At this year’s Super Bowl, viewers were presented with an ad that stirred controversy and discussion. Titled “Foot Washing,” the ad, part of the “He Gets Us” campaign, sought to convey a message about service and compassion. However, its portrayal of foot-washing and its accompanying message, “Jesus didn’t teach hate,” sparked a flurry of reactions and raised important questions about its interpretation and implications.
The ad aired during the Super Bowl showcased a series of vignettes featuring diverse individuals engaging in the act of foot-washing. Among the scenes depicted were a police officer washing the feet of a young Black man, a woman washing the feet of a Muslim woman, an older woman washing the feet of a young woman who is probably planning to get an abortion, and a rancher washing the feet of an elderly Native American man. Other scenarios included a straight woman washing the feet of a queer person, a white woman washing the feet of an immigrant, and a religious man washing the foot of a gay man. This ad cost over $7 million.
My Initial Reaction
Confusion overwhelmed me as I watched the ad, grappling with its intended message. While I wholeheartedly agree that Christians should embody servanthood, the ad’s portrayal of this principle left me disconcerted. It’s not the concept of serving others I take issue with—Christians are indeed called to serve all, irrespective of their identities or social standing. However, the contentious aspect lies in how the ad depicted both the servers and the served.
Christians are indeed called to serve all, irrespective of their identities or social standing. Share on XThe portrayal of individuals in positions of power as representatives of Christians, obligated to relinquish their power to marginalized groups solely because of their privileged status, struck me as deeply problematic. It seemed to suggest that marginalized individuals are in their predicament not because of their unique circumstances, but because of Christian dominance. This perspective, I believe, is both misguided and unproductive.
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