Controversy — Faith — The Light Collective

Well hello there. Long time no see.

I haven’t posted in awhile — or written at all, really. It’s like the Light Collective has been laying dormant for over a year, patiently waiting for something to spark and catch fire in the core of my being.

Who would have guessed that it would be over a Super Bowl commercial?

Or rather, the reaction to the Super Bowl commercial. You know the one — well, two actually. Two commercials put out by the same organization: “He Gets Us”. They are an organization with the goal of spreading the good news of Jesus Christ and making His Gospel more accessible. Sounds like we have a lot in common.

I’ve visited their website before, and I did so again after seeing numerous videos across all social media platforms from Christians condemning the commercials, saying that “it made their discernment bells go off” and that they “just didn’t sit right” with them. I watched the commercials over and over, scouring their website in search of something that would make me feel the same way. Was there something wrong with me? Was my discernment broken? What was I missing?

“Jesus didn’t teach hate, He washed feet” were the words that flashed on the screen after showing images of people washing each other’s feet — an estranged father and son, a police officer and a black man, protestors from opposing sides, a pastor and a gay man, and so on. Many Christians are calling it a depiction of “lukewarm Christianity”, and some are going as far as saying that it is false teaching. They say that it is twisting the Gospel, because Jesus didn’t wash everyone’s feet, He only washed His disciples’.

To which I say: yes, that is how the story goes. Jesus did wash His disciples’ feet, and He did so as and act of love and a demonstration of humbleness. He did so as an example for them to follow, showing them that if their Master can do something as lowly as washing feet, they surely they can love one another in the same way.

Which brings about a question: are Christians only supposed to demonstrate God’s love to other Christians?

No. Duh. But you knew that.

Feet washing is symbolic of our role as members of the Body of Christ — we are to humble ourselves before the Lord and share His love with everyone. Matthew 22:37-39 say it best:

“Jesus said, ‘you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally as important: love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Love. That is the greatest commandment — not righteousness, not conviction, love.

I believe that the feet washing that was depicted was meant to be a metaphor for God’s love using Biblical imagery in a way that a secular audience would be able to understand. It is so common that non-believers refuse to attend church due to the stigma of judgment and pompousness that surround it. This commercial depicted Christians as we are meant to be: humble and loving. No matter the person, no matter their beliefs, we are called to meet them where they are and love them.

I can’t imagine how confusing it must be for someone who has never heard the Gospel to see that commercial and then log on to TikTok or Instagram and see Christians arguing about it, saying that it isn’t true or accurate. My heart breaks at the thought of someone who has zero Biblical knowledge trying to look into what they saw, and instead of seeing the love and lack of shame that they saw on the TV, seeing judgment and disagreement.

You will never empower someone to change by judging them. I as a Christian cannot hold non-Christians to my standards. I cannot shove my Bible in their face and say “you can’t do that, it’s a sin!” because my words would mean nothing to them. Conviction comes from the Holy Spirit, which they do not yet have. I can scream and cry and try to shove the truth down their throats all I want, but truth spoken without love will never hit its mark.

Heart change does not happen before you meet Jesus, only after. Jesus meets you in your sin, and He doesn’t leave you there — He pulls out into his unconditional love, and that is what sparks the change. He tells the truth, but He does so with love always.

Christian “marketing” is the only marketing that has an intended audience outside of its niche. We are trying to reach those who are not Christians, those who have not yet heard the Good News. That commercial wasn’t meant to be a sermon for you and me — it was meant to send a message to those who do not know God. It was meant to tell unbelievers the truth of who Jesus is: the author of life, the creator of you and me, and the epitome of unconditional love. I mean we love because He first loved us, right?

Hate does not change hearts. Judgment does not create disciples. It is not our job to encourage or condone sin, but those conversations cannot be had without the receiver having a love for God and the speaker having a love for His people. A lack of judgment does not equal signing off on sin, but rather creates an environment in which sin can be safely addressed.

You can’t scare, shame, or argue someone into Heaven — you can only love them there. Our job as Christians is to show the love of Christ, to shine His light, and to share the truth of His Gospel. It is not “watered down Christianity” to demonstrate washing the feet of those who you don’t agree with. It is not “lukewarm Gospel” to share an anti-hate message, even with today’s socio-political standards and definitions of the word “hate.” Christianity is not meant to be an exclusive club whose VIP section is only open to you if you wear the perfect baggy t-shirt/ripped jeans combo — it is meant to be a group of people defined by love with the common goal of making heaven crowded.

If we can’t agree on the things I wrote that’s fine, but let’s agree on this: that we as Christians will work harder to further the Gospel by upholding the greatest commandment — love. That we will work to ensure that our church doors remain open and welcoming to those who do not have Jesus in their hearts. That we will meet people where they are and love them hard, knowing that only love can create change. Let go of your judgment, your self-righteousness, and your pride, and be brave enough to love those who are not like you. To be patient with them. To show them true, genuine, deep, unconditional love.

Let’s not be better — let’s be like Jesus. Can we at least agree on that?