For these case studies, we will be looking at one specific game at a time (specifically its story), and hopefully I can guide you in how these games can actually deliver truth. Granted, they are by no means 100% true. I only wish to venerate games which tell a tale that borrows heavily from the Gospel, whether intentionally or unintentionally, in order to show you that there is more to video games than meets the eye.
Oh, and MAJOR SPOILERS for the entire game!
Games are meant to be played, so if you want the full experience, I suggest you play it first before reading this!!!
Oh, and MAJOR SPOILERS for the entire game!
Games are meant to be played, so if you want the full experience, I suggest you play it first before reading this!!!
Spec Ops: The Line showed us our depravity.
Bioshock Infinite demonstrated true surrender.
What else is left?
Redemption and Restoration.
Welcome to what I regard as my absolute favorite game, possibly of all time! Sure, the graphics are a little dated. The gameplay is way too easy, especially at the end. And, to top it off, the game is not even finished!
This was Obsidian Entertainment's very first game as a studio, so not only did they have to work out many development kinks, but LucasArts--the publisher for all Star Wars games--wanted the game to be on sale in December, giving this new studio only 13 months to develop a brand new game (that is not very realistic)! The team ended up removing large parts of the game in order to meet this deadline.
Despite all of its flaws, there is something endearing about Knights of the Old Republic II (or KOTOR 2 as it is commonly called). I have found myself constantly coming back to this game, and appreciating it more and more as I get older. Plus, this game has Kreia, one of the best written characters that I have ever seen (it is also worth noting that she is voiced by Sara Kestelman, a renowned Shakespearean actor)!
Plus, it's a Star Wars game, so if you know me, you know how much I love Star Wars...
A few others feel the same way apparently. A passionate group decided to take everything unfinished with the game and finish it for free. If you buy this game on the computer, make sure you get the "Content Restoration Mod" by Team Gizka. The game on its own was great. The game with the restored content makes it a flawed masterpiece!
Okay, fine. I'm done gushing over this game! I just love it so much! Unfortunately, I cannot cover everything there is in the game. After all, one playthrough takes about 40-60 hours! We'd be here all day (correction: I'd be here all day. You would take one look and leave, because, "Pfft. Ain't no one got time for that")!
Plus, for better or worse, it is a Star Wars game, meaning the plot takes from anything and everything. Star Wars was never inherently Christian. Heck, I believe I read somewhere that George Lucas is actually a Deist. That being said, even though the game will not be a perfect parallel, I find that this tale is shockingly similar to none other than the book of Job in the Old Testament (you know, just with lightsabers)!
That's right...
Someone had the audacity to, more or less, turn the book of Job into a video game!
And it is truly glorious (in my opinion)!
Allow me to explain: the game takes place thousands of years before Darth Vader and the movies, so this is an ancient tale. Already, we have our first Job parallel! Job is often cited as the oldest book in the Bible--possibly older than Genesis.
What's also interesting about both these stories is that the main event, in some sense, happens immediately (or has already happened) and the rest of the time is dealing with the consequences.
Who here has read the book of Job? Wow, that's not many people; you should go out and read it! Well, for those who are unfamiliar, the Book of Job is about suffering. Job was a righteous man in every way. So much so that Satan became jealous. He believed that if he took everything from Job, then this man would curse God. God allows Satan to utterly destroy Job's life (but he could not actually take Job's life). The rest of the story involves Job with three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite (and later on, a fourth friend, Elihu the Buzite, who is fashionably late).
For almost the entire book, God is completely silent--painfully silent. There's not even a whisper, despite Job's agony. After much debate among the friends, God breaks his silence and speaks directly to Job, who eventually gets his family and fortunes back.
Now who here has played KOTOR 2? Wow, that's not many people; you should go out and play it! Here is the basic plot you should know: your character (henceforth called The Exile) was a Jedi who fought in The Mandalorian Wars. If you don't know who Mandalorians are, just imagine that the galaxy was being taken over by an army of Boba Fetts! The war was long and gruesome, but it ended when a super weapon called the Mass Shadow Generator was used on Malachor V. The generator increased gravity on the planet exponentially and crushed both armies on the ground and in orbit.
The Exile was a well-respected General in the war, and many soldiers were willing to die for you. Even a lot of the Jedi felt a strong connection to you through the Force. However, on Malachor V, the pain of feeling all of these people getting crushed simultaneously was too much. The Exile's connection to the force was severed. No longer could you hear its call.
All that remained was an echo. A void. A silence...
Once the war was over, you were the only one to return to the Jedi council. They are livid, to say the least. They expressly forbid any Jedi from joining the Republic in fighting the Mandalorian threat, but a few Jedi--including you--defied that order and went to help. Because of this, the council exiles you and takes your lightsaber. You are a Jedi no longer. The Exile has lost everything...
Ten years later, the Exile finds herself (or himself) on an abandoned mining platform. Here you first meet Kreia, an old lady who seems wise and powerful in the Force. On this mining station, you learn that the Sith have wiped out the Jedi and believe you to be the last one alive. If they kill you, then they believe they have won!
However, you learn that there are still a few Jedi Masters that remain, so you and your group go from world to world (all of the worlds dead or dying) and attempt to gather the Jedi to fight the Sith and restore the Jedi Order, the Republic, and the galaxy back to life once again.
That's the general synopsis, so to better accentuate the parallels between Job and KOTOR 2, let us boil the game down to dialogue and characters. Now, if you play this game, you will notice that dialogue is incredibly important. Several times throughout the game, talking replaces where battles would have been. For instance, at the end of Act I, you meet Atris. Instead of fighting her, you verbally spar. At the end of Act II, you talk with the Jedi Masters and try to find answers. Then in Act III, you face Kreia, and once you defeat her, she talks with you one last time before the game ends.
The same can be said for the book of Job. There is very little, if any, physical conflict outside of the catastrophes done on Job's family and possessions at the start. Instead, the book's dialogue takes center stage. Everyone is sitting around trying to come to a conclusion about what happened in the past, so that there can be healing and restoration.
The first comparison has to be with the main characters of each tale. Even though the Exile is someone who the player creates from scratch, there are still some similarities to Job. The biggest resemblance being that the Exile and Job are both known for easily making bonds and strong connections with people.
In Job 29:21-25, it says, "'Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them. They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down. I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners'" (ESV).
The Exile follows suit. Like I mentioned earlier, you have strong bonds with people, often through the Force. One of your party members, Bao-Dur, was a soldier under your command and even after 10 years, he still falls in line and takes orders from you without batting an eye. He is one of many inspired by you and your actions.
To build off of that, there are several Sith Lords chasing you in the game. The two main ones are two extemes that show what the Exile (or Job) can become through all the suffering. Side note: these Sith Lords were also trained by Kreia back in her Sith days.
The first one you encounter is Darth Sion, the pale one missing an arm and has scars up and down his body. He lives a miserable existence. He too was at Malachor V, but he survived by keeping himself together through the Force. In fact, there is no way to kill him! He is unbeatable as he regenerates health through sheer will.
Bioshock Infinite demonstrated true surrender.
What else is left?
Redemption and Restoration.
Welcome to what I regard as my absolute favorite game, possibly of all time! Sure, the graphics are a little dated. The gameplay is way too easy, especially at the end. And, to top it off, the game is not even finished!
This was Obsidian Entertainment's very first game as a studio, so not only did they have to work out many development kinks, but LucasArts--the publisher for all Star Wars games--wanted the game to be on sale in December, giving this new studio only 13 months to develop a brand new game (that is not very realistic)! The team ended up removing large parts of the game in order to meet this deadline.
Despite all of its flaws, there is something endearing about Knights of the Old Republic II (or KOTOR 2 as it is commonly called). I have found myself constantly coming back to this game, and appreciating it more and more as I get older. Plus, this game has Kreia, one of the best written characters that I have ever seen (it is also worth noting that she is voiced by Sara Kestelman, a renowned Shakespearean actor)!
Plus, it's a Star Wars game, so if you know me, you know how much I love Star Wars...
A few others feel the same way apparently. A passionate group decided to take everything unfinished with the game and finish it for free. If you buy this game on the computer, make sure you get the "Content Restoration Mod" by Team Gizka. The game on its own was great. The game with the restored content makes it a flawed masterpiece!
Okay, fine. I'm done gushing over this game! I just love it so much! Unfortunately, I cannot cover everything there is in the game. After all, one playthrough takes about 40-60 hours! We'd be here all day (correction: I'd be here all day. You would take one look and leave, because, "Pfft. Ain't no one got time for that")!
Plus, for better or worse, it is a Star Wars game, meaning the plot takes from anything and everything. Star Wars was never inherently Christian. Heck, I believe I read somewhere that George Lucas is actually a Deist. That being said, even though the game will not be a perfect parallel, I find that this tale is shockingly similar to none other than the book of Job in the Old Testament (you know, just with lightsabers)!
That's right...
Someone had the audacity to, more or less, turn the book of Job into a video game!
And it is truly glorious (in my opinion)!
Allow me to explain: the game takes place thousands of years before Darth Vader and the movies, so this is an ancient tale. Already, we have our first Job parallel! Job is often cited as the oldest book in the Bible--possibly older than Genesis.
What's also interesting about both these stories is that the main event, in some sense, happens immediately (or has already happened) and the rest of the time is dealing with the consequences.
Who here has read the book of Job? Wow, that's not many people; you should go out and read it! Well, for those who are unfamiliar, the Book of Job is about suffering. Job was a righteous man in every way. So much so that Satan became jealous. He believed that if he took everything from Job, then this man would curse God. God allows Satan to utterly destroy Job's life (but he could not actually take Job's life). The rest of the story involves Job with three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite (and later on, a fourth friend, Elihu the Buzite, who is fashionably late).
For almost the entire book, God is completely silent--painfully silent. There's not even a whisper, despite Job's agony. After much debate among the friends, God breaks his silence and speaks directly to Job, who eventually gets his family and fortunes back.
Now who here has played KOTOR 2? Wow, that's not many people; you should go out and play it! Here is the basic plot you should know: your character (henceforth called The Exile) was a Jedi who fought in The Mandalorian Wars. If you don't know who Mandalorians are, just imagine that the galaxy was being taken over by an army of Boba Fetts! The war was long and gruesome, but it ended when a super weapon called the Mass Shadow Generator was used on Malachor V. The generator increased gravity on the planet exponentially and crushed both armies on the ground and in orbit.
The Exile was a well-respected General in the war, and many soldiers were willing to die for you. Even a lot of the Jedi felt a strong connection to you through the Force. However, on Malachor V, the pain of feeling all of these people getting crushed simultaneously was too much. The Exile's connection to the force was severed. No longer could you hear its call.
All that remained was an echo. A void. A silence...
Once the war was over, you were the only one to return to the Jedi council. They are livid, to say the least. They expressly forbid any Jedi from joining the Republic in fighting the Mandalorian threat, but a few Jedi--including you--defied that order and went to help. Because of this, the council exiles you and takes your lightsaber. You are a Jedi no longer. The Exile has lost everything...
Ten years later, the Exile finds herself (or himself) on an abandoned mining platform. Here you first meet Kreia, an old lady who seems wise and powerful in the Force. On this mining station, you learn that the Sith have wiped out the Jedi and believe you to be the last one alive. If they kill you, then they believe they have won!
However, you learn that there are still a few Jedi Masters that remain, so you and your group go from world to world (all of the worlds dead or dying) and attempt to gather the Jedi to fight the Sith and restore the Jedi Order, the Republic, and the galaxy back to life once again.
That's the general synopsis, so to better accentuate the parallels between Job and KOTOR 2, let us boil the game down to dialogue and characters. Now, if you play this game, you will notice that dialogue is incredibly important. Several times throughout the game, talking replaces where battles would have been. For instance, at the end of Act I, you meet Atris. Instead of fighting her, you verbally spar. At the end of Act II, you talk with the Jedi Masters and try to find answers. Then in Act III, you face Kreia, and once you defeat her, she talks with you one last time before the game ends.
The same can be said for the book of Job. There is very little, if any, physical conflict outside of the catastrophes done on Job's family and possessions at the start. Instead, the book's dialogue takes center stage. Everyone is sitting around trying to come to a conclusion about what happened in the past, so that there can be healing and restoration.
The first comparison has to be with the main characters of each tale. Even though the Exile is someone who the player creates from scratch, there are still some similarities to Job. The biggest resemblance being that the Exile and Job are both known for easily making bonds and strong connections with people.
In Job 29:21-25, it says, "'Men listened to me and waited and kept silence for my counsel. After I spoke they did not speak again, and my word dropped upon them. They waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouths as for the spring rain. I smiled on them when they had no confidence, and the light of my face they did not cast down. I chose their way and sat as chief, and I lived like a king among his troops, like one who comforts mourners'" (ESV).
The Exile follows suit. Like I mentioned earlier, you have strong bonds with people, often through the Force. One of your party members, Bao-Dur, was a soldier under your command and even after 10 years, he still falls in line and takes orders from you without batting an eye. He is one of many inspired by you and your actions.
To build off of that, there are several Sith Lords chasing you in the game. The two main ones are two extemes that show what the Exile (or Job) can become through all the suffering. Side note: these Sith Lords were also trained by Kreia back in her Sith days.
The first one you encounter is Darth Sion, the pale one missing an arm and has scars up and down his body. He lives a miserable existence. He too was at Malachor V, but he survived by keeping himself together through the Force. In fact, there is no way to kill him! He is unbeatable as he regenerates health through sheer will.
He is angry--rancor, even. He blames everyone, especially Kreia, for his suffering. Nothing else defines him. So how do you beat him? Dialogue, of course! You must convince him to let go of the hatred that is holding him together.
Though never truly exhibited, Job shows that he is struggling with this kind of anger and pain. Namely, "'For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me'" (Job 6:4 ESV). Nonetheless, Job never fully gives into it. He always stops himself and refrains from truly cursing God.
The Exile doesn't give into the hate either--unless you go dark side. If you play the evil character, your face physically changes to look more like Darth Sion. See the main guy on the right there in the photo? You TOO can have such amazing skin!
Though never truly exhibited, Job shows that he is struggling with this kind of anger and pain. Namely, "'For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me'" (Job 6:4 ESV). Nonetheless, Job never fully gives into it. He always stops himself and refrains from truly cursing God.
The Exile doesn't give into the hate either--unless you go dark side. If you play the evil character, your face physically changes to look more like Darth Sion. See the main guy on the right there in the photo? You TOO can have such amazing skin!
The other Sith Lord is Darth Nihilus (real subtle, Obsidian Entertainment). Darth Nihilus is the embodiment of nothingness, should the Exile or Job give into the void of despair. He's essentially a living black hole, "feeding" on the life energy of others.
In terms of the Bible, Darth Nihilus is hinted at by Zophar, one of Job's friends. In 20:20-21, Zophar says, "'Because he knew no contentment in his belly, he will not let anything in which he delights escape him. There was nothing left after he had eaten; therefore his prosperity will not endure'" (ESV).
In terms of context, Zophar is generalizing wicked people as a whole, but it almost seems as if Zophar is hinting at the thought that Job is also "Nihilus" in nature. That is why God cursed him so. But that cannot be right, because like the Exile, Job displayed a purpose before the tragedy (to glorify God and enjoy him) and he still searched for purpose afterward. Therefore, Job's life has not been devoured by nothingness just yet.
We'll come back to this, but I find it strange that his friends would accuse him of this type of behavior...
The next Sith Lord is actually quite close to the main character. For the game, it is Atris, a Jedi Master who was at your trial. She is bitter toward you. She blames you for the Jedi becoming all but extinct. You would think after years of friendship, she would be comforting during this difficult time, but only contempt is given. She believes herself to be the last of the Jedi, and her self-righteousness has consumed her to the point of isolation.
In terms of context, Zophar is generalizing wicked people as a whole, but it almost seems as if Zophar is hinting at the thought that Job is also "Nihilus" in nature. That is why God cursed him so. But that cannot be right, because like the Exile, Job displayed a purpose before the tragedy (to glorify God and enjoy him) and he still searched for purpose afterward. Therefore, Job's life has not been devoured by nothingness just yet.
We'll come back to this, but I find it strange that his friends would accuse him of this type of behavior...
The next Sith Lord is actually quite close to the main character. For the game, it is Atris, a Jedi Master who was at your trial. She is bitter toward you. She blames you for the Jedi becoming all but extinct. You would think after years of friendship, she would be comforting during this difficult time, but only contempt is given. She believes herself to be the last of the Jedi, and her self-righteousness has consumed her to the point of isolation.
If the Exile is a male, then she is actually more irate towards you. You find out later that she cared deeply for you and she took your leaving to go to war quite personally. She felt betrayed, above all else, and she harbors those feelings still.
She does not encapsulate an alternative Job, like the other Sith. Instead, she is someone close to him. Since she only has one line in the book, I'll juxtapose the two.
"How dare you? The Mandalorian Wars should have been your grave and Malachor V is where you should have died!" --Atris
"Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die'" (Job 2:9 ESV) --Job's wife
Aside from Job's wife, who doesn't have much a role in the book, Atris can also be seen as Elihu, the friend who comes in halfway through the tale and rebukes everyone, especially Job. Elihu, like Atris, is filled with self-righteousness and condemnation.
"'Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God's behalf. I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker. For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you...But you are full of the judgment on the wicked; judgment and justice seize you. Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside. Will your cry for help avail to keep you from distress, or all the force of your strength'" (Job 36:1-4 and 17-19 ESV)?
And of course, I saved the most fascinating Sith Lord for last: Kreia. You find out through hours and hours of talking with her (because she likes to talk a lot!) that she was exiled from both the Jedi and the Sith.
She does not encapsulate an alternative Job, like the other Sith. Instead, she is someone close to him. Since she only has one line in the book, I'll juxtapose the two.
"How dare you? The Mandalorian Wars should have been your grave and Malachor V is where you should have died!" --Atris
"Then his wife said to him, 'Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die'" (Job 2:9 ESV) --Job's wife
Aside from Job's wife, who doesn't have much a role in the book, Atris can also be seen as Elihu, the friend who comes in halfway through the tale and rebukes everyone, especially Job. Elihu, like Atris, is filled with self-righteousness and condemnation.
"'Bear with me a little, and I will show you, for I have yet something to say on God's behalf. I will get my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker. For truly my words are not false; one who is perfect in knowledge is with you...But you are full of the judgment on the wicked; judgment and justice seize you. Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing, and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside. Will your cry for help avail to keep you from distress, or all the force of your strength'" (Job 36:1-4 and 17-19 ESV)?
And of course, I saved the most fascinating Sith Lord for last: Kreia. You find out through hours and hours of talking with her (because she likes to talk a lot!) that she was exiled from both the Jedi and the Sith.
What makes Kreia fascinating is that she ends up becoming the main "antagonist" of the game (more of an empathetic anti-hero, kind of like how Satan was in the epic poem Paradise Lost). She despises the Jedi, the Sith, the Force, all of it. Because you were once a Jedi and your connection to the Force was cut, she becomes fascinated by you. She is with you for the entire game and is basically a surrogate mother and teacher to you, training you to see the world through her eyes. She sees that void in you and believes you can bring about the "death" of the Force.
Going back to our Job parallel, Kreia is very much like Satan (I don't know what that says about me when a character I think is awesome is most like the Devil...)
In Job chapter 1, God speaks highly of Job to Satan, who scoffs and says, "'Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.' And the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.' So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD" (Job 1:9-12 ESV).
Like Satan, Kreia is out to prove something, mainly that she is in the right. And the Exile is proof of that. Strip away all a Jedi has: the Force, the lightsaber, friends, power, etc. and these self-proclaimed Guardians of Peace and Justice will be nothing of the sort.
Another reason why Kreia is similar to "The Great Deceiver" is because she lies. Quite a bit! But there are enough half-truths in her teachings that make you pause and question yourself.
For instance, on one of the worlds, you can give a beggar some money. This is her response...
Going back to our Job parallel, Kreia is very much like Satan (I don't know what that says about me when a character I think is awesome is most like the Devil...)
In Job chapter 1, God speaks highly of Job to Satan, who scoffs and says, "'Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.' And the LORD said to Satan, 'Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.' So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD" (Job 1:9-12 ESV).
Like Satan, Kreia is out to prove something, mainly that she is in the right. And the Exile is proof of that. Strip away all a Jedi has: the Force, the lightsaber, friends, power, etc. and these self-proclaimed Guardians of Peace and Justice will be nothing of the sort.
Another reason why Kreia is similar to "The Great Deceiver" is because she lies. Quite a bit! But there are enough half-truths in her teachings that make you pause and question yourself.
For instance, on one of the worlds, you can give a beggar some money. This is her response...
She also twists the group following you to do her bidding in secret. She is quite the manipulator, no matter how much they try to resist.
So far, we have covered most of the characters in the book of Job. All that remains are Job's friends: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. Who best portrays these men in KOTOR 2?
Turns out, the Jedi Masters you seek to bring together: Master Vrook, Master Kavar, and Master Zez Kai-Ell.
In the book of Job, these friends come together "to come to show [Job] sympathy and comfort him" (Job 2:11 ESV). Sadly, what they end up doing is simply condemning him unapologetically. There is no comfort, only judgment.
Turns out, the Jedi Masters you seek to bring together: Master Vrook, Master Kavar, and Master Zez Kai-Ell.
In the book of Job, these friends come together "to come to show [Job] sympathy and comfort him" (Job 2:11 ESV). Sadly, what they end up doing is simply condemning him unapologetically. There is no comfort, only judgment.
Funny, the Jedi Masters accuse you of "leeching on the life of others," like the "New Sith."
They essentially accuse you of being Darth Nihilus, just like Zophar did!
These "Jedi Masters"... these "friends" do not want to partake in your suffering. They condemn it and accuse you of wickedness. The painful silence faced by Job and the Exile are too much to bear.
But the truth is that pain is deeply embedded in the gospel. How can something often called "the Good Book" be this painful?! Just look at the previous case studies. Spec Ops: The Line and Bioshock Infinite are full of pain! And here I am saying, "there is a good God embedded in these stories..."
The last point I wish to make is the ending of Job. In chapter 42, Job must pray for his friends--the very ones who accused him of wickedness. After all the pain, anguish, and silence that Job endured, the LORD asks for him to think of others.
"And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends" (Job 42:10 ESV).
Throughout KOTOR 2, you see nothing but suffering, especially from the people following you:
Just like Jesus, who was broken on the cross.
Despite the echo, the void, the silence that consumed him, Jesus still prayed and fought for us, so that we too could benefit from his suffering. Jesus took on the full wrath of God so that we could have the fullness of grace.
Redemption and Restoration.
They essentially accuse you of being Darth Nihilus, just like Zophar did!
These "Jedi Masters"... these "friends" do not want to partake in your suffering. They condemn it and accuse you of wickedness. The painful silence faced by Job and the Exile are too much to bear.
But the truth is that pain is deeply embedded in the gospel. How can something often called "the Good Book" be this painful?! Just look at the previous case studies. Spec Ops: The Line and Bioshock Infinite are full of pain! And here I am saying, "there is a good God embedded in these stories..."
The last point I wish to make is the ending of Job. In chapter 42, Job must pray for his friends--the very ones who accused him of wickedness. After all the pain, anguish, and silence that Job endured, the LORD asks for him to think of others.
"And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends" (Job 42:10 ESV).
Throughout KOTOR 2, you see nothing but suffering, especially from the people following you:
- Atton hides his shame through sarcasm, games, and lust.
- Bao-Dur is haunted that he made the Mass Shadow Generator.
- Visas has been surrounded by Darth Nihilus for a long time and is longing for either death or new life.
- Handmaiden is looked upon as worthless among her sisters.
- Disciple longed of being a Jedi, but he never got to fulfill his dream.
- Mira was a slave who constantly faces the repercussions of a good deed gone horribly wrong.
- Mandalore is the leader of a broken people and he was abandoned by a good friend.
- Kreia, as we have seen, is perhaps the most broken of all of them.
- T3-M4 is bogged down by secrets and was also abandoned.
- G0-T0 was given an impossible task and it changed him.
- HK-47 deals with obsolescence (and the way he handles it is hilarious!).
Just like Jesus, who was broken on the cross.
Despite the echo, the void, the silence that consumed him, Jesus still prayed and fought for us, so that we too could benefit from his suffering. Jesus took on the full wrath of God so that we could have the fullness of grace.
Redemption and Restoration.