My cartoon titled “Peace Rock” has been on the website since August of 2007, but it is older than that. It is one of the cartoons that were hidden under the bed in our guest bedroom. It is taken from John 16:33. Jesus is speaking to His disciples and says: I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (NIV). That’s a wonderful verse to remember as we go through these troubled times. My cartoon depicts a distraught looking man in a little boat that has sprung a leak. The boat is labeled “worry” and is adrift in a raging sea labeled “trouble”. Next to the boat is a big rock labeled “peace”. The waves are tossing the boat around, but has no effect on the rock. Another man, standing on the rock, calls out to the man in the boat, inviting him to “…abandon that leaky ol’ boat and climb up on this rock”.

At times I would come across this cartoon and think that it wasn’t quite right, somehow. Maybe it was a little too vague. Yes, we as Christians can have peace in the midst of this troubled world, but how? In the verse Jesus says in me you may have peace and I have overcome the world.  If we remain in Jesus we may have peace, because he has overcome the world. So, I began to think that the cartoon might have a greater impact if the rock were labeled “Jesus”, instead of “peace”. Like the rock in the cartoon, the waves of trouble in this world do not move Jesus, nor will they move us if we keep our faith in Him. But, if we get out of faith in Him, and into fear and worry, then we are like the guy in the leaky boat. So today I went ahead and made the revision, and I think the cartoon is much improved. It is now clearly focused on Jesus, as it should be. I also tried to give the rock a more “rocky” texture. I’m not sure, but I think it looks OK.