Duck Dynasty, Miley Cyrus & Conversions!

I can still vividly remember the text message my oldest son sent me earlier this summer while he was on a World Changers Mission Trip to Ft. Smith, Arkansas. “Dad, I’ve been converted.” Since he already had trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord, I was somewhat perplexed by his message. With a growing uncertainty as to the real meaning behind the short text, I texted back, “Converted to what?” His response was short, sweet, and to the point, “DD!”

I asked him to translate what “DD” meant. With two simple words — “Duck Dynasty” — my whole world almost collapsed. How could Stephen like “Duck Dynasty?” At the time, I loathed the show (which I had never really seen) and had indoctrinated my son that “DD” was utter nonsense. Now, before you start throwing rotten tomatoes, hear me out. For reasons which I can’t really divulge, I did not like the thought of watching these backwoods, bearded rednecks sit around making duck calls. My own experiences with folks who looked suspiciously similar to the Robertson clan had given me an aversion to even watching the show. Apart from five minutes here or there, I had never sat down to actually see what all the fuss was about.

In fact, when talking to our Student Pastor — whose wife and in-laws hail from Monroe, LA — I was particularly sarcastic and dismissive of “Duck Dynasty.” How could anyone with any kind of culture or intelligence watch such dreck? It was, therefore, only fitting that Jon’s Season 1 and Season 2 DVDs would be the means by which my son got converted from a hater to a lover of Duck Dynasty. And, once my son converted, it was only just a matter of time before his dad would likewise come to love (maybe that’s too strong a word) — or at least appreciate — “Duck Dynasty” and the Robertsons.

It was on our July trip to Dallas for a doctor’s appointment at Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital that I began watching the first two seasons of Duck Dynasty. I can’t remember whether it took all of one or perhaps two episodes for me to begin the conversion process, but before we left Dallas, I had become a fan of all things “DD.” I even bought two of the Duck Dynasty books at the local Lifeway Christian Bookstore, one of which I took back as a gift to Pastor Jon. Talk about coming full circle.

Although my wife and I, along with our oldest son, Stephen, now enjoy watching “Duck Dynasty,” I would not classify myself as a die-hard fan. I have only watched this season’s first episode, but I’m sure that I will eventually catch up on the ones I’ve missed. For those who have not given “DD” a fair shot, I would encourage you to watch at least two or three episodes before coming to any ironclad conclusions about the show. Like me, you might find that you misjudged the show and that you really were missing something that was both entertaining and encouraging. For others, you will conclude that “Duck Dynasty” is just not your cup of tea. That’s okay. I can relate. Our tastes in television, movies and music are all subjective. You can try to persuade me to like something, but, in the end, it’s purely my own opinion as to whether I like or dislike a particular form of entertainment.

For instance, some may have really liked Miley Cyrus’ “twerking” at the “MTV Video Music Awards” several weeks ago. To be honest, I did not even know what “twerking” was before this kerfuffle. I guess I am showing my age. Others, including most everyone that I have talked with (either in person or on Facebook), were aghast at the “show” that Ms. Cyrus put on for a nationwide audience. In that audience were thousands — perhaps hundreds of thousands — of young girls that want to emulate every move of the former Hannah Montana star.

Whatever her motivation or mission, there’s no denying that Miley Cyrus has accomplished a key goal of celebrity — she is still a topic of conversation over two weeks after her controversial music number took place. While that is a sad commentary on our culture on so many levels, those of us who were less than enamored with Ms. Cyrus’ performance can choose to continue to boil in our anger about this affront to all things decent (and indecent it was) or we can choose to respond in way that reflects redemption and grace. And, who better to remind us of those principles than the Robertson family of “Duck Dynasty” fame.

Sadie Robertson, the teenage daughter of Duck Commander Willie Robertson and his wife, Korie, now finds herself in the glaring spotlight of the fashion world. The Robertsons’ Biblical, family values are clearly evident in Sadie’s take on Miley Cyrus. According to Sadie:

My family has been praying for her (Miley Cyrus’) family. . . . We feel very bad for her because we know how entertainment can get wrapped up in you head. We try to stay strong as a family. We just pray that their family comes back together.” (Read the whole story here)

When it comes to Miley Cyrus — it’s much easier to judge her than to pray for her. Maybe if we converted our efforts from judging to praying, we would have a greater impact upon our culture. “Duck Dynasty” didn’t teach me that, but it helped remind me of that important Biblical principle. Thank God for conversions!