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“God on high, hear my prayer. In my need you have always been there. He is young, he’s afraid. Let him rest, heaven blessed. Bring him home, bring him home, bring him home!”
All of you Les Miserables fans will recall this poignant prayer sung by Jean Valjean on the eve of battle as he stood watch over the sleeping form of Marius, his young daughter’s sweetheart. The combination of raw emotion, a father’s love, and the beauty of Valjean’s warbling falsetto make it nearly impossible to listen to this song without weeping. But it’s not just the emotion of the play or the excellence of the singers and actors that stirs us so deeply—it’s something more.
We weep with Valjean because it’s OUR song that he’s singing. WE are desperately hoping that God will do something special in the life of our loved ones, and reveal Himself to them in loving, undeniable ways, and when Valjean bursts in to the refrain, “You can take, you can give. Let him be. Let him live!” our hearts leap and echo those words from the deepest place within us. For all of us who are filled with a homesick longing for a loved one who has yet to find peace and solace in Christ, let’s hold steady and never underestimate the power of our unconditional love and prayers!