les miserable and my monk

i went to the theater and saw les miserable this evening and it was fantastic. 

i was such a skeptic before seeing it. i thought the singing would be cheesy, that anne hathaway would get on my nerves, and that i'd get bored. on the contrary, the singing was heart-meltingly beautiful, anne hathaway truly out-did herself, and i drank in every word. 

victor hugo's deep message of grace, redemption, and mercy was beautifully portrayed in a way i couldn't have imagined hollywood was capable of. 

it made me itch to go back to france, as well, and reminded me of the beautiful images that are around every corner, waiting to be discovered. one of those images i was able to capture on camera and will never forget. we went to mont saint michel and walked all the way to the top where the monastery is located. standing at a holy place looking out over miles and miles of sand, water, and rocks, it touches your soul. i'll always remember watching a somber yet peaceful-looking monk walk out from the shadow of an arch to the stone wall that over-looked the endless land and sky. some people make you feel like a better person just from being in their presence and he was one of those people. i wondered what his story was. i wondered why he chose a life of such seclusion and dedication. he didn't make eye contact with anyone and he didn't say a word. just looked out over the water for several minutes, expressionless. someone who had been there 9 times already said that it was the first time she'd ever seen a monk make an appearance. i was so thankful i had been there to witness it.

i take comfort in the fact that, amidst a world full of fiscal cliffs, school shootings, and break-ups, there are moments full of purity and grace that point to Something greater. 

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