To avoid spoilers, please watch Samantha’s Quest: Isles of Galerock (Part 8) before reading this, by clicking on one of the links below:
Hi, everyone! In the previous post, I mentioned that I might post an update shortly before episode 8 releases… well, not only did that not end up happening—but in the meantime I’ve even now released episode 9! I was so determined to release episode 8 sooner rather than later that I thought posting about it would just be an unnecessary waste of time.
So, I thought that rather than not post at all now that it’s released, that I’d instead make a post now to share some of my thoughts on episode 8. This episode for me is particularly special, because it contains a scene in it that represents the very heart of the series.
As the picture above suggests, the moment I’m talking about is when, after Samantha rescues Clara, she pulls Clara into a loving embrace. This moment is particularly powerful, because just moments earlier, Clara had given up on life, and chosen to die rather than fight to survive—even saying that no one would miss her if she were to die.
But Samantha demonstrates to Clara in three simple gestures that she would miss her if she were to die. First, by caring enough to rush into the portal at her own risk. Second, by destroying the snake monsters without hesitation. And third, by the love-heart gesture and hug, which Clara correctly interprets as “you’re saying that… you would miss me?”
Samantha hugging Clara is the heart of the series because it represents a fundamental truth for Clara. It taught Clara that Samantha’s love for her isn’t because of her “usefulness” to Samantha, nor is it because of some “good quality” she happens to possess. Rather, it taught her that Samantha loves her in a sisterly way because she chooses to love her unconditionally, and because she has made her family, though they are not blood relatives.
Samantha’s love for Clara represents a family bond based on self-sacrificial love, which is far stronger than mere blood relations. It’s a stark contrast to Clara’s relationship with her own abusive father, which is so shallow because it’s only based on how useful he thinks she is. A Bible passage comes to mind on Jesus being rejected by his own people, but adopting into his family all those who accept him, regardless of who they are:
10 [Jesus] was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him. … 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12–13, NIVUK)
Sadly, Clara’s situation is similar to many victims of abuse (whether physical, sexual, or emotional). Like Clara, victims of abuse almost always end up with a very low self-esteem and sense of worth. Often, they even tragically blame themselves for the abuse they’ve suffered. I wrote Clara this way to bring this tragic truth to light and, if at all possible, to give a voice to those who have suffered abuse by affirming this reality.
Samantha is the heroine of the series, and episode 8 solidifies that. When Clara thought she didn’t matter, Samantha showed that she does matter in no uncertain terms. And she summed this up in one gentle hug without uttering a single word—an action which spoke far louder than any words could express, and which, in my opinion, is the most powerful moment in the series so far (across all nine episodes).
As you watch and reflect on this episode, I hope that you understand and realise that you matter too. You matter regardless of how you feel, or what you’ve gone through. And the reason is simple: your worth and value comes not from who you are, or from how others view you, but from God himself, who loves you, created you, died for you (as God the Son, Jesus Christ), rose for you, and now lives for you forever.
Your worth comes from the God who welcomes into his family all those who believe in his only Son, Jesus Christ, regardless of who you are, and regardless of your past. This is true family, just as Samantha and Clara are truly family.
Thanks for reading, and I pray that you have a blessed day. Please stay tuned for the next instalment of Samantha’s Quest.
All praise and glory be to Jesus Christ, to whom I am forever indebted for saving me.
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