Select Page

I have never watched an episode of Duck Dynasty, so I’m not interested in the show itself. I’m interested in how Christians respond to cultural events. There are lots of responses to this fiasco on the internet. Maybe I don’t have anything to add. If nothing else, I encourage you to do some reading if you don’t like or don’t agree with what’s here.

Here are two questions that are standing out to me:

1. Do we realize this is about our entertainment?

Phil Robertson is a T.V. show character. He is on a show that is making his family and A&E rich. Do we realize this is about A&E’s pocketbook more than it is about Phil’s right to say what he wants to say? A&E has strong alliances with LGBT supporters, and needless to say Phil’s recent comments went over with them like a pregnant pole vaulter.

So A&E did what it had to do. If the show ends, I’m sure another network will pick it up. It’s about money. Sounds like a great show with great values, but money speaks louder than that. Ultimately, Christians are riled up because of an entertainment figure and his right to say what he wants to say. Seems to me we should be just as riled up about injustices throughout the world such as persecution, modern day slavery, poverty, etc.

This leads me to my second question:

2. Why aren’t we consistently loud about Jesus?

We Christians are finicky.  The one thing we’re told to rally around is something the thing we have to be encouraged the most to do. That’s Jesus. That’s honoring His command to make disciples. We’d rather be galvanized by the recent scandal, what this mega-church is teaching, people taking Christ out of Christmas, or a character like Phil Robertson. Each of these things might have their importance, but in a lot of ways aren’t they just distractions?

We should be this unified around our Savior, who was born into this world, proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God through miracles, signs, and wonders, and pointed people to repentance of sin and faith in Him. He died on a cross, was buried in a tomb, and rose from the dead. These truths should never bore us or fail us. They are sufficient for constant, passionate, fulfilling, persevering service to Jesus, the ultimate servant.

Why does it take a public thing to make us loud about the Bible? Shouldn’t we be loud about Jesus all the time if we’re really this passionate about following Him? Would we rather the LGBT supporters of A&E be crushed politically and allow the show to return to the air? Or, would we rather they repent in genuine faith and surrender their lives in service to Jesus, flooding the meetings of our churches and stepping on the edges of our comfort zones?

I hope the Duck Dynasty show stays on the air and I hope this move backfires on A&E. I also hope believers not prepared to truly trust Christ in discussions about this would consider shutting their mouths and praying before sounding like the unloving jerks the media loves to say we are. In the meantime . . .

Think. If you’re upset about this, why?

Act. Are you prepared to be loving in the way you are supporting this T.V. show? I hope so.