Jesus Gets Us, but do Churches get Jesus?

Matthew 25:41-45

Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;  for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'  Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?'  Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

By now, you have seen the commercials that are part of JesusGetsUs ad campaign. Incredibly insightful commercials that portray a variety of people who are going through different situations with a refrain afterwards that simply says "Jesus Gets Us".  The provocative aspect of the campaign is that the people who are portrayed include immigrants, justice activists, victims of various traumatic experiences and even criminals.  The videos portray people of all ages and ethnicities.  The goal is to literally seek to identify the demographic of those who have been most offended and ignored by evangelical churches and seek to restore the connection Jesus' life and ministry those often marginalized by life and society.

The sponsoring organization spent billions of dollars for the ads and for the substantial research that went into the ads.  The Servant Foundation is a collection of Christians leaders who prefer to remain anonymous.  They describe themselves as apolitical, but a review of their work reveals a nearly 4 billion dollars' worth of their support for other non-profit organizations, many promoting political advocacy of causes championed by conservative evangelical organizations. One of its leading supporters is Hobby Lobby Co-founder David Green who has been associated with quite a few controversies and  partisan advocacy.  This is not a judgement for or against their advocacy.  The point is that it is disingenuous to pretend that Servant Foundation represents an apolitical, diverse spectrum of the American Christian family.

Why is that important in this case?

 "The important study by Putnam and Campbell underscored the growing tolerance in many directions -- gender, sexual identity, race, and ethnicity -- as perhaps the most constructive and attractive element of change in American religious communities, along with growing ethnic diversity and compassion for those in need. But the same study also noted political use of religion and divisions along political, class, and racial and ethnic lines as what continues to drive people from membership and activity in congregations."  -- Michael Plekon in Church As Community, Community As Church.

In other words, churches that are seen as welcoming and diverse are seen as attractive while study after study has shown that, particularly among Gen-Z and Millennials, perceived discrimination, hatred, and the conflation of faith and politics causes aversion. 

In their own research, the Servant Foundation found that many people who are not attending churches, had a very low opinion of church due to its perceived connection to racism, sexism, discrimination, hypocrisy and anti-LGBTQ sentiments.  Those same people did not have a low opinion of Jesus but had a genuine openness to Jesus.  

So the organizers developed a campaign that would connect Jesus' humanity with those who are offended by church but open to Jesus.  That is a noble pursuit and I believe the ad campaign does a great job of reframing the Biblical Jesus with contemporary American culture.  I have some theological concerns about separating Jesus humanity and his divinity but that's the topic of another article.

The problem is that I do not think the Jesus who "Gets Us", who is among and for immigrants, on the streets marching with those who demand justice, mourning with those who are suffering and comfortable around White, Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous people is not the Jesus that would be welcome in many of the churches connected with the evangelical church that is represented anonymously within the Servant Foundation.  

Interestingly, the campaign did not seek to address the churches who are perceived as sexist, racist and hypocritical. It's as if the perception of the thousands of people who are turned off from the church could not possibly be accurate.   Its as if the Servant Foundation refuses to confront the churches who do not demonstrate and proclaim the Jesus who "Gets US".  I am not suggesting that all evangelical churches are guilty of this, but how many prominent evangelical churches are preaching to follow Jesus in lovingly identifying and ministering among the poor, the incarcerated, the displaced, and those who hate you?  That is the Jesus who "Gets Us."

I am supportive of the message that the JesusGetsUs campaign has provided.  I hope that churches will honestly ask themselves if they recognize and follow the Jesus who "Get Us".  Would Jesus the protester be welcome?  Would Jesus who identifies (and actually was) an immigrant worth your investment of time and attention.  Or, how about the Jesus that identifies with those who are beyond your political affiliation?  Is that Jesus welcome?

I am convinced that the greatest opportunity of the JesusGetsUs is not only for those unfamiliar with Jesus to connect but for Churches who practice nominal Christianity to re-awaken to the mission of Jesus and his loving, life-giving, liberating mission to change the world. 

"To change the system, Jesus had to start with those who were excluded from the system.  This also reveals the intentionality and inclination of God's heart toward the poor and marginalized of every society.  In fact, from a biblical standpoint, although God loves all people equally, he show unique concern for immigrants, the poor, and all who are socially marginalized." -- Robert Chao Romero in Brown Church.

Matt 25:31-40

 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,  and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.  Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'  Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?  And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?  And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'

May it be that JesusGetsUs begins a movement that transforms the church to live out Jesus radical movement in order to demonstrate that we actually "Get Jesus" to a hurting and broken world!