Duck Dynasty, Power, & Jesus At Christmas

While i’m unconcerned with Phil Robertson and Duck Dynasty I’m very concerned with the people who let the “controversy” involving the two distract them, particularly the Christians who have let the topic distract them.

Media explosions like this often distract us from Jesus. The fact that many people are being distracted in the name of Jesus and with the intentions of being disciples is what makes the issue even more complicated and concerning. Some of us feel the need to stand up publicly for Phil Robertson, for free speech, for persecuted Christians, and for the truth of God’s view on homosexuality. 

As I watch my friends jump into the chaos of internet debates, A&E boycotts, and starting campaigns centered around the latest Christian celebrity I ask myself “Why?”

A lot of the issue comes down to power. Western Christians have been born into a place of power and privilege (like it or not). In many ways, we are rich and blind to the realities Christians in other parts of the world (and of other races or social classes) so we continue living unaware. We must eventually admit that we’re use to having influence if not majority control.

Because we tend to live in a place of power we think we must have it. Because the culture and nation we live in values power highly we tend to think we ought to as well. Jesus, however, did not value power and he discouraged his followers from desiring it as well. In fact, Jesus encouraged his followers to prepare for suffering and to endure it with patience and kindness, choosing to be wronged rather than to wrong. This, more than anything, would be a witness to the world of who God is and what he is like (John 15).

We tend to desire power and fear suffering. We fear suffering so much we seek out power (we want to be right and we want control) so we has assurance that we won't be threatened by suffering. We see a small sign of persecution and we’re up in arms protesting with bullhorns from every possible angle imaginable and it’s usually not for the sake of justice or Jesus. It may be hard to hear but Phil Robertson getting pulled off a TV show for sharing his views on homosexuality (or perhaps the way in which he shared his views) is not persecution; it’s business and it is Hollywood. 

We need to learn to let go of controlling media, controlling politics, and dictating the operations and reputation of our society. We need to be okay with simply being in the society while we are faithful Christians. Let’s have good conduct full of patience, kindness, selflessness, as we avoid entitlement. Let’s stop placing value on reality television and focus more on good ol’ fashioned reality. 

What would our brothers and sisters say if they saw us standing on soap boxes about someone losing their role on a reality television series and calling it persecution when they’ve just watched their friend get their body mangled and destroyed for simply claiming Christ’s name in a country where that faith and its practices are outlawed? That’s a real dichotomy in this world and that’s a problem we must face.

Today is Christmas eve. Tomorrow we will celebrate the arrival of God in the form of a weak and poor human child. Jesus emptied himself of power and glory so as to enter into a lowly state, that he might rescue a wayward world. As we follow him, let us imitate him and loosen our grip of power and the pursuit of control. If Jesus wanted to find victory through power he’d have appeased Simon Peter and Satan by doing so (Matthew 4:8-11, 26:51-54) but he didn’t. So why should we?

Jesus suffered and we, if faithful, shall share those sufferings (it’s an unquestioned fact in the New Testament). Suffering isn’t the lack of a TV show or even an unwon internet debate. Suffering is losing limbs and friends, it is being burned, it is hurting physically, emotionally, mentally, and dying. It’s being imprisoned. It is being treated as less than human. Christian suffering is losing the only thing left to lose after you’ve offered all of your life to others (and even then it’s not losing). 

Even if we should suffer, we shouldn’t be troubled by it. We saw it coming. It’s the result of a good and loving life that is faithful to Christ’s way (1Peter). We would do well to rejoice in sharing Jesus’ sufferings. This is far greater than being right, being in power, or having the latest celebrity still on TV to represent Christians (as if Jesus’ kingdom needed mass media). 

No matter how you feel about some tv show, the gay-marriage debate, the “Christian” nature of the nation, or Jesus, one thing is certain: we’re called to live out a selfless love and imitate the Christ who chose to suffer instead of take up power when given the chance(s). As we celebrate Christmas let us ask the question “How am I pursuing power and how do I repent?” 

Then, let us answer with our lives by following Jesus’ teachings and example. Let us choose weakness and be pleased to sit in the manager with our victorious King who gives himself completely. More could be said about the many facets of this topic but this is where we should always land. We should live like Jesus as suffering servants who find true power in giving ourselves away.