Can you imagine a President of this country who worked tirelessly after his term in office to directly and personally build housing for people living in poverty, was instrumental in reducing to almost elimination river blindness, created international programs to monitor elections buttressing democracies and worked for racial justice? Sounds today after this last season of politics like a fantasy for an improbable movie script. Take another look af former President Carter’s life.

In President Carter one actually gets a sense of what is meant to be when a person claims to be Christian. This man who died this week manifested a life lived out of a genuine personal sense of good that was evolved and followed him and his growth as a human being throughout his life of public service. Usually being the President of United States is the pinnacle of any accomplished person’s life and everything after that is epilogue. For President Carter it was just a step on to the next full scale dimension of his life of service to humankind. 

In a way for those of us who value our religion, whatever or whichever religion that may be, and struggle mightily to stave off cynicism and despair, the memory of President Carter as we have come to know him in public through his work as leader and teacher is the Balm of Gilead that soothes in these rough and tough times. ‘Good’ is the memory of this man and his work. 

To read more about the former president I recommend Heather Cox Richardson’s summary of his life and work. I have a link to her article on President Carter’s life in the Gallery of Good at the website: thegooddecision.org.