Picture pinned from Duck Dynasty Quotes Facebook post, photo credit unknown.

 

It seems that the controversy over A&E’s hit semi-reality series Duck Dynasty has sang its swan song. Negotiations between A&E and the Robertson family ended the day after Christmas with what we can only hope are victories for all involved. A&E, to appease the Gay and Lesbian community will run a public service campaign encouraging tolerance of all people who are different and the cast of Duck Dynasty will be host to a member or members of the homosexual population as well as African-American’s in order to show viewers and fans that there is no hate or intolerance from them towards these populations. This will also serve as an opportunity to provide the cast with other viewpoints on these important pieces of the fabric of humanity.

Despite rumors abound in the media and facts reported in online sources and newscasts; A&E denied that Duck Dynasty ever going to another network was considered. This remains a favored solution among many Duck Dynasty fans who, while happy Robertson was reinstated, are not happy with his receiving no public apology or with A&E seeming not to have heard the other part of many of the protestors cause. Still, it seems everyone’s a winner.

Everyone should be happy, happy, happy.

The strong and intense support of Duck Dynasty fans and supporters of Phil Robertson, patriarch of the Robertson clan and founder of Duck Commander, and his freedom of speech played a tremendous role in ending the suspension of Robertson quickly. GLLAD, A&E, Cracker Barrel; all felt the push from us not only to restore Robertson to A&E but that not all American’s are content anymore with having special agendas pushed down our throats. It seems like a victory. Doesn’t it?

But, it doesn’t. Not completely. Not to me and not to people I’ve been in conversation with. Not to fans who clearly want Duck Dynasty on another network, one that doesn’t push the alternative lifestyle choices of homosexuals.

I’m going to address this last reason first. If you want to view television where there are no mentions of, allusions to, tolerance for the gay and lesbian population and lifestyle your viewing choices are going to be severely limited. In fact, you’d probably be better served just to cancel your cable and satellite services and give up television viewing. That’s just my opinion. We use these moments to remind our daughter of not only the Biblical viewpoint but how hate breeds hate and you can respect a person and be friends with someone even if you disagree over major life issues. Yet my husband and I spent a part of our New Years Day discussing at what point we turn off our satellite service as channel after another brings unwholesome viewing programming into our home.

This was a victory. It was a small victory but a victory just the same however, NOW WHAT? I think it depends on why you were upset, supportive of, prayed for and about, and cared about the outcome of the whole Duck Flap (my personal label for the A&E and Duck Dynasty mess).

    If you made your voice heard because you are a fan of Duck Dynasty and didn’t want to see the show canceled completely or thought A&E made a bad decision then it was a victory.

    If you supported Phil Robertson because you felt he has the right to express his views whether or not you agreed with them or anyone else did, then for you it was a victory.

    If you, like I, are a fan of Duck Dynasty, believe Robertson had a right to freedom of speech and are tired of having sin pushed down your throat; well this was a victory of sorts but it isn’t complete.

In no way do I advocate that anyone who is different for any reason be treated with disrespect, denied jobs, housing, the right to pursue happiness in the way they choose. I do however wonder, what happens next?

Will Christian American’s stand up, like Phil Robertson did, and speak the truth? Will America’s Christians bind together to change the tide of our country toward God again? Will we instead go quietly back into our lives, ripples of this controversy ebbing away, leaving no lasting impact?

This isn’t about the Tea Party or the Republican or Democratic Party or any kind of party. This is about change and how change happens and the price, the cost of that change.

Where is a man or woman; with the fortitude, attitude and relationship with God who will stand and be our leader? Where are these persons whose names will be on the ballots of every election in America that we can cast our votes for because we believe and trust them to do God’s will? Because we can trust them to seek God’s approval and not man’s? Where and who are these candidates we can enter polling sites feeling hopeful for and happy about rather than struggle to figure out which candidate is the least of all the evils represented?

Wherever those person are, whoever those people are, we need them to step up and out and be ready to stand in the gap between where America is and where she needs to be.

We need to recognize them and the enormous task before us all to get them into positions where they can make a difference. We don’t need people who are perfect, whose lives will not reveal sins but whose lives will reveal the day to day process of working out their own salvations with fear and trembling. We need people who have been charged by God to be His representatives to lead America.

We’ve got to change the face of politics, the norms of society and it isn’t going to be easy. It isn’t going to be cheap either.

It’s going to cost. It’s going to cost money. Lots of money. We need to take on Goliath and our David’s slingshot and stones are not going to be found at Wal-Mart.

It’s going to cost. It’s going to cost time. Lots of time. Time we will say we don’t have. It’s going to take it though. Lots of it. Lots of time and lots of people who will get the word out, who will pound the pavements to get God’s servants elected.

It’s going to cost. It’s going to cost manpower. A handful of people isn’t the solution. Thousands of handfuls of people are the solution. People of Christian faith. People who will speak up and out to change the tide carrying America further and further away from God.

It’s going to cost. It’s going to cost personally. It’s going to require sacrifice. It’s going to require going toe-to-toe with those who are going to be fighting just as hard to silence us again, to keep their agenda foremost, and to keep the American boat sailing for the horizon they have their eyes upon.

It’s going to cost. It’s going to cost prayer. Prayers for guidance, for fortitude, for strength, for knowledge and forgiveness. Our tempers will have to be checked. Our skins will have to be thick. We will face a tremendous uphill battle. We will need to forgive when wronged and no one asks our forgiveness because this can’t be accomplished in bitterness, hatred or with a “we’ll show you” attitude.

It’s going to cost. It’s going to cost our “pet sins”. Those sins we tend to ignore in ourselves but that are sins regardless. It’s going to cost us getting right with God ourselves. A cost required in the beginning and throughout the rest of our lives.

Could it be that one man speaking the truth to a reporter when asked what he thought was sinful about America becomes a true catalyst for our gaining America back?

All because of Duck Flap…

Hmm…

–Faye