'I Wanted to Really Just Point Towards Jesus': Duck Dynasty's Willie Robertson Spreads Gospel on Streets of Chicago

Willie Robertson is mostly known for his starring role in the once popular reality television series "Duck Dynasty."  

The show, which broke ratings records on A&E, took a close look at the Robertson clan who lived for duck hunting season.

But Robertson recently took part in an event called "Jesus Summer" in Chicago, which involved visiting some of the most violent neighborhoods in the city. 

According to it its website, "Jesus Summer is a collective effort of many organization who care deeply about the people of Chicago and want to grow in working together towards holistic transformation. We want to celebrate what God is doing throughout Chicagoland and further the ongoing movement of prayer and partnership among the churches through a season of service during summer 2018." 

Some of the planned events include prayer walks, activities for kids and feeding the homeless. 

"I wanted really just to point towards Jesus and say that's the only thing that can bring us together," Robertson told CBN News.

Robertson was invited to take part in the 40-day ministry outreach by Pastor Dimas Salaberrios, who helped organize the event.

CBN News followed Salaberrios, Robertson and a group of about 20 ministers and laymen as they went door to door offering prayer to residents in one of the most violent, low-income housing projects in the city.

They also shared the Gospel and handed out Christian books to children on the streets.

"I'm here because I just want to show people I love 'em," said Robertson.  "I see the crime all the time and I hear it on the news and I think a lot of us just sit around in our living rooms and go, 'Wow, you know, what can we do?' And the first thing you can do is do something. So I showed up here and just walking and just hugging on people, loving 'em and telling 'em we love 'em."

Robertson was surprised that many recognized him as he walked along Martin Luther King Jr Dr., dubbed 'Murder Drive' because of the number of people killed there.

"A lot of people watched the show and I know it was strange to see me here, a little out of place. They wonder what I'm doing walking around," he explained.  "Yeah, we just tell 'em we're here because we love 'em and just want to hug on 'em and try to show Jesus through our lives."

He hopes the power of God touches and changes lives in the same way he has seen in his life and family.

"I just hope that message of Jesus and His love can somehow permeate out in the cities and with some of the people who, you know, are violent and hurting each other and lives can change," he said.

"I've seen that in Dimas' life and his story, his powerful story about how he used to be a really bad guy, much like my father, you know, was a bad guy," he continued. "And so I've seen that transformation in people's lives and it affects generations after that. My father coming to the Lord affected my life and now it's affecting my children's lives and so we can turn this around and Jesus can do that. And He is the answer I believe to a lot of these problems." 

"Jesus Summer" ends Aug. 26.