Cartoon of man and a snowman. The snowman says, “I’d like to get saved. There’s just one problem–I’m terrified of getting baptized.”
I can just imagine where snow-people would lean on the sprinkle-full immersion theological debate. They’d go for the sprinkling. They couldn’t help being hydrophobic. Water hazard would mean something entirely different to the snow folk.
Cartoon of John the Baptist looking in a cabinet. He says. “Time for a trip to the store. I’m out of locusts.”
The story of John the Baptist has always piqued my interest. Just the beginning of the story made for some word pictures. Here’s what the passage reads in the book of Matthew:
1-2 While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called “the Baptizer,” was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: “Change your life. God’s kingdom is here.”
3John and his message were authorized by Isaiah’s prophecy:
Thunder in the desert!
Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!
4-6John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey. People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action. There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life. (Matthew 3:1-6, The Message)
I wrote and illustrated a book on the topic a few years ago. You can see the cover at Amazon.com. It’s not available right now, but I’m going to see if it can be resurrected in pdf form. You may be able to get it at Warner Press.
Cartoon of John the Baptist and a boy. The boy says, “You’re a trendsetter! Everyone wants the John the Baptist, camel hair bathing suit.”
John the Baptist was not the first prophet to set the trend for strange behavior, but he sure made his mark with unique diets and fashion tips. Wild locust and camel hair, anyone?
Cartoon of a teacher and students getting soaked. The caption reads, Mark’s portrayal of “Moses and the burning bush” didn’t agree with the sprinkler system.
This week’s word for Illustration Friday is “burning.”
Cartoon of a mom and a boy with a figurine. The boy says, “I made this Moses out of play dough. I had a hard time fitting the Ten Commandments on there.”
