Jesus Ads and Fusion Politics

Last night, I read an article about Jesus coming to the Super Bowl in commercials saying or showing “He gets us.”  I have very mixed feelings about it.  I’ve seen photos that go with the “He gets us” ads and they do seem to represent New Testament Jesus. That Jesus supported poor and disenfranchised people. People claiming to be christian nationalists and right-wing evangelicals don’t seem to follow NT Jesus’ teachings.

These commercials show a loving Jesus, all-inclusive. He is for feeding and caring for those in need, sheltering the homeless, and protecting the children. That’s my Jesus. So why am I uncomfortable with this?

The ads are placed by a group called The Signatry. However, David Green, a co-founder of Hobby Lobby, came forward and said he was helping pay for the commercials and billboard ads. It set a red flag in my mind. Hobby Lobby petitioned the SupremeCourt because they didn’t want to pay for contraception for women. It violated their christian beliefs that contraception was a form of abortion. They won, and so their female employees can’t get coverage for any usual method of birth control.

Hm, thought I, is that kind of control something Jesus would have endorsed? I don’t think so.

And so, I’m not sure I trust these ads. The Signatry is going big with these ads, and there are more to come. I wonder if it’s on the up-and-up and not some ploy to sucker people into a more sinister christian position that won’t show up until later.

I’ll wait and see.

I’ve been more interested in Rev. William J. Barber II and “fusion” politics. I hadn’t heard of him before and his words intrigued me. I began reading about him. Fusion politics isn’t about red vs. blue, conservatism vs. liberalism. The idea is to bring together the poor, the lower-working white middle class, immigrants, people of color, people of different religions, and the LGBTQ community. Why? Because with all these groups working together, there’s a better chance of putting enough pressure on politicians to get the right things done to serve everyone.

He says christian nationalism promotes a kind of heresy. That’s because of all the cruel and untrue stances those people take. I agree with him on that. Christian nationalists don’t follow New Testament Jesus. Everything they say and do is anti-Christian.

I remember that in Matthew, Jesus confronted the disciples one day about how they’d rejected him. They were all upset at that and asked when? How? And his answer was that he’d come to the door, homeless, and they didn’t take him in. He needed clothes to wear, and they ignored him. He was sick and in prison, and no one came to visit him. Again the disciples were upset and asked when did we do that to you?

Jesus’ answer was any time you did this to anyone else, you did it to me.

That’s what the christian nationals are forgetting. So, when they cut benefits to the needy, make it harder for people to exercise their right to vote, and take away fundamental rights from people, they are doing those things to the Jesus they claim they love.

I like Rev. Barber’s message. I’ve been listening to him via YouTube and reading up more about fusion politics. I am hoping to locate a way to connect with the programs he supports. The next thing I'm doing is reading his book, We Are Called To Be A Movement. I get a hopeful feeling thinking about his message and desire to form a coalition of under-represented people who are suffering from oppression, suppression, or flat-out neglect.