01-09-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 9, 2025
Setting aside the current political climate we find ourselves in, I want to offer a few words about President Jimmy Carter. In 1980, in advance of the election, I wrote a paper on President Jimmy Carter. Though I did not include it in the paper I wrote, the last article I read in my research talked about his faith. It caught my attention and stuck with me as I have rarely witnessed a politician who was able to speak on the topic of faith and the Biblical story with such authenticity. At no point did I ever feel as if it was being “used” for political points. And of course, his life post-presidency has been an extraordinary witness to the Christian call for compassion and peacemaking. He has set a standard, through his work with Habitat for Humanity and international diplomacy, on what faithfulness looks like in retirement (which wasn’t much of a traditional retirement). Jimmy Carter gave us a glimpse of what provided him the strength to do what he did when he wrote. 

“God is not my personal valet. God does not build a protective fence around my life, keep me from trouble, fulfill my personal desires, or guarantee my success. However, through prayer, God offers me comfort, reassurance, satisfaction, courage, hope, and peace.”

I hope my prayer life helps facilitate such an amazing connection to God, and then brings about a life of faith that might offer just a smidge of the impact President Carter’s life had.

May it be so, O God! Amen.