A Blog by Sally Fuller
Prayer is one of the most moving forms of communication in the theatre. And honestly, where would Shakespeare’s collection of monologues be without the trope? Writers so often employ the idea of prayer as an opportunity to express the uttermost depths of their characters’ hearts.
Even my most atheist of theatre instructors have used the analogy of prayer to guide my acting choices, telling me that in a moment of deep wondering as a character, always look up and “take it to God” rather than looking at the ground.
Add some music to that prayer, and you’ve got musical theatre’s most powerful solos.
Most often, prayers are performed by the “good guys,” but a particularly complex prayer song I love is sung by the villain in Les Miserables. Yes, it’s Javert’s “Stars.”
As theatre kids, we know the basics of his story. He’s trying to track down Jean Valjean who has broken parole. But more than just being a passionate policeman (or inspector, as the case may be), Javert sees it as not only his civic duty, but his holy duty to bring Jean Valjean to justice.
Though we as the audience see Jean Valjean use his freedom to prioritize kindness and mercy, rising to a place of prominence in society to serve others, Javert doesn’t buy this change of heart. He sees Jean Valjean as a hardened criminal, incapable of redemption (singing, “Men like you can never change”), and so in the name of God, Javert vows to see to it that Jean Valjean is put behind bars.
We as the audience see Javert’s ardent pursuit from the very beginning, but it’s not until close to the end of Act I that he reveals his heart’s conviction. In an absurdly beautiful song for a villain, he prays that God will allow him to find and arrest Jean Valjean once and for all. Javert believes he is doing the work of the Lord. But amid his righteous mission is a deeply misguided understanding of the Gospel, demonstrated most prominently in how he talks to God.
“Stars” is so intriguing because it is very Psalm-like in nature. Javert begins his song by explaining to God who Jean Valjean is, and why he deserves punishment. In the Psalms, though the Psalmists know that the Lord knows our thoughts before we speak them, they still present their case to the Lord.
Let’s take Psalm 35 as a parallel.
It begins with, “Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!” and in the course of 28 verses, the Psalmist asks the Lord for justice for those who are wrongly against him.
“ For without cause they hid their net for me;
without cause they dug a pit for my life.
Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it!
And let the net that he hid ensnare him;
let him fall into it—to his destruction!”
-Psalm 35:7-8
He begs God to rescue him and not give these enemies the victory. He asks not just for mercy for himself, but for justice for those against him. He concludes by asking that God reward those who praise the Lord and rightly recognize the Psalmist’s righteousness, saying, “Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all the day long.”
“Stars” has a similar trajectory, but with many unbiblical claims and left turns along the way.
Javert makes his case by first using the biblical phrase “fallen from grace” to describe Jean Valjean’s behavior and status. It sounds like a term one might use to describe a bad guy in the Bible, but its usage in God’s word gets a little more specific, and not in Javert’s favor.
“You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.” -Galatians 5:4-5
In context, the author is saying that those who are looking for salvation by upholding the law rather than placing their faith in Christ have fallen from grace. Interesting. Sound like any law-keeping, justice warrior we know? Ironically, using this terminology turns the mirror around to Inspector J. himself, who demonstrates throughout the story that he believes he is earning his salvation based on his passion for the law. He seems to have no understanding of the role of grace in salvation.
I’m referencing the Broadway lyrics in this piece because those are the ones I’ve memorized, but it’s also worth noting that in the original lyrics, heard in the London cast recording, he initially says, “fallen from God, fallen from grace,” which has a heavier implication of losing favor with God by sinning and that transgressions disqualify someone from grace. Those of us who know the Gospel realize the truth is quite the contrary, of course.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
-Ephesians 2:8-9
It is only by God’s grace that anyone is saved, because of his great mercy. The Bible further tells us that no one’s record (not even the self-proclaimed righteous Javert) is perfect.
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”
-Romans 3:21-25
Everyone is guilty of sin, and it is not through keeping the law (which is impossible) that we are justified, but by grace, through Jesus’ sacrifice.
Poetically speaking, the next line, “He knows his way in the dark, but mine is the way of the Lord,” is just beautiful. And from a character perspective, it tells us everything we need to know about how Javert sees himself, the world, and Jean Valjean. Javert seems pretty confident about knowing that following God and his ways looks like keeping the law, but yet again, the Bible says something different.
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’”
-Isaiah 55:8-9
God is not impressed with our good works, because even in our most tenacious strivings, we do not hold a candle to God’s character. That’s why we need Jesus.
And what does the Bible say about what it looks like for a man to walk in the way of the Lord?
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
-Micah 6:8
Let’s just go ahead and say that Javert has cornered the market on zeal for justice. That’s particularly evident in the lyrics, “God be my witness, I never shall yield til we come face to face,” but he has completely missed the other components from this verse.
Earlier in the show, Jean Valjean appeals to Javert to delay arresting him for a few days “in mercy’s name” so that he can take care of the orphan Cosette. But Javert blows past the appeal for mercy.
As for humility? His next very biblical-sounding line says, “those who follow the path of the righteous shall have their reward,” implying that Jean Valjean could stand to take a page out of Javert’s book. And of course the rest of this song and even his story showcases plenty more boastful lines to choose from.
Javert knows enough about “the way of the Lord” to be dangerous, but he is sadly missing so much of what God wants for his people.
In the, again, incredibly beautiful and very misguided lines, “And if you fall as Lucifer fell, you fall in flames,” he demonstrates more explicitly what he believes happens to people who sin. But the truth is that God makes it clear that Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient for our salvation, and nothing we do can overturn that.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
-Romans 8:38-39
In Javert’s desire to impress God, he models his life after this picture of God as a deity who is just waiting to catch people in a moment of stumbling, all too eager to punish them. While it is true that God’s character is far above ours, God’s word says he is not waiting to pounce, but rather he is eternally patient.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
-2 Peter 3:9
After this, Javert goes pretty far out to left field purporting that “those who falter and those who fall must pay the price” is written “on the doorway to paradise.” It sounds cool, but that’s just not in the Bible. And if we’re talking about who paid a price for sins, we know that the price has already been paid by Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection.
As similar as this prayer is to the structure of a Psalm, the ending of “Stars” is what truly distinguishes it from scripture. In our example, Psalm 35, the Psalmist concludes by praising the Lord. But in Javert’s psalm, how does he conclude? By praising himself, bragging about his relentless pursuit, and swearing by the stars that he will keep his word.
To Javert’s credit, (and really Boublil and Schoenberg’s) it’s a powerful, even inspiring ending line. And this song is what makes Javert such an incredible villain, one we can’t just write off as evil. As spiritual as his outlook is, the sentiment proves unbelievably empty.
—-----------------------
“Stars”
There, out in the darkness
A fugitive running
Fallen from grace
Fallen from grace
God be my witness
I never shall yield
Till we come face to face
Till we come face to face
He knows his way in the dark
Mine is the way of the Lord
Those who follow the path of the righteous
Shall have their reward
And if they fall
As Lucifer fell
The flames
The sword!
Stars
In your multitudes
Scarce to be counted
Filling the darkness
With order and light
You are the sentinels
Silent and sure
Keeping watch in the night
Keeping watch in the night
You know your place in the sky
You hold your course and your aim
And each in your season
Returns and returns
And is always the same
And if you fall as Lucifer fell
You fall in flame!
And so it has been, and so it is written
On the doorway to paradise
That those who falter and those who fall
Must pay the price!
Lord, let me find him
That I may see him
Safe behind bars
I will never rest
Till then
This I swear
This I swear by the stars!
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