If you watch Duck Dynasty, you know who Jase Robertson is. One of Phil Robertson's sons, Duck Commander COO, duck call creator extraordinaire, and a colorful personality on the TV show, Jase reveals more of himself in his new book, Good Call: Reflections on Faith, Family, and Fowl. Jase tells some funny stories on himself, which you would expect, but I was more impressed reading about Jase's active, evangelistic faith.
Jase is an entertaining guy, who loves hunting ducks, but also (perhaps more so) hunting frogs. I went frog gigging one time, but that's not Jase's style. He likes to stalk them and catch them with his bare hands. He's a purist, and a connoisseur of frog legs. But duck hunting tends to dominate his life. Thus, the beard. He likes the beard for aesthetic reasons, and for the practical reason of not having to shave. More importantly, it makes sense of a duck hunter not to have his white, hairless face, shining like a beacon to scare away the ducks.
In Good Call, Jase writes about "facial profiling." He tells the funny story of being politely escorted out the side entrance of a swank Manhattan hotel by a restaurant employee who mistook him for a homeless person. He has been on the receiving end of plenty of wary looks due to his beard. He insists, however, that he is "not going to judge someone for having less facial hair. There is a place in our society for people with smooth faces; it's called the ladies' room. (That's a redneck joke.)"
Besides the funny stories and beard stories, Jase writes extensively about his ministry. He went to Bible school and was, for a short time, a minister. He and his wife, Missy, actively told anyone who would listen about Jesus, and had Bible studies at their house several nights a week. By his accounting, many, many people have entered into a relationship with Jesus due to their influence. In fact, he insists that his main goal for the popular Duck Dynasty show is that his family would have more opportunities to share about Jesus. They certainly have been able to witness, both on TV and at events around the country. He writes, "the only kind of stardom I and my family are interested in is the lifestyle in Christ as described in Philippians 2:15-16: "children of God . . . [that] shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life." From my perspective, it does look like the entire Robertson family has lived with that humble, Christ-centered attitude.
Of course one of the greatest challenges to Jase and Missy's faith has been dealing with having a daughter born with a cleft lip and palate. Duck Dynasty viewers are familiar with Mia's birth and with the multiple surgeries she has gone through. In Good Call Jase writes about how their faith has sustained them, and how Mia's spirit has out-shined any physical difficulties she has had. I loved hearing about her great attitude, and reading about how Jase and Missy have taken this hardship and turned it into an opportunity to bring glory to God and to minister to other families who are facing the same thing.
Readers who are looking for good stories about Jase's childhood, the crazy things he gets himself into, and, of course, duck hunting, will not be disappointed. There are surely not many people who love duck hunting more than Jase, but this book is really about his love of God and his desire to see other people fall in love with Jesus. Good call, Jase.
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!
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