Jimmy Carter R.I.P.

The gift of a 100-year-long life

In 1976, the year Jimmy Carter became President, I was a young pastor. Two years later, I would be thirty.

Fresh off my seminary tenure, I was more political than I would have admitted to you then. Truth be told, while I was in graduate school, my studies in original languages, biblical and church history, counseling and preaching and the like kept me well occupied. But the Watergate scandal had my attention, too.

In ‘72, I voted for Richard Nixon like pretty much all of my people - white, privileged evangelicals. I was one of them. Then, Nixon’s sky fell. At first, it felt like the poor guy was simply suffering nasty persecution instigated by his political enemies. The war in Vietnam dragged on; the backlash to the Civil Rights legislation was in full bloom (desegregation, forced bussing, white flight, court battles over non-discrimination rules, etc.); feminism, the Equal Rights Amendment (E.R.A.), the energy crisis, run-away inflation - and then Watergate. The gentile, southern Senator Sam Ervin chaired the televised hearings into the scandal. Between the Greek translation of the book of Ephesians and readings on Martin Luther’s reformation, I tuned in. I couldn’t stop. When the transcripts of Nixon’s private conversations were published - revealing the lies, the cover-ups, the revenge, the abuse of power, the secret pay-offs - it changed me. I felt betrayed. How could I have voted for this man?

I devoured six books on the Watergate scandal—all unassigned, extracurricular reading. Finally, in August of ‘74, just after my graduation, Nixon resigned.

In 1975, I caught wind that the Democratic nominee for President, Jimmy Carter, would make a campaign stop at UCLA, not far from our church. I was familiar with the sprawling campus because for two years, I had been a full-time student there finishing off all those lower division courses for my bachelor’s degree. I made my way to the massive auditorium and with some five thousand people (most of them young collegians), we listened in as the crisply dressed, confident, 52-year-old took to the stage and made his case. He had a slight southern drawl, but he came across as intelligent, self-assured, winsome, and well, likable.

He grew up on a farm in Georgia. He was trained at Annapolis, top of his class. He served as a Naval Officer, commanding, of all things, a nuclear submarine. He had the sharp mind of a no-nonsense military man with a heart of a grower cultivating the soil. He made this pledge: “I will always tell the truth.” The crowd, which included me, was favorably impressed. Better said, we were blown away. In the Q and A session, he handled the hard questions with grace and penache; he was knowledgeable, composed, and convincing.

That year, when the time came for me to cast my vote, I checked the box next to JIMMY CARTER, DEMOCRAT.

It was a close finish - but Carter won. Gerald Ford, who became President when Nixon resigned, was not elected.

The nation shifted gears. We uncharacteristically elected a Southerner and a “born-again” Christian. The following year, in August 1977, Newsweek Magazine would call it “The Year of the Evangelical.”

My church and my seminary included the word “evangelical” in its name. When I first took the position of pastor, people would ask, “What is the name of your church?” I had to help them pronounce and sometimes spell E-v-a-n-g-e-l-i-c-a-l. Evangelical. It was a new word for a whole lot of folks then. Not anymore.

In 1977, Newsweek magazine and President Carter made us evangelicals famous (infamous).

At first, we were elated. But my people’s gratitude for Jimmy Carter’s sincere faith - his commitment to Bible teaching, his openness about his “born again” experience, his deep roots in his Christian tradition, his devotion to his small-town, modest church community - was short-lived. Jimmy Carter was a bit too liberal. Not his theology. But his humanity.

His version of faith made him open and curious - a meticulous researcher, committed to fairness, inclusivity, and respectful of professionalism and expertise. He surrounded himself with the best and the brightest. He negotiated the unprecedented Middle East Peace Accord between Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin. He was a Southerner, but he knew the harm of Jim Crow. He recognized the evils of slavery. He understood the damage too often inflicted on the marginalized. He believed in an America that advanced the common good. After all, it’s the Christian thing to do.

That was not what Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson or Bob Jones had in mind. To their chagrin, Jimmy Carter appreciated why the IRS had taken away the tax-exempt status of Bob Jones University (who refused to obey federal laws against racial discrimination - on “religious” grounds). Carter did not support the proliferation of tax-exempt segregation academies launched under the guise of Christian liberty. When he called together a commission on family, he included both conservatives and liberals. He believed in the separation of church and state. He supported the court’s decision on Roe v. Wade. He endorsed the E.R.A.

So in reaction, the Religious Right was born. They called it the “Moral Majority.” As though they had a monopoly on morality.

“Evangelicals” abandoned the born-again Sunday School teacher from Plains and embraced a divorcee, a Hollywood actor, an anti-communist warrior, and former California governor who rarely went to church - Ronald Reagan.

Jimmy Carter became a one-term president.

And now, almost fifty years later, Evangelicals have morphed into MAGA Trumpists.

* * * * * * * * *

I have friends who speculated that it was “divine intervention” that spared the president-elect when a would-be assassin took his shot. I balked at that idea. But now I’m thinking that maybe it is divine intervention that Jimmy Carter - who lived to celebrate his 100th birthday, after nearly two years in hospice - passed this week.

Perfect timing.

(Confession: The appeal to “divine intervention” usually occurs when it benefits me.)

So now, the nation - the world - is focused on the legacy of this extraordinary American. The headlines, the ubiquitous retrospectives, flags at half-mast, funeral processions, Lying in State in Atlanta and then the Capitol Rotunda, the speeches, the Substack reflections, the tributes, the testimonials, the pure inspiration that comes from this National Treasure from Plains - it’s all happening just a few days before the Inaugural of the 47th President.

Think about it. The 2016 Inaugural Address was/is history’s worst. “American Carnage” was the dark, apocalyptic theme. The memory of it is a nightmare. I, for one, dread the next. It’s coming at us on January 20, 2025.

The contrast between these two Presidents could not be more stark.

Carter’s defeat in 1980 was a multi-factored storm of adversity. Evangelicals rallied around Reagan. Iran’s Ayatollah drove the pro-American Shah into exile - and held Americans hostage. The Panama Canal went back to Panama in recognition of Panamanian sovereignty. Ted Kennedy launched a mean-spirited challenge to the incumbent at a cantankerous Democratic convention, splitting the party in two. Fuel shortages and exorbitantly high interest rates prompted the desire for change.

As the results came in, Carter famously said, “I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t admit - it hurts.”

He was faithful to that pledge: “I will always tell the American people the truth.” (Remember, that pledge was made just after the Watergate scandal exposed Nixon’s lies and destroyed his presidency.)

And maybe, just maybe, that was the most significant reason Carter was a one-term President. Jimmy Carter told the truth. The truth about race. The truth about the economy. The truth about the health of the planet. The truth about keeping treaties. The truth about equal rights. The truth about poverty. The truth about human rights. That’s leadership.

But not everyone wants to hear the truth.

In contrast, the 45th President became known for his misrepresentations, misinformation, and outright lies. The media kept a count. Fact-checkers racked up over 30,000 of them. Steve Bannon, the president’s chief strategist, gave him this advice on how to deal with his adversaries: “Flood the zone with shit.”

That’s what he did. That’s what he does.

* * * * * * * * *

The timing couldn’t be better.

As we begin a new year, we are immersed in the story of a quintessential American. Jimmy Carter embodied the quality of character that we want our children and grandchildren to emulate. Integrity. Faithfulness. Persistence in the good. Honesty. Winsomeness. Self-sacrifice. Empathy. Generosity. Humility. Neighborliness.

In my Substack piece on the dedication of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral, I expressed a prayer. I saw the 45th President there next to President Macron of France for the two-hour plus service - almost all in French. I shared the hope that maybe, just maybe, the experience of the transcendent - the letter from Pope Francis about welcoming the world, everyone, no matter social or economic status, language or tribe, would be welcome there - that the beauty, wonder, and awe of the moment just might rub off. Perhaps it just might awaken the better angels of his nature.

Transformation happens. I know it does. May it be.

I have that same prayer again. I didn’t see this one coming. Our national attention has been turned to the peanut farmer from Plains. Will Trump show up at the National Cathedral on January 9? I hope so. I pray so.

Will all those MAGA voters pay attention, too? I hope so.

Maybe something of Jimmy Carter’s spirit will invade and animate us all.

* * * * * * * * *

There’s another way to lead.

America is not great because it exploits. It’s not about protecting power and privilege. It’s not about gloating over the win at the expense of the loser. It’s not about put-downs and put-offs and put-outs.

Jimmy Carter has modeled something different for us all to emulate. It’s rooted in those Sunday mornings, week after week, over an open Bible that shaped a life that would build affordable houses, eradicate unchecked diseases, monitor elections, advocate for mental health, educate for sustainable farming, advance human rights, prompt initiatives for conflict resolution and peace negotiations, and stimulate volunteerism.

In 2002, Jimmy Carter would take home the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rest in peace, Jimmy Carter.

Thank you for the gift of your 100-year-long life.