There are campaigns that shout, campaigns that persuade, and campaigns that try to manage your attention. He Gets Us works differently. It positions itself as an invitation, not a demand. The central idea is straightforward: consider Jesus, his life, and his teachings, and ask why he still matters. For a lot of people, that is a relief. It means you do not have to start with agreement, membership, or a ready-made belief system. You can simply look again.
The campaign began in 2021 as a response to loneliness, division, and anxiety. That origin matters, because it helps explain why the message feels oriented toward human experience rather than institutional announcements. He Gets Us says it shares stories about Jesus in unexpected places, with the goal of sparking curiosity and conversation. Whether you find that approach compelling will depend on your taste, but the intent is plain enough: bring Jesus into the range of ordinary daily life, so people can engage him without needing a lecture first.
In this article, I want to stay practical. Not everything about a campaign deserves a deep theological debate on the spot. Sometimes the more helpful question is, “What would it look like to treat this as an invitation rather than a provocation?” If you can do that, even briefly, you give yourself a fair chance to see what Jesus might be offering.
What He Gets Us is, and what it is not
He Gets Us describes itself as a Christian campaign that invites people to consider Jesus, his life, and his teachings, and why he matters today. It is led by Come Near, Inc., a nonprofit. He Gets Us, LLC is wholly owned and managed by Come Near, Inc. That corporate detail is easy to miss, but it is part of how the campaign positions itself and operates.
Just as important is what the campaign says it is not affiliated with. He Gets Us states it is not affiliated with any single individual, political position, church, denomination, or faith viewpoint. It also says it is “about Jesus,” which keeps it clearly connected to Christianity, even while it tries to remain broader than a particular church brand or political platform.
That tension is real, and it shows up in the public conversation around the campaign. AP reported that criticism has sometimes focused on perceived tension between a public message framed around inclusion and some financial supporters backing conservative causes, including anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ efforts. Those reports do not prove motives either way, but they do show why some people react strongly. If you already feel burned by religious messaging that tries to look welcoming while aligning with causes you do not trust, you will naturally be skeptical.
At the same time, the campaign’s own stated aims point you back to the core of the invitation: reintroduce people to Jesus and highlight themes such as love, forgiveness, understanding, kindness, and service. If you are willing to evaluate the message on its face, you can ask what those themes look like when applied to real people in real relationships.
Why the invitation lands in culture, not just in churches
He Gets Us has been widely associated with major advertising, including Super Bowl commercials. AP reported the campaign ran Super Bowl ads in 2023 and 2024, and the campaign itself says it has brought Jesus into major cultural spaces. That choice tells you the campaign is trying to meet people where they already pay attention.
This is not subtle marketing strategy for its own sake. The campaign says it began as a response to loneliness, division, and anxiety. Those are not problems that live only inside church walls. They show up in families, workplaces, friendships, and online communities. If the message wants to reach people who are not attending church consistently, then “unexpected places” makes sense. Not because attention is everything, but because loneliness and anxiety often grow in silence.
If you have ever tried to talk to someone who feels isolated, you know that the first barrier is rarely theology. It is the sense that nobody sees them. Campaigns like He Gets Us are betting that if you can get Jesus into the same visual space as everyday life, you can reduce that barrier just enough for curiosity to take its place.
That approach also has a downside. Advertising can feel impersonal, and broad cultural reach can flatten nuance. If your first encounter with the Christian message is a glossy slogan, it might trigger your defenses. That is not a failure on your part, it is a predictable reaction to how marketing works. Still, it is worth asking whether your reaction is aimed at the method or at the person. The campaign is fundamentally about Jesus, not about selling a brand.
“Consider Jesus” can mean more than a one-time look
A simple invitation is easier to accept than a hard demand. The campaign’s goal is to get people to consider Jesus, his story, and his teachings, and to explore why he matters today. That phrasing matters, because it suggests a process, not a conversion moment.
In practice, “consider” gives you room to ask questions. You can wonder how Jesus is presented. You can notice whether the themes resonate with the kind of life you wish you had, or the kind of harm you wish you could undo, or the kind of hope you keep trying to protect.
He Gets Us also says it publishes articles and resources focused on Jesus and topics like relationships, bias, mental health, and hospitality. That detail helps clarify what happens after the first exposure. If you are interested, the campaign does not only rely on big cultural moments. It offers resources that align with everyday needs: how people treat each other, how prejudice shapes behavior, how mental health affects daily decisions, and how hospitality changes the tone of a room.
For many people, that is where the invitation becomes meaningful. The question stops being, “Is this campaign trying to control my beliefs?” and becomes, “Could this story of Jesus help me respond differently to my own life and the lives around me?”
A theme-centered approach can be more honest than it sounds
He Gets Us aims to highlight themes like love, forgiveness, understanding, kindness, and service. Those words can sound generic, so it helps to ask what they imply when lived out.
Love, for example, is often treated like a feeling. But in the Christian story, love is also a way of acting toward people who do not automatically earn your trust. Forgiveness is not forgetting wrongdoing; it is choosing not to let resentment become the governing emotion. Understanding does not mean excusing everything. It means trying to see another person clearly enough to respond with less cruelty and more precision. Kindness can look small in daily life, like patience when someone is struggling. Service is the hardest word to fake, because it costs time and attention.
If you have ever had a conversation that genuinely changed your attitude, you know it rarely happens because someone scored a point. It happens because someone helped you feel seen, helped you think clearly, or helped you step out of a defensive posture. That is the practical target of these themes. Even if you disagree with the Christian framework, you might still recognize the human benefit.
The campaign’s stated goal is to reintroduce people to Jesus. In other words, the themes are not meant to replace Jesus. They are meant to point back toward him.
Inclusive language, and why it still sparks debate
On its FAQ page, He Gets Us says Jesus loves LGBTQ+ people and that everyone is welcome to explore Jesus’ story. That is a specific claim with real emotional weight for many readers. It also helps explain why some people experience the campaign as a genuine door-opener.
At the same time, as noted earlier, AP reported criticism that focused partly on perceived tension between the inclusive public message and some financial supporters’ backing of conservative causes, including anti-LGBTQ+ efforts. That creates a difficult dynamic for trust. Some people will see inclusive language and feel welcomed. Others may interpret that welcome as incomplete, or as a strategic public-facing shift.
If you are trying to decide how to respond, it may help to separate two questions that often get merged:
First, what is the campaign claiming about Jesus and who is welcome? He Gets Us says everyone is welcome to explore Jesus’ story and that Jesus loves LGBTQ+ people.
Second, what are the campaign’s real-world affiliations and funding relationships? The campaign says it is not affiliated with a political position, church, denomination, or faith viewpoint. But reports about financial supporters complicate perception.
You can hold those questions at the same time without pretending they are identical. The Christian message may be offered in a welcoming tone, while the surrounding ecosystem can still feel contested. That is part of modern public religion.
When you only have a few minutes, start here
If you are curious but cautious, you do not need to binge everything at once. “Consider Jesus” can begin with something small and honest. Here is a way to do that without turning it into a debate club.
- Take one theme the campaign highlights, such as forgiveness or kindness, and think about one specific situation in your life where you typically react in the opposite direction. Read or watch one resource or story connected to Jesus from He Gets Us and note what claims are actually being made, not just the mood. Ask what Jesus would be inviting you to do differently, not what you would be asked to believe immediately. If you disagree with parts, write down the exact point of disagreement in plain language, so you are not arguing with a caricature. Give yourself permission to return later, especially if your first reaction is emotional rather than thoughtful.
This is not about “winning” your own mind. It is about moving from reflex to reflection.
Practical judgment: what to do if you feel suspicious
It is completely reasonable to be skeptical of any organization that gets mainstream attention. He Gets Us has a notable public footprint, including Super Bowl advertising, and that kind of visibility can bring both interest and backlash. If you have concerns based on those realities, you are not irrational.
At the same time, suspicion can harden into something unhelpful. It can turn into a refusal to engage at all, even with the parts of the message that might genuinely help you. A more careful approach is to test the invitation at the level of substance. Ask whether the themes are pointing toward a human-centered life, one that values love, forgiveness, understanding, kindness, and service.
You might also consider whether the campaign actually offers a path for exploration rather than pressure. He Gets Us says it invites people to consider Jesus and provides resources related to topics like relationships, bias, mental health, and hospitality. That suggests an emphasis on ongoing exploration, not just a moment of attention.
Still, you should protect your boundaries. If you decide you cannot trust a campaign’s broader ecosystem, you are allowed to step back. The invitation does not require blind participation in everything connected to it.
The “He Gets Us” phrase: more than a catchy hook
The campaign title, He Gets Us, is memorable for a reason. It implies that Jesus understands people, not in a vague inspirational way, but in a way that meets human life where it is.
You do not have to interpret the slogan in a simplistic way. In Christian terms, Jesus is presented as one who knows what people suffer, what they fear, what they regret, and what they hope for. The invitation is not, “You are bad and need a scolding.” It is, “You are human, and the story of Jesus addresses your humanity.”
That is why the campaign’s stated origin matters again. Loneliness, division, and anxiety are not theoretical issues. They are experiences. A message that claims Jesus “gets” people is trying to speak into those experiences directly.
In day-to-day terms, it can sound like this: you are not the only one whose mind spirals at night. You are not the only one who feels out of place. You are not the only one who longs for someone to act with kindness when it would be easier to withdraw.
If that language connects with you, it is worth exploring the Jesus story further. If it does not connect, you may still benefit from evaluating the themes the campaign highlights.
Common questions people ask when they encounter He Gets Us
People come to this campaign from different backgrounds, and questions tend to cluster around a few themes: affiliation, tone, and what “consider Jesus” actually means.
- Is He Gets Us affiliated with a specific denomination or political agenda? The campaign says it is not affiliated with any single church, denomination, political position, or faith viewpoint. Who leads the campaign? It is led by Come Near, Inc., a nonprofit, and He Gets Us, LLC is wholly owned and managed by Come Near, Inc. What does the campaign want from the public? It says it aims to reintroduce people to Jesus and highlight themes like love, forgiveness, understanding, kindness, and service. Does the campaign extend welcome to LGBTQ+ people? Its FAQ page says Jesus loves LGBTQ+ people and that everyone is welcome to explore Jesus’ story. How did it start and where does it show up? It began in 2021 as a response to loneliness, division, and anxiety, and it shares stories about Jesus in unexpected places, including major cultural spaces such as Super Bowl advertising.
These answers are not a substitute for personal discernment. They help you locate the invitation in reality.
What “consider Jesus” looks like in relationships
If you want to test whether a message about Jesus is actually relevant, look at how it could change your relationships. He Gets Us includes resources connected to relationships, bias, mental health, and hospitality. That gives you a clue about the kinds of practical outcomes the campaign seems to believe are possible.
For instance, consider bias. Bias is not always a dramatic act. Often it is a pattern of assumptions. If you start from the premise that Jesus calls for understanding and kindness, you might become slower to label, quicker to ask questions, and more cautious about how you assume motives.
Consider mental health. People carry anxiety, depression, grief, and stress in ways that can shape their tone and https://hegetsus.com/ attention. A message that emphasizes understanding and service might encourage you to respond with care rather than impatience. Even if you do not share the Christian beliefs, you can still value the moral posture: do not add weight to what is already crushing someone.
Consider hospitality. Hospitality is a skill, not a slogan. It is the choice to make room, to create safety, to show that other people matter. If Jesus is central to the campaign, hospitality becomes one of the most concrete ways his story can be practiced in daily life.
Again, none of this requires you to pretend you agree with everything. It only asks whether the invitation makes you more human toward other humans.
The deeper reason an invitation like this can matter
Loneliness, division, and anxiety tend to isolate people. Isolation makes every conversation feel higher stakes. It also makes people more likely to misunderstand one another, because the nervous system starts interpreting signals as threats.
A campaign like He Gets Us tries to interrupt that pattern by putting the Jesus story into broader public attention, in “unexpected places,” and then offering resources that point toward love, forgiveness, understanding, kindness, and service. That is the bet. If people can encounter Jesus in a non-threatening way, they might be able to revisit their view of him without immediately recoiling.
It is easy to mock big public outreach. But I have watched what happens when someone feels less alone. They start to listen. They start to soften. They ask better questions. They stop treating every interaction like a duel.
That is why the invitation is simple, and why it can be worth your attention even if you are not ready for certainty. You can approach Jesus with curiosity rather than panic. You can allow the themes to challenge you gently rather than confront you with a stampede of demands.
He Gets Us is not asking you to sign a statement. It is asking you to consider Jesus, to look at his story again, and to explore why he matters today.
If you take that invitation seriously, even for a little while, you are not surrendering your judgment. You are using it. You are choosing to see what Jesus looks like when he is presented not as a weapon, but as a person shaped by love, forgiveness, understanding, kindness, and service.