Hypocrisy

I said on another post that I was moved by Les Miserables.

There is a scene where Jean Valjean is taken in by a bishop after being released from prison. Jean Valjean steals the bishop's silver and escapes, but he is quickly caught by the police who bring him back to the bishop to return the silver. But the bishop tells the police that he gave Valjean the silver, and dismisses them. Then he lets Jean Valjean keep the silver "to become an honest man."

It's a very moving scene.

But...

On thursday I discovered that my three packages of hot pockets and a pot pie that I was keeping in the walton common refrigerator were stolen.

I got angry. Had I walked in to catch someone eating the last of my hot pockets, it would not have been pleasant.

Had one of my room-mates eaten one of my hot-pockets it would have been different, but to have a stranger take an tied HEB bag full of hot pockets, that was different.

I remember ranting about the "Aggie code of Honor" (an aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal).
How ridiculous, what kind of utopian humanism is that? OF COURSE aggies lie, cheat, and steal. Why do we lock our bikes, why do teachers have to watch the students while they take tests?, etc.

Anyway, now that I've cooled down I've come to see how petty I am. Yes stealing is wrong, and yes the Aggie Code of Honor is lame compared to real morality.

But...

I say I'm moved by Les Miserables. What does that mean?

Having warm fuzzies in my bossom?
Walking across the room to listen to it?

Or changing the way I live my life in light of the grace displayed in it.

When I said a few posts ago that I was moved by Les Mis., I didn't mean it. Or I meant that I had warm fuzzies, I didn't mean I was going to try to love my room-mates more, or be more gracious to someone if he wrongs me, or forgive and forget the times friends have wronged me.


How light and meaningless our words are sometimes.

How dark and selfish our hearts are sometimes.