| At the age of 100, Jimmy Carter passed away this week in his home in Plains, Georgia. I have had the pleasure and honor of meeting President Carter several times, after he left office. It is rare to see such a humble, powerful, and authentically Christian person reach the highest political office, while maintaining his faith, honesty and integrity. He made mistakes, to be sure. Yet, he had the grace to acknowledge them, especially after he left office, where he continued to be involved in public life in his capacity as ex-president and mere citizen. He did not hesitate to leverage his resume, credentials and connections, but he did so to do good on the world stage, wielding nothing but his moral stature and stellar reputation. For Palestinians, his record was astounding (particularly for a former president). Yes, he did fail us when he was in office. By investing heavily in the Egypt-Israel peace treaty, he largely ignored Palestinians. But after he left office he truly did invest much of his time and effort to address Palestinian concerns, even taking positions that were quite unpopular in the US political context (and generally ignored by the media). In the many eulogies you will hear about President Carter these days, you might not hear that he actually met with Hamas leaders, declaring afterwards that they were not the obstacle to peace. In addition, he openly decried the influence of AIPAC, saying openly that they had no interest in peace or a just resolution, but only in supporting aid to Israel at any cost, and that they made any rational discussion of Middle East questions in the US impossible because of their interference. He was the first mainstream politician to use the term “apartheid” in reference to Israel and was roundly attacked for it. Several members of the board of his Carter Center resigned over his use of the term, and he was viciously attacked and denounced as antisemitic. But all that did not deter him in the least. One time, while visiting Palestine, he graciously accepted the thanks of a Palestinian girl from Gaza. He told her that her simple thanks made all his efforts worthwhile, and that with people like her in mind, he did not mind all the false accusations being thrown at him. Even while he bore his evangelical Christianity on his sleeve, openly declaring it far and wide, he was often at odds with his fellow Southern Baptist Christians on a variety of issues. He would teach Bible classes, humbly exhibiting all the virtues evangelicals hold to be true, yet they often attacked him and favored other politicians who do not share his (or their) faith or beliefs. Carter could be quite conservative. He was a teetotaler who did not allow any alcohol in his home at the White House, yet he did not try to force his views on others. He actually took his faith seriously and was willing to deal with its consequences in the political field. He was never comfortable with the trappings of power, but used his position, even after he left the presidency, to carry out his mission of decency. He attempted to alleviate suffering and bring about peace and democracy worldwide, even when it contradicted whatever US policy interests were at the time. He genuinely believed in human rights and made it a cornerstone of his foreign policy. He also believed in democracy, being instrumental in convincing even Sandinista leftists who had prevailed over a US backed dictator to accept democratic principles and eventually to cede power to their former enemies when they lost the elections. Like Joseph, the father of his Lord and Master, he was also a carpenter (by hobby) and actively worked with his hands, making furniture or working on building houses for the poor with Habitat for Humanity. The true rift between Carter and most evangelicals was in their interpretation of what Jesus really stands for. He truly appeared to take the words and actions of Jesus seriously. Carter took his faith seriously, both in his private and public life. He was willing to place it even ahead of his own interests in his life and in his politics. He even believed churches should not be tax exempt but should pay taxes, so that they would not be beholden to the state. It is no wonder that he was only a one term president. While everyone agreed that he was a decent fellow with much integrity and honesty, neither the establishment nor many of his fellow evangelicals could deal with his seriousness in bringing that decency into his political life. Even today, many evangelicals prefer a thrice divorced, lecherous, dishonest, pathological liar, and self-serving politician to lead the country than someone like him. I often wonder if a true Christian can ever hold high office, serving an empire like the United States while remaining true to their faith. President Carter, despite his mistakes, came closer than anyone I know to answering that question affirmatively. May he rest in peace and hear the words every Christian hopes to hear, “Well done, thou true and faithful servant.” May we all be inspired by his example. |
