Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
Philippians 4:8
President Jimmy Carter died this past Sunday, Dec. 29th. He is the only ex-president to make it to the ripe age of 100, making him the longest living president in history. Yet that is by far not the only legacy he has left behind.
He was a man of great faith that lived out the morals and principles that he was raised with, even when they were not popular politically. He brokered a peace between Israel and Egypt with his dogged determinism that would not let him give up, until an agreement was made. He amassed an historic environmental record when very few were advocating for it. He set a new global standard for human rights and stood up to dictators and rulers who balked at his initiatives. He established formal ties with China and worked for peace with the Soviet Union by signing a series of arms limitation treaties and testing bans. After his presidency he established the Carter Center which worked for peace in various parts of the world, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.
How did this man who grew up in Depression-era rural Georgia, barefoot and poor, get to be President of the United States? In fact, some of his relatives lived a down-right sordid life. His great-grandfather shot and killed a man who he accused of stealing some of his property. Even though he claimed it was self-defense and was acquitted by a jury, nevertheless he left town and moved his family to what became the hometown of the Carter family, Plains, Georgia.
President Carter’s grandfather met a violent death when he was shot and killed by one of his former tenants as they disputed the ownership of a desk. Not what you would call a noble bloodline that produced our 39th President.
Yet, it was his faith that kept him overcoming obstacles. He was the first US President I ever voted for, when I became of voting age. So, he has a special place in my heart. And political affiliations aside, I admired in him as a person and a faithful Christian. And why we need to honor and respect his legacy. It was Carter himself who said, “My faith demands — this is not optional — my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have to try to make a difference,” Let us honor him by living our lives with the same passion.
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