Are we asking the right questions about the ‘He Gets Us’ ad?

Pastor Shawn Gray

The He Gets Us Super Bowl ad has generated significant discussion. It seems to be a repeat of the discussion of the 2023 ad. This year, the ad continues to be attacked by secularists but it has also raised eyebrows in parts of the Christian community.

From the cost of the ad ($7 million) to the motivation behind it, people are asking questions. But are they the right ones?

Shawn Gray, who pastors Echo Church in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, recently took to Twitter to pose his own questions to the Christian community.

Here’s what Pastor Gray stated:

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I implore you to engage in a thorough examination of the recent HeGetsUs advertisement aired during the Super Bowl.

It is of paramount importance that we, as members of the church, scrutinize the potential repercussions of embracing what appears to be virtuous but may, in fact, lead individuals astray from the immutable truths of Scripture.

On the HeGetsUs website, they express their aspiration to “reintroduce people to the Jesus of the Bible.” Yet, I must pose the question: which Jesus are they truly presenting, for it appears to be divergent from the Jesus revealed in Scripture.

Permit me to pose several inquiries, not as assertions, but as avenues for contemplation:

• Whose feet did our Lord Jesus Christ stoop to wash?
• What was the significance underlying His act of foot washing?
• What spiritual truths were conveyed through this tangible demonstration? (Please note, personal opinions hold no weight; rather, let us delve into Scripture to uncover genuine truth.)
• When Christ exhibited compassion towards those ensnared in sin, did He condone their transgressions or call them to repentance?
• Is it consistent with the teachings of Scripture for us to persist habitually in sin? Does such behavior align with the love exemplified by Christ and delineated in the Holy Scriptures?
• If indeed HeGetsUs, how do we reconcile this with Christ’s discourse in Matthew 25:31-46?
• Does it bear significance that their marketing efforts seem to disparage the broader Christian community?
• In what manner do these advertisements inadvertently sanction destructive lifestyles rather than beckoning individuals to freedom in Christ?
• Is there a genuine necessity to reintroduce individuals to Jesus, or is it conceivable that they are promoting a culturally palatable rendition of Christ for their own satisfaction?
• If salvation is conferred through the proclamation of God’s Word, why do the scriptures employed by HeGetsUs appear to be egregiously misappropriated?
• Are there seasoned theologians guiding this organization, or is it primarily composed, as their website suggests, of marketing experts, media personnel, and creatives?

While the inquiries posed herein merely scratch the surface, they serve as catalysts for critical reflection upon HeGetsUs and their underlying agenda.

–Pastor Shawn Gray, Echo Church, Pleasant Hill, Mo.

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