Servant's Spirit

This week, our nation officially mourns the 39th president of the United States of America.  James Earl Carter will be remembered in many ways, in different ways by different people, but the one thing that seems to be most consistent in how people remember him is by his steadfast and public faith.  That faith underpinned his integrity and his love for other people, and drove him to service throughout his entire life.  There are many different accounts of what President Carter’s favorite Bible verse was, there are consistent references to John 3:16, to Micah 6:8, Ephesians 4:32, Romans 8:1,

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

“He has told you, mortal one, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
"Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

"Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

As the nation contemplates the legacy of a man who once held the most powerful human office in our country, and puzzles over why someone would go from there back home to live simply and dedicate themselves to helping others and teaching Sunday School, I hope that we can all appreciate that it is a faith rooted in scripture, described by these verses and others.  In this we can understand why he wanted to serve others throughout his life, and most importantly to point others to Jesus with his words and his actions.  It is clear from his words and his actions that he did his best every day to do justice, he loved kindness, and walked humbly with God up to the very end.

The best way that we can recognize, remember, and honor him might just be to do as Paul instructed the Ephesians, and as President Carter taught in many of his classes - be kind to one another, compassionate and forgiving, just as God has forgiven you.