The Iconic story of the Phantom of the Opera has been a favorite, mostly since Andrew Lloyd Weber put music and lyrics to it, for decades, and I have practically memorized it.
However, in prayer I received the most amazing gift of insight into the love of God for us.
This story is a beautiful meditation on Salvation history.
Jesus says "Love me, that's all I ask of you". This song is a duet, a song that is sung by two people in love, and it fits perfectly within the context of Jesus calling out to the soul, His beloved.
The whole story parallels the story of the soul, the world, the flesh, satan, our Savior, and redemption.
As the story opens, Christine is singing a song, and she surprises all those that know her as a chorus girl in the theater. They don't know that she has been taught by an unseen "teacher". The Angel of Music, that she thinks her father has sent to her from the other side, since he has died. This "teacher" gives her music and tells her what to sing, much like the world gives us something to call our own and teaches us that what we desire is an end in itself. It offers to give us something, and we make the deal. Christine takes what is offered and then later realizes that it has been "given" with many strings attached. She is no longer free. The Phantom holds her, and the whole theater in his power, by instilling fear in all those who work in the theater, and greed in the men that run it. The Phantom requires a stiff repayment. Just everything.
The themes in the story are so clearly laid out by the music.
Dark and dischordant, light and sweet and sweeping.
The underworld and the rooftops.
Childhood innocence and lost fatherhood.
The Phantom is a dark character, that "haunts" the theater and lives in the depths underground. He is hidden, but always present.
It seems that he represents the world, the things that promise to fulfill our deepest desires.
He also has a demonic side to him. He wants Christine, who seems to represent the soul.
He wants her, he craves her, and he seduces her.
Christine at first innocently accepts what the Phantom is offering, but she starts to see that in order to keep receiving his "benefits" she will have to give more and more of herself to him.
Meanwhile there is Raul, who is the image of the Savior, in so many ways.
His love for Christine is pure, and only seeks to be returned.
He only wants her to love him, and he goes to her, he woos her and she responds to this love that is more than she has ever known, however she still wants to keep the Phantom in the wings, and she is torn.
She tries to negotiate, to keep the fame and success that the Phantom has brought her, and to love Raul as well. She keeps their love hidden and secret, because she knows that the Phantom won't be pleased. The Phantom wants total control over her. He seems to love her, but in the end it is a desire to possess her.
Christine can't have both, and as she takes the role that the Phantom has "arranged" for her, she steps into a deal that she will not be able to get herself out of. She is taken into the underworld of the Phantom and she sees who he really is, still she doesn't want to let go of what she has bargained for, and still she is trying to negotiate. He gave her his music, and he has given her what she wanted, now he wants her to stay with him and give all of herself to him, forever. His deception and cruelty begin to show, and she realizes that she has made a deal with a dark force. She exposes his weakness and the reason that he had hidden himself, but it seems that the distortion of his face is minor compared with the way that his soul has twisted.
Raul meanwhile is searching for her everywhere, he will not let her go without a fight. He descends to where she is, and he offers himself. She is powerless and when she realizes that Raul will give himself for her, she sees what true love is. She chooses Raul, but the Phantom escapes.
Evil will always exist. We can choose Christ, but the evil lurks as long as we inhabit this earth. There will always be a dark presence that wants to possess our souls, and our desires can convince us that we can give "just a little" to get what we want.
It is a dangerous game, and we are children playing with fire.
Jesus' desire for us is bigger and stronger than any darkness that has it's tentacles around us, but we have to call out, we have to desire to be saved, more than we desire the fruits of the "deals" that we have made with the world.
All He asks is that we love Him.
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