Jimmy Carter and the American Character
On Thursday, January 9, there will be a state funeral for Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States.
But today, Saturday, January 4, his funeral procession passed the Plains, Georgia farm where he grew up, and the farm’s iron bell rang out 39 times.
A radio commentator today noted aptly that farm bells are an American tradition, signaling the day’s work is done, and it’s time to come home.
When I heard that, I had to fight back tears—tears for Jimmy Carter and tears for America.
Jimmy Carter’s work is finally done. He spent most of his century of life fighting the good fight of faith, which is the fight for justice, democracy, inclusion, care for the environment, peace, and all that makes life on earth worth living. Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
But America’s work is far from accomplished.
During his short four years as our leader President Carter achieved many great things, including his famous mediation of peace talks between Egypt and Israel, resulting in the Camp David Accords. But what many have chosen to forget is that he achieved several other key international breakthroughs, from Panama to China to Russia and beyond. At the same time he worked to end corruption in the government, and achieved great protection for the environment by protecting vast tracts of Alaska from industrial development and moving the nation toward renewable energy production.
But when American voters went to the polls in November of 1980 did any of these things matter? Did it matter that the man in the White House read, studied, and taught the Bible? Did it matter that he prayed before every decision? Did his lofty values matter, or did we scoff at them as naive idealism? Did America respect his achievements?
What mattered to America in 1980 was the price of gasoline. Not values. Not faith; but the price of gasoline.
What matters today? The price of eggs.
The price of eggs and the easily fanned flames of fear: While Carter, by virtue of his trust in the justice of God, invited us to embrace the “other,” the man we inaugurate shortly is a man who taught us to bray for mass deportation.
The price of eggs, fear, and rape of the earth: While Carter protected our earthly heritage, the man we inaugurate shortly calls on us to exploit and chant, “Drill baby drill!”
As we mourn the death of Jimmy Carter, let us remember also why he lost the election in 1980. He lost because the character of America is definitely not Christian. To be Christian we must be willing to accept the cost of our discipleship—the cost of living according to righteous values.
Thank God there are authentic followers of Jesus Christ in this nation who are forever bending the arc of our history toward justice, peace, and love of the earth and of one another. But we are not home yet. Jimmy Carter’s work is done, but surely not ours.