Jesus Needs Better PR

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality… I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind. I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the “isness” of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal “oughtness” that forever confronts him. I refuse to accept the idea that man is mere flotsam and jetsam in the river of life, unable to influence the unfolding events which surround him. I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality." 

- Excerpt from Martin Luther King, Jr’s Nobel Peace Prize Speech on December 10, 1964.

Tomorrow marks a very important day in our nation’s history: the 39th anniversary of the commemorative day set aside to remember Martin Luther King Jr’s life and legacy of service that was cut short. He was 39 years old when he was assassinated. 

For some of us, the black and white photos that we often see of civil rights leaders make it easy to forget that it wasn’t very long ago that Black people did not have the right to vote or participate in the things that this country promised - the country that we were instrumental in building. 

My mid-thirties have brought on a series of revelations: namely clarity on who I truly am, what I want, what I truly value and who I want to be. And it is encapsulated in my personal word for 2025: Power. 

But before I begin, I’ll pause to share a quick disclaimer. This newsletter isn’t meant to convert anyone. That is a personal decision and one that cannot be made simply by reading something written by anyone, let alone me. Your relationship with God or lack thereof is up to you. Any trauma you may feel around the church and your experiences are valid. Point blank, period. 

That said, last year, I got closer to God, who I pushed aside almost 15 years ago. In fact, last year marked the first time that I’ve been in church consistently since my days at Oakwood University, a small HBCU known for its ability to produce exceptional musical talent (think Mervyn Warren, Take 6, Brian McKnight and the inimitable, award-winning choir The Aeolians - click the links for some of my favorites from them). 

On a warm winter day in March, I walked to the side of the church and felt the messages of Jesus’ love and peace flooding over me from the pulpit. I saw Him in the eyes of the people greeting me. I heard Him in the melodies from the choir stands. I tasted Him in the goodness that was the fellowship meal after church.  

“I missed this,” I thought - a community where all were welcomed and united under a common cause - we are sinners, saved by grace who in turn, give grace to each other. 

As the months continued and I dove deeper into my faith, it was troubling to see the other side of so-called Christianity plastered across MSNBC. And Twitter. And spewing out of the mouths of people I respected who were hell-bent on denying others the same thing God gave Adam and Eve in the garden: choice. 

Which leads me to today’s newsletter. After much consideration and review of the state of the world - details of which we are all painfully aware of - Jesus needs better PR. 

However, one thing that has always surprised me throughout the many hours of conversation while on my spiritual path - especially since my return to Christianity - is that most people’s beef, negative experiences or general apathy is with God - whichever God it is they subscribe or used to subscribe to. In general, people do not have beef with Jesus, regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof. Additionally, most people do not have an issue with the core tenants of what Jesus preached: love thy neighbor as thyself, help those who are in need and - this is a big one, don’t be an asshole. 

As we have seen with the insidious and continued rise of Christian nationalism, Jesus—the embodiment of love, humility, and radical inclusion—has been co-opted and weaponized to serve exclusionary, and often harmful, political agendas. Surveys show that roughly 1 in 5 Americans (21%) strongly agree with Christian nationalist beliefs, and nearly 60% of white evangelical Protestants express at least moderate support for this ideology. These numbers underscore how pervasive this distortion has become. Christian nationalism wraps itself in the language of faith but departs from its core tenets. It uses religious symbols and scripture to justify nationalism, xenophobia, and oppression. It’s not about faith; it’s about what they perceive to be power, cloaked in the guise of moral authority. The dangerous part is how seamlessly it conflates patriotism with divine mandate—legitimizing systemic inequality, discouraging dissent, and silencing Jesus’ true message of compassion, justice, and radical love.

Today, the beloved city that adopted me over a decade ago is awash with a plethora of people. Some will be here to protest the dangers of the incoming administration. And others, some of whom have co-opted the name and mantle of the Man who preached love and inclusivity thousands of years ago, will be here to incite panic and fear.  

Regardless of your religious leanings, the one thing I think we can all agree on (especially if you’re subscribed to this newsletter) is that we need a little more love. Which got me thinking: if Jesus came to me to help Him with PR, what would I recommend?

Like many of my past clients, this is clearly a crisis communications situation, one that He was unfortunately one that He was tossed into, but anticipated. The proof of who He actually is is set in plain view for all to see. Jesus needs more surrogates who actually get what He was expressing millennia ago. So here’s what I’d recommend. 

• Ambassadors: Jesus alone cannot be the face of these efforts. The ambassadors I’d recommend would be primarily responsible for spreading the message of love and justice to those who may be unaware or uncaring. They would do so on a variety of mediums, including the larger ones like the media and also in their personal lives and circles. 

• Allies: For those who don’t quite align with everything but agree with the gist of Jesus’ message could help bridge buildings between a variety of groups to identify commonalities and hopefully, come to common ground. They’d work cross-functionally with the ambassadors to help bring the message to the masses in the spaces they occupy. 

• Agitators: Jesus flipped tables in the temple because He was mad as hell. And so would the agitators (or better yet, revolutionaries) that we’d rally to stand on the front lines. They’d push back forcefully, spark and engage in meaningful debate and march in the streets in order to fight back on the harmful rhetoric. Because all is not lost, there is hope, and love can and will win.  

Of course, this is purely hypothetical. This couldn’t actually happen. 

Right?

If you started off this year mad at God, I can’t say I blame you. Why would God allow for a pseudo-authoritarian to be at the helm of all three branches of government? Why would God allow for countless Palestinians to be indiscriminately murdered for over 15 months? Why would God allow for me and so many others to suffer through losses that we may never speak of last year and in years prior? The answer is simple: as humans, we have the power of choice. And, in November 2024, the majority of Americans - 77,303,568 to be exact - made the choice for the kind of America they want to see. 

But I have the hope. Not only to the God I ran back to after years of non-belief. I have hope in all of you to make a difference in your own ways - big or small. To be kinder to the cashier at the grocery store. To be kinder to everyone you interact with, even if it's not reciprocated. Especially if it’s not reciprocated - that was Jesus’ thing. 

I have hope in the communications professionals, entrepreneurs, activists and do-gooders to keep fighting the good fight. 

I have the hope that we can all just keep swimming and opt to rest by floating when the turbulent waters try to knock us under. 

I have hope that those of you who are well resourced opt to not just support marginalized communities with lip service, but to support them with your dollar and with the sharing of those resources.  

I have hope that the work we do during this era will echo into history and usher in a period where the melting pot that is our great nation can live up to its full potential. 

As previously stated, my word for this year is power. And, not in the tyrannical sense that’s being wielded by that man and his cronies. The kind of power that empowers others. The kind that comes when I stand on business and speak the truth. The kind that we all have to show up when it matters and when it counts, despite trepidation. 

I urge you to lean into the power spoken through a Man that walked this earth over 2000 years ago: the power of love, justice for all and peace. 

In the words of Dr. King, “I have decided to stick to love... Hate is too great a burden to bear.” 

May God be with us all and help our country live up to the promises of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, for all.