Character Counts

 

ChARacTER counts!

Dear Friends

One of the highlights, if not the highlight of our road trip to the east coast a couple of years ago, was a visit to Plains, Georgia. The pictures above include the first signs we saw; Kathleen in the presidential suite, among several rooms above an antique store where we spent the night (as president and Mrs. Carter had); and me standing at the train station where “Mr. Jimmy” as he known by the locals, was welcomed back on his return to Plains.

Grace and goodness. Decency and dignity. Those were among the many adjectives I heard over and over while watching the breaking news of President Jimmy Carter’s death this afternoon. As I have said previously, character counts, character matters, especially among leaders with large platforms. Why? Because character affects one’s decisions and actions, and character affects those who listen and watch what one says and does. We should expect the best for the country we all love.

Sadly, President Carter’s death represents the end of an era in terms of what we now expect and accept from politicians and politics. The last election certainly would suggest that character has been ignored or put even further to the side when choosing a leader. But a quote from President Carter reminds us of the Great Commandment we’ve had all along and can be our guide going forward if we choose to follow it.

“You only have to have two loves in your life:

for God, and for the person in front of you at any particular time.”

Every day we have chances to live those words. We are all far from perfect in doing that, but we hope, with God’s help, that we can do our best.

Let’s hope this moment will help remind us that ChARacTER counts. 

Make character count again.

As someone has said, “Keep hope alive in 2025”.

John