Letter: Varvel should stick with cartoons

As a political cartoonist, Gary Varvel uses absurd exaggerations and unflattering characteristics to make his point. Unfortunately, these artistic skills do not translate well to the written word [Taylor students have bought into Pence caricature, Forefront, April 26].

To criticize Taylor University students and alumni for opposing Mike Pence’s invitation as a commencement speaker, saying that he might expect this from students at a secular college but not from Taylor students, is the ultimate in gross absurdity. In fact, it is exactly Christians like these students who need to speak out against a vice president who blindly follows a president hell-bent on destroying the foundations of their faith.

Pence needs to be called to task as one who clearly uses faith as a political springboard instead of using it as Jesus did: to tell good news to the poor, announce freedom to prisoners, to give sight to the blind and to free everyone who suffers (Luke 4:18). Who better than Christians to call-out fellow Christians who have strayed from the Gospel of love? To quote the equally misguided Franklin Graham, Mr. Varvel, “What are (you) smoking?”

Varvel should be congratulating these students for their courage to stand for a Christian faith that more clearly reflects the Gospel than reflects an absurd worldview of white Christian supremacy, misogynistic acts and, plain and ugly deceit that somehow seems acceptable to Mr. Pence.

And please, Mr. Varvel, do not lightly compare the strong and determined Queen Esther to the milquetoast Mike Pence. She stood against a tyrannical king who was ready to devalue and destroy a whole population of powerless people. Oh, for an administration with the faith and courage to do that!

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Rev. Robert Heimach