Jimmy Carter
A servant leader for the people
The first thing people say to me when they find out I’m with Habitat for Humanity is usually about Jimmy Carter. They’ll ask whether I’ve met him or tell me that he’s the reason they decided to volunteer. When the news of his passing came, my phone lit up as though it was a family member who had died, not a former U.S. President.
In the Habitat world, we lovingly refer to Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn as our most famous and tireless volunteers. Their involvement with Habitat undisputedly put us on the maps and put affordable housing on the hearts and minds of many.
Much has been written about President Carter’s presidency and his dynamic post-presidency years. There are serious and thoughtful debates about his success as a president and politician; about the role he carved for himself after he left the White House. This piece from the
is particularly good. But what inspires me the most about Jimmy Carter is his decency. His honesty. His never-ending commitment to making things better for people, saying that “we have an ethical obligation, I think, to prevent suffering wherever we can.”
When he came to a Habitat site, he really worked. He slept in tents like the other volunteers, worked in the cold and the rain and cherished each Habitat homeowner like they were his own kin. One Habitat homeowner in South Africa remembered how, during the construction of her home, she noticed President Carter’s sweat dropped into the mortar, a symbol of the love and commitment he poured into each home.
In 2002, Carter said “God gives us the capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. We can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes—and we must.”
I loved
’s remembrance, where he quotes the 1977 message Carter included Carter had placed in Voyager 1, the most distant human-made object from Earth:“This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problem we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will in a vast and awesome universe.”
In my organization’s official remembrance of President Carter, I wrote:
“He modeled for all of us what it meant to dedicate a life to peacemaking and service — I know I have found great comfort in knowing that there are people like Jimmy Carter, all throughout our nation, leading with their hearts. When we think about President Carter’s legacy, we’ll find inspiration in the passionate way he embodies Habitat’s core values of humility, courage and accountability.”
To tell you the truth, even though I’ve sometimes rolled my eyes about it, it’s an honor that people associate my work with Jimmy Carter. As former President Obama said, “he taught all of us what it means to live a life of grace, dignity, justice, and service.”
Blessed be the peacemakers. Thank you, Mr. President.
Elsewhere:
Habitat for Humanity Capital District’s remembrance of President Carter.