Today Jimmy Carter announced that the cancer he had spoken of in the past few days has in fact spread to his brain. It seems hard to believe he will live much longer. And so I find myself thinking of him…
By most ways of counting Jimmy Carter was not a very successful president. Although it needs to be noted that America didn’t enter into any armed conflicts during his tenure. The only American military who died beyond the ordinary accidents of life, were the eight tragically killed during the abortive hostage rescue mission in Iran. Considering our military involvement before and after him, that certainly is noteworthy.
But, it has been his life after the presidency that has been most notable. He has been called America’s greatest former president, and that may well be true. He has proven a thorn in the side of his successors, sometimes a wise counselor, sometimes, perhaps, not, but in all cases he naturally gravitated to those with the least, money, power, hope. And he became their voice.
A large part of this blog is dedicated to religion. And Jimmy Carter is perhaps the most vocal about his faith of any president in modern history. However, Jimmy’s faith has been different from that proclaimed by many Christians. Not unique, but to my mind and heart, too rare. Possibly his crowning theological assertion is “Losing My Religion Over Equality” a powerful indictment, not only of his former Southern Baptist Convention, but of all patriarchal religious excused oppression of women.
Jimmy was, I mean is, an example of the Christianity found in the Epistle of James, condemned by several, most notably Martin Luther, but also celebrated throughout history as a counter to the idea that believing in Jesus’s saving grace is the only real deal. The Epistle baldly proclaims we can know a person’s faith by their actions. And, as a friendly outsider, I have to say, anything else is bogus. I’ve seen too many over too many years who proclaim their forgiven state by faith, but who in both their personal and political lives do little more than put their boots on the necks of those who have nothing while licking the boots of those with everything. It is at best unseemly, and at worse a condemnation of the Christian religion.
Jimmy’s religion is different. His faith was something one can respect, a faith that demands everything, a transformation of one’s life, not through a narrow adherence to some medieval idea of moral rectitude, mostly involving sex, but rather a transformation into something new and generous, and which has to be lived in to.
And that, whatever else may be said, Jimmy Carter has done.
His life and his religion have been one thing, and that one thing has been a witness to the possibility we can be something better seeing ourselves as united in something good.
The amazing grace that made Jimmy Carter…
I thought I would end with Amazing Grace, but I couldn’t find one that worked for the moment. I thought of the canticle of Mary in one of its versions, but again couldn’t find the right one for now. Then, I thought of Leonard Cohen who sings of brokenness and joy, and the true witness before the Lord of Song, and I thought, oh my, here’s one right song to celebrate Jimmy with. At least it is the best I can do with my broken wings…
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