I have seen the play Les Miserables a few times, and know the story fairly well, but was impressed recently with the difference between Bishop Bienvenu (who is perhaps my favorite character in any story) and Javert.
The Bishop sees Valjean as a child of God and someone with value even when he is caught in the very act of stealing from him - and stealing from him right after the Bishop had shown him incredible kindness and mercy! And yet the Bishop still refused to see him as anything less than a child of God, with true intrinsic value and potential.
He had little but sacrificed much of what he had in order to help Valjean reach that potential - giving him his cherished silver candlesticks as well as all his other silver.
Now, contrast his response to that of Javert. Even when Valjean had already transformed his life and was a successful mayor and business owner (instead of the dirty, poor, ex-convict who showed up on the Bishop's doorstep), Javert could not see him as better than a thief and criminal.
He couldn’t understand that Valjean had changed. He wouldn’t “allow” him to change.
He was given several more opportunities to see that Valjean really had changed, but wouldn’t accept it.
Even when Valjean mercifully spares his life, Javert can’t accept that he is more than a lowly criminal. He ends up taking his own life because he can’t stand living in a world where Valjean has actually changed.
Here are a few words from his final song
“Damned if I live in the debt of a thief”
..
“There is nothing in life that we share. It is either Valjean or Javert.”
In an earlier song, he says “once a thief, forever a thief!”
So, in summary, the Bishop values Valjean and sees him as having worth, even when he is in the act of stealing his silver.
Javert sees Valjean as worthless, even when he has just saved his life.
Who am I more like?
I think of this with my children.
Am I like Bishop Bienvenu?
Am I always looking for the good in them?
Praising the good?
“Giving a dog a good name”, to use Dale Carnegie’s phrase?
Helping them live up to their potential, and believing in them even when they don’t believe in themself?
Uplifting them?
Not judging them?
Or am I like Javert?
Always accusing them?
Always looking for the bad?
Always judging and seeking to “catch” them or get them in trouble?
Refusing to give second chances?
Refusing to be merciful?
This phrase is interesting as well from that last song, “Javert’s suicide”.
Valjean asks Javert to give him one hour to get Marius to a doctor as he is dying.
Javert responds, saying:
“The man of mercy comes again and talks of justice.”
That’s a really interesting phrase. Javert sees no value in mercy - he wants justice.
Bishop Bienvenu wanted mercy, perhaps at the cost of justice.
I think this explores a profound truth brought to light in the Book of Mormon - mercy and justice are often at odds and cannot always both be satisfied - that is, without our mediator, Jesus Christ, “standing betwixt” them and “satisfying the demands of justice” so that He may extend mercy to us. (Mosiah 15:9).
