Category: Uncategorized

This weekend 60 Minutes (CBS) aired a segment on hate speech laws in Germany. According to this segment it is currently illegal to insult someone in public or online, or to post misinformation. You can violate the law just by resharing something someone else posted. The first offense can result in a stiff fine and possible confiscation of your phone or computer. Repeat offenses can result in jail time. 

The German government is not messing around. Camera crews were allowed to follow along on raids at fifty homes where homes were searched, and phones and laptops were seized. One man was raided for sharing a “racist” cartoon. (I put “racist” in quotes because that word has been so overused by the media these days. Without seeing the cartoon it’s hard to know if it was actually racist or just something that could be loosely interpreted as such?)

Christian apologist Frank Turek pointed out on X that under these rules, Jesus himself would have been arrested many times over. 

Although Jesus was full of love and mercy, going so far as to die for his enemies, he also spoke hard truths that sometimes offended his audience. He called powerful people hypocrites, snakes, blind guides, fools, whitewashed tombs, and children of hell. He said some people are dogs, pigs, vipers, and wolves. He condemned entire cities as being worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. He called his audience evil, adulterous, faithless, and demon-possessed. And that’s just in the book of Matthew. You can find a complete list here, compiled by a pastor named Levi Secord: 

https://www.christbible.net/…/when-jesus-insulted…

Pastor Secord writes, “We all want to be more like Jesus, but do we know what that means? Pastors want to speak like Jesus, but then they act like hard words are somehow unchristian…if we categorically rule out the use of insults in the name of Christlikeness, then it is likely we are fashioning a sub-biblical version of Christ. To fit our cultural morality, many evangelicals have cut out whole parts of Scripture.” He further writes, “…if we take this list as a justification to always insult others, or to use hard words as our primary form of engagement, then we are also distorting the Jesus of Scripture. If we want to speak and minister as Christ did, then we must recognize that he often acted in surprising ways. Sometimes, we will need to speak with grace. At other times, we will be required to use hard and intentionally offensive words. Such a balance requires both wisdom and courage.”

Pastor Secord is right. Sometimes loving someone means saying painful truths even if it hurts their feelings. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” (Proverbs 27:6). Hate speech laws make this act of love extremely difficult.

I don’t even pretend to have it all figured out. I am not very good at one-on-one conflict, and when I try I often wind up feeling like a jackass who just stepped in the biggest cow pie on Old McDonald’s forty acres. But as a general rule I would much rather have a world where we can speak honestly and openly with each other than have to lie to protect feelings. The last thing I want is to be surrounded by people who are walking on eggshells while under the thumb of petty thin-skinned tyrants. 

I especially want such boldness from my leaders. I have often said, I want a pastor who will tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear.

(Just to be clear, I am NOT saying Christians should be jerks or bullies. I don’t want that either. We should be known by our gentleness and grace. But there are times when harsh bluntness is called for. As a pastor once said, it is generally wrong to yell at a family member at the dinner table. But if a bull is charging through the dining room, raising your voice suddenly becomes the loving thing to do.)

Hate speech laws are a mistake. They don’t really stop hate. They only increase power and fear. As I tried to say in this old cartoon from the archives, it is better to counter bad speech with more speech. We don’t need more censorship. The online mobs are scary enough.

Thanks to Christian cartoonist Paul Cox at RefToons for interviewing me about Narrow Road Comics. We talked about being a Christian in today’s illustration market, making religious webcomics, my artistic influences, and advice for illustrators starting out today.

Watch on YouTube:

You may have heard about Louisiana’s new law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in school classrooms. Over the weekend I made a comic (pictured above) expressing my take on the matter. To my surprise it went viral on X (formerly Twitter). It was shared over 2,600 times with 18,000 likes and over 400,000 views, and is still going. The comic was also re-posted by other meme accounts. On one such account it got another 1.9 millon views.

I jumped from about 400 followers on X to almost 4,000. To welcome everyone I re-posted one of my more popular cartoons from the archives, The Great Exchange. That comic now has over 800 shares and has been viewed a quarter of a million times.

Quite a weekend.

Here’s a few random observations about what it’s like to “go viral”:

First, it consumed my weekend. About every half hour I was pulling out my phone to watch the numbers climb and to skim the comments. Even though I know there are far more important things in life, it was hard to think about anything else. Including sleep. The little screen in my pocket was like a portal into a parallel universe where total strangers were shouting over something I created, churning up sparks and dust. Yet I would look up from my screen to see my mundane life grinding on normally as if nothing was happening. It was kinda surreal.

It’s impossible to keep up with all the comments. For a while I was getting notifications faster than I could read them all. Apparently I touched a nerve. People either really loved the cartoon or really hated it. Most of the comments were just the same four or five thoughts being said a hundred different ways. The biggest criticism of this cartoon is some version of, “What about separation of church and state?” I answered that objection here. A surprising number of people also said I was making a straw man argument because of course the government’s job is to impose morality on everyone! It just has to be a secular morality, not a religious one. God has no say in the matter.

Despite going “viral” on X the comic kind of died on Facebook and Instagram. The internet can be a fickle place.

This cartoon was about a controversial topic so I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any butterflies in my stomach. Once you post something online, you lose control over it. The more it spread, the more I started to wonder, “What if any of my clients see this? What will my friends and relatives think? Am I burning any bridges?” Of course I had thought some of that through before I drew it and posted it. If I feel strongly enough about something to post it online, I have to be willing to live with whatever response comes. But that was theory and now it was reality, which was kinda scary. Not everyone looks at the world through the same lens, and I respect that. I am trying to learn the balance between being bold but not brash, being blunt and yet (I hope) not unfair to the other side. That’s a hard line to walk and I do NOT have it all figured out yet. I’m still learning and I’m very open to thoughtful criticism and critique. Still, some people will be offended no matter what and I guess there’s nothing I can do about that. As a pastor I respect once said, “I don’t care if the truth offends. I care very much if I offend.”

Going viral didn’t bring me much income. I don’t have a big enough following to earn any ad revenue from social media. Since posting the cartoon I’ve gained 7 new subscribers on Substack so far (six as “free” subscribers and one of them as “paid”) and sold one item on my web store. It turns out giving away things for free on the internet is not a great business model. There was a time when a popular cartoonist could become rich and famous through newspapers and books (The Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes, etc.) but those days are long gone. 

As far as I can tell it is possible to earn money on social media IF you have a large enough following, but that’s a tall hill to climb. The truth is most people don’t even bother to notice who the artist is, they just hit “like” and keep scrolling. Only a tiny fraction even bother to comment or share. Very few people go to the trouble of looking up the artist and check out more of his work. I learned this lesson a few years ago when one of my Sketchbook Silliness comics was voted all the way up to the front page of Reddit (one of the largest sites on the internet) and yet I didn’t gain any new followers. In order to build an audience I think you have to go viral over and over. Repeat the trick enough times and maybe you can start to gain a reputation and some fans who might one day part with a few bucks to support you. One viral post just isn’t going to do that. If you have merch or books to sell, that helps too. But overall, earning income with social media is a long, slow build. (Though I’m always super grateful for new subscribers. Every bit helps!)

It’s hard not to feel any pressure for my next cartoon. But I’m trying not to worry about it. All I can do is my best. Whatever happens after that is not up to me. 

After all, ultimately this moment is really just a “flash in the pan”. By tomorrow everyone will have moved on to a new tempest in a new teacup and my little comic will be forgotten.

All I can do now is learn from the experience.

The Bible often compares the Christian life to a spiritual battle. Battle within (resisting sin) and without (conflict with evil in the world).

There is a popular notion that Christians must always be friendly and tame, but that is not exactly what the Bible teaches. The New Testament tells us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9), but also soldiers of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). We are to be gentle (Galatians 5:23) but also bold (2 Corinthians 3:12). We are to love our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48) yet hate what is evil (Romans 12:9; Proverbs 8:13; Psalm 97:10). Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 6:11, “pursue godliness, love, and gentleness”, and then in the very next verse he says “fight the good fight”.

Also the mild, soft Jesus many people believe in is not the Jesus of the Bible. Yes he was full of IMMENSE love and forgiveness, but he was also righteous and bold. As such he sometimes offended people (Matthew 13:57; 15:12-14). He called out evil and was hated for it (John 7:7; 15:23-24). Jesus said his followers would likewise be hated (John 15:18; Luke 6:22-23). Christ publicly insulted the religious leaders of his day (Matthew 23:1-36). Jesus took a whip into the Temple courtyard and flipped over the tables of the moneychangers (John 2:13-17). He preached often about judgment and Hell, warning that most people will be damned (Matthew 7:13-14;21-23; Luke 13:24-28). Twice the crowds tried to stone Jesus (John 8:59; 10:31-33). Another time a crowd got so angry they tried to throw him off of a cliff (Luke 4:28-30). Some thought he was demon-possessed (John 7:20; Mark 3:22; Matthew 12:25) or insane (John 10:20; Mark 3:21). His ministry made enemies, enemies who ultimately had him crucified.

Obviously Christians should never be jerks or use violence to advance the Gospel. “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world”….“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (2 Corinthians 10:4; Romans 12:21). But neither should we smile at lies or shrug at evil in order to be “nice” and “keep the peace”. Jesus warned against seeking popular approval (Luke 6:26) and the Bible says cowardice is a damnable sin (Revelation 21:8).

Loving your neighbor means there is a time to take a stand, to speak up, to protect our families and culture. To fight the good fight. To pay a price for a greater good. I don’t have all the answers. My own natural tendency is to be a people-pleaser. So I am seeking to learn and grow in my understanding of when to engage in godly conflict, and what that conflict should look like.

I am certain that as Christians we know the truth. We have seen the light. We are born anew. We have the message of hope for the lost. We have the Holy Spirit of Almighty God pulsing through our hearts. The King of the universe hears our prayers. As the grenades of sin and chaos explode all around us, surely God expects more from us than smiles and prayer emoji’s.

World War II was perhaps the ultimate conflict. No one ever wants war. War is horrific. But with Memorial Day approaching I think most people would agree WWII was necessary, and a fight where the good guys won. Since we are called to be soldiers of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3-4; Ephesians 6:10-18; Philippians 2:25) maybe WWII works as a sort of analogy for the spiritual battles every Christian must fight?

I found some public domain photos from that heroic page in history and paired them with Scripture to help me ponder the call toward struggle, bravery, and sacrifice. I don’t want to promote violence, but I do want to challenge my own tendency (and perhaps the tendency of many Christians) to be docile and play it safe.

As cultural battles rage around us and spiritual struggles rage within us, may God help us to be wise, loving, brave Christians ready to lay it all down to advance the hope and holiness of the Gospel.

I’ve printed out a few of these images and framed them on my studio wall, to inspire me to be stronger and more courageous in my own Christian life:

If you’d like to do the same, for a low cost I’ve put together a WWII bundle of all 15 images you can download and print at home as 8×10’s. Or, you can order individual prints (framed or unframed) from my studio store and I will run them off my inkjet printer onto glossy photo paper and mail them to you. (Your purchases help support my work.)

And if you found this post inspiring or helpful please share it:

Download Memes
Purchase Bundle
Purchase Unframed Prints
Purchase Framed Prints

Recently Generations, a Christian ministry and publisher, hired me to illustrate a catechism for young children. It’s now available to order through their store: https://store.generations.org/collections/new-at-generations/products/teach-me-the-faith

Here’s a few of the images I created for them:

I’ve started transforming a few of my Narrow Road Comics into video shorts for play on TikTok and YouTube. I’m not doing animation, just simple pans and cuts. And not every idea will work as a video, mostly the ones that have little or no text. But feel free to subscribe and share:

Watch on YouTube
Watch on TikTok

This is so cool! A professional animator named Jezreel Carlos took one of my most popular webcomics and made an animated version. The audio is AI generated but he animated the visuals himself, and did a great job!

Feel free to share this around.

Follow Jezreel on LinkedIn.