch a glimpse of actor Hugh Jackman.
There were over two hundred people involved in filming
technicians, cameramen, sound people, extras, catering staff,
and numerous others. As well as the personnel, who added
about 50 per cent to our normal village population, there were
numerous trucks and three huge cranes supporting gigantic
lights, which illuminated the scene until about 2am the next
morning. By the time we arose they were mostly gone, and
by the following day almost all trace of the filming had
been erased. We had seen and heard Hugh Jackman, gaunt
and tense (we later learned that he starved himself and went

11

Another Story Must Begin

Introduction

By taking different characters from the story, I have tried to

lead through Lent in a traditional way.

they might reflect our Christian hope of the kingdom and

the restoration of our fallen nature; how we struggle with
our consciences and whether we would have the strength to
remain true to them, as Valjean does.
Those who enjoyed these evenings all felt that Javert
was the most interesting character. He shares a difficult
background with Valjean, and yet he follows what he
considers a blameless career, constructing a universe
upheld by cast-iron laws and unbending moral values, yet
devoid of compassion. As the narrative commences with
the concept of grace, it ends with that of redemption. How
do we obtain redemption? Is it only Valjean, who has lived
as God requires, who is redeemed? How far do the faults
of Fantines life prohibit her from entering into paradise?
Was it that Javert faced eternal damnation and could not be
saved, or was it that his understanding of God did not allow
him to receive an outpouring of grace as Valjean did?
We are constantly aware of the secularisation of society and
the marginalising of religion. There is a sense that the media
does not wish to be seen to promote or entertain religious
ideas, that the basics of Christian doctrine and biblical values
are to be downplayed at best or ridiculed at worst. But there
is much in popular culture that reflects our Christian heritage.
The success of Les Misrables is an example of this. Hugos
themes are unmistakably Christian. During his life he was
a supporter of Louis Philippe, but later became a socialist
and a Roman Catholic. Although some would criticise a
Christian witness that limits itself to a narrow interpretation
of scriptural authority, Christian ideas and values, a Christian
sense of redemption and an eschatological hope can be found
in popular culture, just as they are in the film version of the
musical Les Misrables. By looking for and reflecting on such
values in secular literature and the media, we can find much
that might enrich our own understanding of God, helping us
to share ideas and to learn from the way others respond.
Cameron Mackintosh, who must receive the most credit
for promoting the RSC version of Les Misrables some thirty

12

we need to contemplate sin and what that might mean in

Fantine represents our fallen state; to reflect on her life

ourselves, but also in society.

a sense of sin and our fallen nature with a hope for the

The short section devoted to Cosette seeks to counterbalance

future.

need for us to be open to the new and unexpected; we are

The bishop marks a deeper journey of formation and the

challenged here in regards to judging others.

the response to our self-knowledge or, in the case of Javert,

Valjean and Javert represent different ways and choices;

the inability to respond.

how Valjean has arrived at a sense of fulfilment and to

The final section, Redemption and Salvation, tries to assess

reflect on the sacrifices he has had to make on the way;

throughout, we think about the grace of God to transform
lives including our own.

But just as Hugo didnt write Les Misrables simply for us

to enjoy a story about the deprived and dispossessed, Lent
should not only be a time for reflection on our inner natures,
but a time to reassess what we can do with our lives and for
those around us. I hadnt expected this dimension to come
through as strongly as it does, but there is real need for us to
consider the state of society.
I ran a very informal course and, as we progressed, learned
much about the story and how it might be used within a
group to stimulate discussion, to deepen our understanding
of grace (Gods free, unmerited favour) and how it can alter
lives. As well as the overarching theme of grace, many other
strands of the story emerged. The question of punishment in
contemporary society, and how much the way in which we
deal with prisoners has improved (or not); moral attitudes
to women and to prostitution; the dreams of youth, and how

13

Another Story Must Begin

Introduction

years ago, is reported to have said that he always felt the project
to be strangely blessed. In a small-group meeting during Lent
in a rural and traditional benefice, I believe the themes have
done more to enlighten people than past meetings.
I have sought to take the contrasting characters and use
them and their place within the story to explore different
themes. Of course, there will always be areas where the
themes overlap and I think it a mistake to be too prescriptive
about each session. I believe it is important to emphasise
that Les Misrables does not provide definitive answers, and
that different responses will not only be of value but will add
a richness to the way we perceive the story. Responses to a
biblical or secular text must remain open; they must pose
questions for us to answer in our own way and in our own
lives. Rowan Williams points out in his book Dostoevsky:
Language, Faith and Fiction that a narrative that remains
open can have a far more profound effect on us than a fable
that posits all the answers:

from time to time throughout Pariss history. The rising of

1832 was easily put down and did not cause the authorities
undue concern. It gave Hugo a powerful setting for his
story and a framework in which to make his case for social
justice. The novel was published thirty years later, which
indicates that the question of poverty was still very much
on the political agenda. Any groups following the course
will find it impossible not to consider how much this is still
a problem in Western society or further afield. Hugo put
his case forcefully within the National Assembly, and it is
difficult to ignore the political aspects of the novel and the
film in todays society. It is not the intention of this course
to be political, but inevitably these questions may be raised.
Groups might like to reflect on the role of the individual and
the church as a whole to fight for social justice, and it would
be a natural progression to consider Liberation Theology.
The whole question of how the church responds to social
injustice has been brought to the fore by both Pope Francis
I and the Archbishop of Canterbury recently. Hugo alludes
to the way in which people can be excluded by naming
the fictional society to which the young revolutionaries
Enjolras, Courfeyrac, Grantaire and others belonged as the
ABC society, ABC being a play on the French word abaiss,
abased or downcast.
As I have pointed out, there are unmistakable theological
themes running through the story. One little example of the
way he explicitly theologises is how he describes the response
to the awful event of the Terror in Paris in 1793 and the
food riots that took place at the time; that they wanted the
Edenisation of the world. The ideal of returning to paradise,
to our prelapsarian state and how we are redeemed is the sort
of reflection ideal for a Lent course. Some of Hugos views
are very traditional, such as his approach to sin, which is
evident throughout. This may encourage useful debate.
The other explicit theological theme is that of the tension
between law and justice as against compassion and grace.
The film is not just a confrontation between goodies and

14

Whether or not we say, as earlier believers in eschatology

would have done, that God is in possession of the future,
the one thing we can agree on is that we are not. The open,
ambiguous, unresolved narrative insists on this, which
is why novels are never popular with ideologues and do
not flourish in climates where eschatology is excessively
realized. You do not find fundamentalist novelists (only
what you would have to call fabulists, writers of narratives
with closed significance).3
Just as the narrative remains open at least to a degree,
it should point us to different possibilities and allow us to
engage fully, and not, like Javert, to be constrained within a
moral straightjacket.
The backdrop to the novel is the little known insurrection
which took place in Paris on 6 June 1832. Since the
revolution of 1789, there were several insurrections and
periods of civil disturbance, as indeed there have been

15

Another Story Must Begin

Introduction

baddies. It explores the much more subtle and interesting

question of mercy as opposed to justice, or what happens
when humanity collides with the law. In modern society we
are more concerned with shame than with guilt. We may not
fully understand Valjeans dilemma because we are more
concerned about what we can get away with, rather than what
our conscience tells us is wrong.
In spite of the depressing picture of social injustice, and
the way in which Fantine pays for her transgression with an
early death, as well as the individual tragedies of Eponine,
Gavroche and the hapless republicans, Les Misrables is
remarkable for its profound sense of optimism. A sense of
hope and belief in humanity and its future brings us back
to biblical themes and to a resurrection that transcends our
Lenten fast.
In order to try to exploit the full richness of Les
Misrables, I have made use of both the recent film version
and the novel. The film has telescoped parts of the novel
out of necessity, but by doing so some of the subtleties have
been lost. For example, there are fifty pages or so dedicated
to the character of the Bishop of Digne, of which we get
no sense in the film. There is a clear picture of his humility
and desire to serve, in contrast to many other bishops. He
eschews the trappings of his office, and we also have a
picture of how his own spirituality develops; it isnt that he
suddenly acts as a vessel for the outpouring of grace. There
is also a fascinating encounter with an aging revolutionary
responsible along with others for the death of Louis XVII,
which in itself raises questions about how we are called
to act. The other very important aspect of the story is the
way in which Jean Valjean wrestles with his conscience
when faced with the possibility of allowing the man falsely
arrested in his place to be wrongfully convicted.
I would encourage readers to read the novel, but it is
long. Alongside the novel, the film itself should certainly
be seen. For practical purposes, either sections of the
film or the soundtrack could be used during the course. I

have indicated points at which to start and stop watching

a section. As I have organised the course by looking at
characters in order to try to emphasise a particular theme,
they are not always in the same order as they occur in the
film. I would urge those participating to follow the lyrics
in a written version, available from www.azlyrics.com/l/
lesmiserablescast. All the lyrics are very rich in biblical and
spiritual allusions, and having the written text makes it easier
to follow and easier to recall and reflect on the content.
We normally end our Lent courses by saying the office of
Compline, which is a fitting end to the day and only takes
about fifteen minutes. I generally say some short impromptu
prayers, which pick up on the themes or anything particular
that has come up in discussion. I have added some short
suggestions for prayer at the end of each section, but of course
any format or other prayers could be used.

16

17

Some useful texts to consider

throughout the course
A course of this type is intended to stimulate Christian
reflection on the story and its themes. The issues that emerge
will be based on Christian doctrine, but most of all they will
spring from biblical resonances. Many films, novels or any
work of art for that matter can encourage us to draw such
parallels and, as we have seen, Les Misrables is especially
rich in this respect.
I would encourage people to bring their own thoughts to
each session, and although I have drawn attention to some
specific texts, there will be many others that occur to people
and illuminate the subject in a different way. There are a few
texts that I think are especially appropriate for a Lent course
such as this, and which have particular resonances for Les
Misrables. I list them below and suggest that they are read
at the beginning of the course, at any time during it and again

Another Story Must Begin

Introduction

at the end. Reading them more than once will probably bring
different insights to the text. There will be many others that
could be added.

The prophet Ezekiel is perhaps the strangest of the three great

Old Testament prophets. His vision comes to him during the
exile, and there is considerable scholarly debate as to whether
he was in Israel or in Babylon with the main body of the exiles.
The distinctive character of his prophecy is that it focuses on
a series of visions of what is left of the Temple in Jerusalem
and how the observance of worship and the Mosaic Law had
been ignored or debased. It is only by righting this that the
people of Israel can return and be renewed as the people of
God. One of the recurrent images is that of a heart of stone
that will be renewed with a new heart.
Ezekiel was thought to be a priest himself, or certainly
someone who was steeped in the traditions, practice and rituals
of Temple worship. As we reflect on Jesus own ministry, we
recall his saying that he would destroy this temple that is
made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not
made with hands (Mark 14:58). Jesus body replaces the
Temple itself. This metaphor is helpful as we consider how
another story begins.

18

Isaiah 58:112

A vision of hope for the future, but also an admonition about

true and false worship.
The passage from Isaiah 58:112 is an optional Old
Testament reading for Ash Wednesday. It is an excellent text
to reflect on throughout Lent, which should not only be an
opportunity to give things up, but to reassess how we do
things. This passage comes from the end of what is often
called Deutero-Isaiah, because it was written during the
exile and proclaims the return of the Israelites to Jerusalem
and eventually the rebuilding of the Temple. This makes
it particularly symbolic for a period of Lenten reflection,
because just as we await the resurrection and the triumph of
Christ, we need to consider what is wrong with our lives, both
personally and in the society in which we live. As we assess
our past we should have a renewed vision of the future.

Luke 10:2537: The parable of the Good

Samaritan

The parable of the Good Samaritan is only found in Lukes

Gospel and, like all the parables, there are many layers to it.
What is especially interesting in relation to Les Misrables is
the message it has for the interpretation of the law. It is Jesus
who brings the law explicitly into the discussion, but it is the
way that it is understood that is important. We can imagine
that both the priest and the Levite rush by not because they are
inherently callous or evil; they simply have another agenda.
Jesus doesnt answer the question, Who is my neighbour?,
he turns it on its head by asking the questioner. It is not a
question of finding out who we should minister to, it is a
question of acting in such a way that we are perceived as a
good neighbour, and making sure that our priorities are right.

Ezekiel 36:2232

Psalm 1

19

The first psalm is typical of an attitude to the law which

is found in several parts of the Old Testament, especially
the book of Psalms itself. It represents what appears to be a
rather narrow and simplistic theology. Some scholars think
it may be intended to set the tone for the whole collection of
Psalms. Whether this is the case or not, it gives us a message
that it is only by following the tenets of the law that people
will be happy or blessed and prosper in their lives. How we
interpret the law will depend on how we understand such
texts, but it is difficult to get away from the idea that the law
is the Mosaic Law as set out in the Torah. Some parts of the
Old Testament seem to challenge this approach, such as the
Isaiah passage mentioned above and notably the book of Job,
which recognises that those who follow the requirements of
the law do not always seem to prosper.

Romans 3:2126: Justification by faith

20

Another Story Must Begin

In a sense, Pauls great theological dilemma was similar to the

problem faced by Javert. Paul as a Pharisaic Jew was rooted
in the belief that God had to act according to the Mosaic Law.
Thus anyone who transgressed must be judged and found
guilty, otherwise God could not be held to be righteous. But
in and through Christ we can be made righteous by faith and
by grace; thus we are justified and redeemed and God remains
true to Gods word. What is of fundamental importance in this
passage is that salvation is open to all. It was the way sins or
transgressions against the law are blotted out by grace that
Javert could not understand.

WEEK ONE
Fantine and Cosette
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had
been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of
them, they said to him, Teacher, this woman was caught in
the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses
commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you
say? They said this to test him, so that they might have
some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and
wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept
on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them,
Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first
to throw a stone at her.
(John 8:37)

Leaders' note
Introduce the course. Start the first session by making sure
that everyone is familiar with Les Misrables. A brief informal
discussion about it and especially the characters might be
helpful before you begin. If anyone has not seen the musical
or film, you can try to arrange for them to have a copy of the
DVD to watch during the week. You may like to explain how
the course will progress, with discussion, questions, prayer
and so on. Remember, some people might be sensitive to the
issues raised in this session namely, single parenthood.
Often, in discussion, ideas may go off at a tangent, but be
ready for this. It is a good idea to keep in mind roughly how
long you want to spend on each session. Some guidelines
are given below. Sessions work most comfortably if about
an hour and a half is allowed, although these could be made
shorter or longer depending on the group; you may prefer an
hour, or to stretch it to two. Be aware that if you stick rigidly
to the timings suggested here, you may find yourself going
over or under your allotted time, so it would be best to be as
flexible as possible and to check each sessions content before
you begin. In that way you may tailor it to suit your needs.
In this first session, the aim is to challenge your group into
thinking in new ways this Lenten season.

To start you thinking

Halfway through the novel, there is a chapter entitled The
Peep-hole. It describes Marius contemplating whether to
look through a hole in the flimsy plaster of his garret into
the room next door. He finally does take a glimpse. In
fact, he is looking in at the squalid quarters inhabited by
the Thnadiers, although they are living under the assumed

Another Story Must Begin

Week One

name of Jondrette. What he sees is a picture of poverty both

material and spiritual. He had chosen to refuse the riches
of his grandfather, but these people had no choice. And
worse, these creatures were only separated from him by the
flimsiest of partitions and he was unaware and uninterested
in their plight. These are the eponymous people of the story,
Les Misrables.
The passage gives us an insight into what Hugo understands
by poverty. Fantine is an innocent victim. Through oppression
and the weight of her responsibility for Cosette, she falls. It is
the way that Fantine is overwhelmed by her predicament and
falls from grace, so to speak, that gives us a valid reason why
this is a good place to start.
Social justice and the imperative of making people aware
of the way it dehumanises people was Hugos passion. Les
Misrables are those at the bottom of the pile. The dispossessed,
those who struggle to earn enough to feed themselves and
their families. Hugos imagination encompasses many such
characters. Ranging from Valjean the convict to the street
urchin Gavroche, essentially they are victims. Some deal with
their predicament and rise above it; some are raised from it by
the kindness of others, such as Valjean himself; some learn to
escape from poverty but lack compassion, like Javert; some
profit from it, like the Thnadiers; some, such as Fantine, are
engulfed by it. She encapsulates that vision of the poor being
preyed upon. They are in the grip of those in power, whether
it be the employer or the middleman, who wields his power
perhaps even more mercilessly.
The picture of Marius living so close to such poverty
divided from it by the narrowest of partitions is a powerful
metaphor for how easy it is to ignore what is going on around
us. Marius, although poor for the moment, has wealthy
relations; he has a trained intellect, and he has benefited from
an education, which enables him to earn enough to live on.
The nature of poverty today may not be directly comparable
with the position in the early part of the nineteenth century,
but there are undoubtedly many injustices within modern

society. Putting up dividers, especially flimsy ones, is a way

of turning away from God.
Lent is a time for reflecting on how we have turned away
from God. Traditionally it is a time to consider the Fall as
represented in the book of Genesis, although we may need
to think carefully how the narrative of Adam and Eve helps
us understand the reality of our plight. In the context of
Les Misrables, it is the state of society that represents our
fall from grace. Hugo is passionate about how the French
Revolution sought to improve the lot of the oppressed.
His story underlines how poverty remained a problem as
evidenced by the insurrections of 1830 and 1832 and the
necessity for the revolution of 1848. However, he did not
give up hope. Like many nineteenth-century reformers and
thinkers, he was optimistic about the future. He believed
that Les Misrables really could be liberated. He wrote in
a section excluded from the novel as first published that we
should comfort and care for the masses, and educate them. He
went on to call for the opening of workshops and schools, for
the increase of wages and the decrease in working hours, and
to derive wellbeing from the social system for the benefit of
the ignorant and oppressed. He links what he calls fraternal
obligations and political necessities.1
It is not the intention for this reflection to become an
opportunity to discuss different political goals, but whatever
our politics, we should consider how we handle the poor
and the oppressed in society. What we should do is examine
our own response to the suffering that is around, regardless
of how governments attempt to deal with it. The powerful
exhortation is as more of a duty than an act of curiosity. We
need to see what these people are like and how bad things
really are, as Marius did when he decided to look through a
hole in the fragile wall.

24

25

Session One
Fantine
There is no real need to explore and explain the background to
Fantines story in any detail. It is as old as humankind. Hugo
tells us simply of four young women, whom life had left with
little but youth and beauty. After a summer of joy, Fantine is
loved and left left with a child, Cosette. She returns to her
hometown of Montfermeil, still beautiful but with a hint of
sadness in her demeanour. Here Cosette is left in the care of the
monstrous Thnadiers. Fantine finds work in Montreiul in one of
the factories belonging to Monsieur Madelaine (Jean Valjean),
making jewellery and trinkets in jet. After losing her job, she
descends into prostitution. After being wrongly accused by one
of her clients and arrested by Javert, she comes to the attention
of Monsieur Madelaine, the mayor, and is given support. She is
ill and is placed in the factory infirmary under the care of Sister
Semplice where, under the impression that the mayor will return
with Cosette, the final days of her life ebb away.
Show: Watch the film from the beginning of the section
entitled Montreuil 1823 until Fantine is ejected from the
workshop. (5 mins)
Alternatively, listen to At the End of the Day, or read the
lyrics from the sheet. (5 mins)

Responding to poverty and those in

need

Read: Isaiah 58:112 (3 mins)

Discuss: Take time to discuss the drudgery of the lives of

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Another Story Must Begin

those engaged in the factory. How does this relate to the

reading from Isaiah 58? (5 mins)
Discuss: We might consider the impact of the demands
of the Isaiah passage on us personally and on our society.
Do we need to respond to these demands individually or
corporately? (5 mins)
Reflect: Both the Old and New Testaments are full of
exhortations to care for the poor. Jesus reminds that we will
always have the poor with us. (2 mins)
Read: Matthew 25:3440 (1 min)
Ask: How does this passage highlight the danger of
overlooking the poor in our midst altogether? (5 mins)
Ask: Does the line in the song about the righteous hurrying
past have special resonance in the context of the Isaiah
passage? (3 mins)
Read: Psalm 1 (1 min)
Reflect: In many Old Testament passages, the righteous are
venerated. There are plenty of examples in the Psalms, such
as Psalm 1, but there are other examples too. Can you think
of any? (3 mins)
Discuss: Consider what and who we think of as righteous.
Does Psalm 1 give us a picture of the world that we can relate
to? (3 mins)
Read: Matthew 23:27 ( min)
Reflect: Remember that in the Old and New Testaments,
righteousness implies adherence to the Law of Moses. What
do you think of the way Jesus challenged the Pharisees in
regards to their righteousness? (3 mins)

Week One

29

Fantines transgression

Reflect: Lent is a time to ponder how we have departed from

God. It is traditional to think of the Fall from paradise, the sin
of Adam and Eve in Eden. For any Lenten journey to have a
value, we should allow ourselves to think about how we have
departed from Gods way personally as well as to understand
what the Scriptures tell us about that departure. If we have
no understanding of what we have lost, we can have little
understanding of how it can be regained.
Christianity has a lot to say about sin and it often strikes
me that most people dont feel especially sinful, so they feel
little need for their sins to be forgiven. Just reading the story
of Adam and Eves sin and how we are tainted by that isnt
particularly helpful. It may give us a vivid metaphor for the
Fall, but it doesnt give us a sense of what the Fall might mean
to us personally. We need to express explicitly what we mean
by original sin and what it means for us as individuals.
Discuss: What do we think of when we talk of original sin?
How do you think of it in terms of yourself as an individual?
(5 mins)
Reflect: Original sin is the doctrine which rests on Augustines
interpretation; through the Fall came sin and death. The key
biblical passage on which Augustine based his doctrine is
Romans 5:1221. In Western theology we inherited death and,
more importantly, guilt itself. The Greek Orthodox Church
interprets the Fall in a slightly different way; although death
came to us through Adams sin, we do not inherit guilt; as John
Chrysostom explains, it is an inheritance of mortality rather
than sinfulness, sinfulness merely being a consequence of
mortality.
When we come to think of Fantine, it is important for us to
have some basic understanding of this if we are to ponder how
her life fits into this pattern. There is little doubt that although
Hugo was sympathetic to her character, he did think she was
guilty and wrong in allowing herself to become pregnant in

Another Story Must Begin

Week One

the first place. Today, some people probably the majority

would consider her to be a victim. (6 mins)

context of our Lenten course, she is the low point; she is a

symbol for what has gone wrong. Of course, our lives are
unlikely to have taken such a dramatic downturn, but we
know that if we look through the flimsy partition that divides
us from those around us, we will see many like her.
Cosette suffers, yet she is still unmarred. For modern
sensibilities she is perhaps a little too perfect, but as for all
the best stories, one must suspend disbelief. We can all have
a vision of something that seems unattainable. After all, that
is exactly what our hope should be; just as the writer of Isaiah
envisions a glorious return to Jerusalem and a society where the
wolf shall lie down with the lamb, so Hugo looks forward to a
future where societys social problems are solved. Our Lenten
journey should be about imagining our future and realigning
our lives in such a way that another story can begin. (5 mins)

30

Show: Watch from after the prostitution scene from There Was
a Time When Men Were Kind until the end of the song. (5
mins)
Alternatively, listen to or read the lyrics of I Dreamed a
Dream. (5 mins)
Discuss: The creation narrative in the book of Genesis tells
us that we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26,27).
Consider what this might mean to us individually, and how it
is lost. (5 mins)
Discuss: Many questions and thoughts will spring from these
lyrics, perhaps the most moving in the film. Here are few
questions to think about and discuss:
Ask: What has Fantine lost? (3 mins)
Ask: How much is it her fault? (3 mins)
Ask: Can she recover her loss? (3 mins)
Ask: How can we, humankind, recover our own loss of
righteousness? (3 mins)
Reflect: Think of the way Jesus dealt with sinners; read 1
Corinthians 1:30. Pauls theology tries to explain that as we can
never be righteous in the eyes of the law, Jesus through his life
and death upon the cross becomes our righteousness (2 mins)

Cosette's dream
Reflect: Fantines life has been irreparably marred. As we
have seen, she has ceased to function as a human being. She
has turned to stone; she has no fear, just humiliation. In the

31

Show: Watch the very short section of the film after Valjeans
escape from the infirmary and his struggle with Javert. (2
mins)
Alternatively, listen to or read the lyrics of There is a
Castle on a Cloud. (2 mins)
Reflect: This is an unashamedly sentimental vision.
Nineteenth-century writers such as Hugo and Dickens often
created a picture of a kind of idealised perfection, especially
when writing about children. The church, too, adopted a very
sentimental picture of the infant Jesus. That over-mawkish
picture still hinders the church when it tries to emphasise a
more modern theology, which presents a very human Christ,
very much of the world, suffering with us; the Christ who is
taunted every day in the kind of factory where Fantine works.
(But in this context, the sentimentality is useful because it
gives us a picture of a world that is hoped for in complete
contrast to Fantines world.) (3 mins)
Discuss: Take a minute or two to discuss what is attractive or
not about this vision.

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Another Story Must Begin

How does it complement or differ from your own vision of

Christ? (3 mins)
Read: Revelation 21:15a, and spend some time reflecting
on it. (5 mins)

Closing prayers
Heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, we give
thanks for the freedom to gather freely to reflect on,
discuss and ponder the imaginary life of Fantine.
Help us to remember that there are many Fantines around
us today.
Help us to be aware of the difficulties facing single mothers.
Help us to understand the pressures facing young women in
our society.
Grant that we may recognise that we, too, have gone astray.
Help us to understand where we have fallen short of your will.
Grant that as we seek forgiveness of sins, we may turn
back to your ways.
Give us the strength to identify and bring to light social
injustice where we find it.
Keep us from putting partitions between our own lives
and those around us.
Give us the courage to see what lives people live and how
bad things really are.
Keep us from daydreaming the world to rights without
acting on our thoughts.
As we progress through this season of Lent, grant that we
may see things anew and be changed.

We ask all this in the name of your Son, our Lord Jesus
Christ.