A Christian group has purchased advertising time during the most expensive, and most watched event of the year, the Super Bowl, to drum up support and awareness for Jesus Christ. “He Gets Us” is a religious organization funded in part by the family owners of Hobby Lobby, and centers around making Jesus relatable and more culturally identifiable for today’s skeptics. Fox News had this to say:
A pair of ads about Jesus will air on Super Bowl Sunday as part of a Christian group’s efforts to spread a message of love and understanding to 100 million people.
The $20 million advertising campaign, funded in part by the family behind religious craft store chain Hobby Lobby, as well as Christian groups and other anonymous donors, will kick off with two ads centered on the idea that when it comes to Jesus, “He Gets Us.”
At a time when the U.S. Christian population is down and religion has become a divisive topic, the group hopes to reach as many as possible and help spread the message of Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God.
It’s no secret that religion, especially Christianity has taken a hit in recent years. The left has attempted to push their lack of morality and values into mainstream American life and have largely been successful. Christianity has been under attack, and Christian values have fallen to the wayside. “He Gets Us” is attempting to make a statement when the most eyes of the year are fixed squarely on the television. Fox News continued:
“It fits with our target audience really well,” campaign spokesperson Jason Vanderground told The Associated Press about the upcoming ads. “We’re trying to get the message across to people who are spiritually open, but skeptical.”
“We think Jesus is a big deal and we want to make a big deal out of it,” Vanderground said. “What better way to do that than to put him in the biggest cultural moment that we have the entire year?”
‘He Gets Us’ Christian campaign in $20 million Super Bowl ad buy to market Jesus https://t.co/oZvloJqHy4
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) February 8, 2023
Jesus is a big deal. It isn’t uncommon to go to any NFL stadium on any given Sunday and see would-be evangelists with pamphlets and bullhorns preaching hellfire and brimstone. But how effective are the gloom-and-doom evangelists? What is the conversion rate on an in-person NFL Sunday? I would suspect low. By engaging in a relatable way, and presenting Jesus, Joseph and Mary in a manner comparable to today’s standards, “He Gets You” has a far better chance of resonating with Joe-six-pack than any angry person with a bullhorn does. Fox concluded:
The campaign reportedly highlights the idea that Jesus was a refugee and was unfairly stereotyped in a way akin to other marginalized minority groups in the modern world.
Religion News Service National Reporter Bob Smietana, speaking with NPR, said the focus is attempting to appeal to the LGBTQ community and other groups that previously felt unwelcome in the church.
One commercial depicts a slideshow about migrants fleeing their home to avoid persecution. The ad concludes by revealing the story is actually about Jesus and his mother Mary, and her husband Joseph.
The two spots airing on Sunday will focus on how children embody and demonstrate Jesus’ love and how to mold yourself into a better person by dealing with anger.
The attempt to equate Jesus with refugees and the lgbtq community is sure to be a tough sell in 2023. Thanks in large part to a mainstream media that vilifies Christians and exemplifies the lgbtq narrative, many people of faith may be turned off to an idea that people living a lifestyle that flies in the face of Biblical teaching should be included and accepted. Regardless, the fact that the Super Bowl features two openly Christian star quarterbacks, and an organization like “He Gets Us” is able to share their message to a worldwide audience speaks to the possibility that the tide is turning. Slowly to be sure, but perhaps Christian faith and God might be making a comeback. Don’t call it a “Hail Mary” just yet, just rejoice in the fact that it is happening.
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