The group behind the “He Gets Us” ad campaign spent some $3 million for spots during the Super Bowl, and they seem to have gotten their money’s worth, because social media has been talking about the ad campaign quite a bit this week. If you haven’t seen it, here it is:
The premise of the ad is that followers of Jesus can emulate how Jesus sees people in the world today by washing their feet. I’m pretty sure they don’t mean that literally, but that when we as Christians humble ourselves and serve people in the world, we are reflecting the character of Jesus, who did just that in his own life.
It’s worth noting that the message of the “He Gets Us” foot-washing ad is pretty ambiguous, and what you get from it is probably going to be informed by the baggage and experience you bring in. If you see this as a progressive-leaning piece geared toward promoting a progressive Christian agenda, you’ll probably notice that most of the foot-washing is being performed by people with perceived “privilege” or standing in the religious community toward those who are perceived as being “oppressed” – immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community, religious and cultural minorities, young women seeking abortions, and so forth. And you might assume that the message is that Jesus wouldn’t be like those so-called Christians who are protesting or rejecting these people, he would be embracing them, and accepting them for who they are.
If you see this as a call to showing Christ in your lives, you’ll likely notice that there is also a teenager washing his father’s feet, or a young woman washing the feet of an older woman who appears to be suffering from a mental breakdown of some sort. (NOTE: It seemed to me that the woman might have been more helpful by helping her clean up the squalor in which the woman appeared to be living, but I guess that wasn’t the point!) In the different images, no one is above washing the feet (metaphorically) of another person – even if that person does not share their faith as with the clearly Islamic woman being foot-washed (???) by her white and presumably Christian neighbors.
And what’s funny is that the ad is drawing ire from both sides. Some are arguing that this is a politicized vision of a Jesus who embraces progressive teaching and politics, and by extension condemns those who do not embrace them as well. A Jesus who does not see or care about sin, but only focuses on performing acts that express love.
And on the other side, you have people pointing out that some of the funding for the campaign comes from people who have actively supported what they consider “hate-driven legislation” intended to suppress the groups that the ad claims should be served. They see this ad as a bait-and-switch, intended to sanitize what to them is the inherently toxic doctrine of Christianity.
To me, at least, it’s an example of trying to create an awareness ad as a blank slate – one that shouldn’t really offend anyone because it doesn’t really say anything. The baseline premise is that followers of Jesus ought to be kind to those in the world. That’s a pretty noncontroversial stance, despite what some of the more radical elements on social media might claim. You’re not going to find many Christians of ANY sort who would dispute that idea.
We can debate what constitutes “kindness,” because like every other term surrounding Jesus, words get redefined continually based on what we want to believe about Jesus. And maybe it’s a cautionary tale to Christians who want to reach out to a world that does not typically accept the Jesus we read about in the Bible.
As Paul wrote: “And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get ready for battle?“ (1 Co 14:7–8)
When we try to make the message more acceptable to a world that is opposed to the gospel, we typically end up creating confusion, and we do more harm than good.
I loved this video posted today on Twitter:
Oh man, this is AMAZING! @j_bambrick took @JoshDaws up on his challenge to do a better He Gets Us ad that reflects the heart of the Gospel. Put me down for the “former” wretch camp too. Praise God I am no longer what I once was!! 🙏pic.twitter.com/35N55uFeOD
— Megan Basham (@megbasham) February 13, 2024
I love it because ultimately, the power of the gospel is not in Jesus doing nice things for people. (For what it’s worth, there’s no indication Jesus washed ANYONE’S feet apart from the story in John 13 – his apostles were shocked and appalled that Jesus would do such a thing even for them. If Jesus had made a habit of foot-washing through his life, this would have been no big deal, and his example would have made no real impact on them!)
Not only is Jesus doing something kind for his apostles, but he’s doing it based on a relationship of fellowship that they share.
Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” – Jn 13:8
“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” – Jn 13:13–17.
Jesus is telling a group of his disciples who have been bickering about which one of them is more important right up until that night (see Luke 22:24) that they need to be focused instead on humbling themselves before each other, serving each other. And ALL of this is based on a common fellowship they share with Christ – because they have chosen to accept Christ, putting their faith in him and submitting to his will, agreeing to do what he has told them to do!
Jesus did not come to the world so we could all have clean feet (again… metaphorically!) If our example of Christ ends there, we have accomplished nothing.
Jesus came so that we could be cleansed of sin, so that we could enter into a fellowship with him that creates a community based on a common love for God, and a love for each other that stems from that love. (1 John 4:11) At some point, the good news of the gospel has to include the call to repentance:
As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. – Lk 3:15–18.
Good news usually doesn’t start with “Jesus is planning to burn with fire anyone who doesn’t repent” – and yet that’s the gospel? There’s no good news without a recognition of need. If I don’t need saving, the message of salvation isn’t good news, it’s just… confusion. If everything’s fine, why is Jesus here to begin with?
The answer many people are left with is simply “so he can wash people’s feet.” That’s not a message that will save a soul from death (James 5:19-20), and leaves us in a condition where Jesus does, in fact “get” us. But we don’t get Jesus.
