
In this simplified modern world that is in need of the presence of God, what good is a thousand-year-old book that is nearly incomprehensible by its target audience? Today, we use icons and emoji to communicate through text. How are we supposed to understand The Bible when it includes references and vocabulary that were only recognizable to the people that lived during that time period? We cannot understand it. For that reason, as every generation goes by, people grow further and further away from the love of God. In Mark Russel’s “God Is Disappointed in You”, the author’s purpose is to put the advanced literature of The Bible into a common vernacular for those born in the twenty-first century. His goal is to reconnect more people with the Christian religious faith. In conclusion of his writings being easier to read, Russel includes a sense of humor to more deeply engage his target readers to Jesus’ life. Russel with the help of his illustrator Shannon Wheeler, include a simple variation of one of the most famous paintings of all time that aid in the interpretation of the narrative. The image called The Last Call contributes the overall theme of an entertaining summarization with its filmic language, its comparison to Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”, and how it ties into the story itself.

The drawing “The Last Call” by Shannon Wheeler itself is a simple cartoon that is intended to be easier on the eyes of a viewer. It can be compared to the types of cartoons depicted in the shows SpongeBob Square Pants or Family Guy. It is created in this fashion in order to be comprehensible for its viewers, mostly teenagers of the current generation. The visual text asks the viewer to put themselves into the scene as if it were happening in a modern setting. The work’s medium shot allows the viewer to see the characters from the waist up giving a sense on familiarity that a more distanced angle could not provide. The view of the image is straight ahead, similar to how most paintings were during the early ages of the Christian faith. The drawing includes an intensity that more specifically can be called a clear gaze. Each of the characters appear to be stressed over an issue discussing the problem with one another and Jesus. This visual text could function differently if the context was not related to anything religious.  In a bar setting, it could be a couple of friends arguing over which football team is going to win the game. The “Last Call” by Wheeler contains filmic language that is appropriate for the written text in the story.

The Catholic Bible is the most purchased work of literature ever. Its writings have inspired people everywhere, especially artists. Hundreds of paintings were encouraged by scenes in the Bible including The Nativity, The Crucifixion, The Resurrection, and so on. Renaissance artists like Michelangelo, Rafael, and Donatello based their careers off of Jesus’s life. Because religion has such a large influence on our world, Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper”, is a greatly treasured work. Though, in present time children of this generation are unable to understand these complex artworks. As a result, Da Vinci’s piece was an appropriate choice for the illustrator to make a primitive version of and include in the text. It is easy to compare the “Last Supper” and “The Last Call” due to the different time periods they were made in. In Da Vinci’s work, everything is accurate as to how Jesus’ last supper appeared. All twelve of the apostles are gathered around a table with Jesus, panicking about which one of them would be the one to betray their leader. Meanwhile, Judas is leaning back, representing that he is aware of his betraying tendencies. At the table they are eating loaves of bread and drinking wine. While they celebrate the traditional Passover meal, Jesus tells his apostles to eat his flesh(bread) and drink is blood(wine) in order to be filled with the holy spirit. As oppose to Wheeler’s version of the scene, in his image “The Last Call”, only six apostles are present. Instead of drinking wine, it appears they are all enjoying a glass of beer at a bar. In this variety of the scene, they are still discussing something of importance. Jesus looks away and has his hand turned downward towards Judas and Peter as they will both deny him in different ways before his death. Each of the characters is wearing clothing that would be worn during that time period. In conclusion, the world class fresco and the basic drawing show similarities and differences in order to be recognized as a spoof of Da Vinci’s version, while also demonstrating a more relatable concept for the current generation. 

The image “The Last Call” has its own purpose while also tying into the writing “God Is Disappointed in You” as a whole. The author’s work gave a condensed version of the Jesus’s life that takes up several hundred pages in The Bible. He chooses the most significant points from his birth, his teachings, unto his death. Within the most important points, the illustrator could have chosen to draw the nativity scene, his first miracle, the transfiguration, or the crucifixion. Above all those he chose to recreate the Last Supper. The last supper ties well into the story because it is the beginning of the end of Jesus’ life. The author spends the entirety of the story pointing out the highlights, then highly emphasizes the last supper. The scene does a good job of tying together everything that is to come. The occasion itself is to commemorate Passover, when Jews hundreds of years ago sacrificed a lamb to be saved. Jesus represents the lamb that will be killed to save everyone from original sin. It also ties in with the rest of the story because it can be compared to how Jesus started out his public ministry. In the beginning of his life, Jesus was simply some random guy that was strangely kind. He had no followers at the time. Eventually, as he preaches parables and performs miracles, he gains several disciples. Of his several hundred believers, his closest twelve become known as his apostles. In the image “The Last Call” Jesus and the apostles gather together one last time before the crucifixion. The visual text contributes to the work as a whole through the stories that are hidden behind its several symbols.

Russel notes how incredible the life of Christ was, and then suddenly has him being killed. It seems as if everything Jesus did was pointless. What Russel’s short story fails to explain is how Jesus died in order to take away our original sin, so that one day we may share in the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ death was the plan all along. The beginning of the final stage of the plan took place in the drawing “The Last Call”. At that point Jesus knew what he had to do. He knew well in advance that Judas would turn him over to the authorities for thirty pieces of silver. He knew that his death would be extremely painful. Most of all, he knew that his love for us was greater than any physical and emotional pain that could be endured. While “God Is Disappointed in You” succeeds in being comprehensible, it lacks the emotion that The Bible’s literature mastery includes. Sadly, today’s generation is unable to relate to much historic literature. In turn, Russel wrote this primitive, comedic version of Jesus’ life. Along with the recreated “God is Disappointed in you”, the illustrator, Shannon Wheeler’s “The Last Call” demonstrates photographic language, a comparison to the world renowned painting “The Last Supper”, and a purpose to tie into the summarization of Jesus’ life.

 