I hope you had the chance to watch former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral at the National Cathedral on January 9th. It was a beautiful service to celebrate a beautiful life. Carter lived a life rooted in integrity, humility, and a deep care for the common good, coupled with the courage to do what was right—even when it came at a personal cost. His legacy is a powerful example of faith in action, showing us the quiet strength of leading with compassion and putting service above self-interest.
I was struck in that grand setting, watching all of the living Presidents fill the first two rows, that our incoming President looked so…out of place. Here they were speaking to the life of a man admired for his honesty, humility, and integrity while the future President, known as a liar, narcissist, and felon, sat a listened. The juxtaposition was impossible to miss.
All of this was taking place at the same time fires raged in California. These fires have destroyed homes, displaced families, and devastated ecosystems. The consequences of climate change are upon us. The world, it seems, is on fire, and we are missing the leadership needed to meet the moment. It’s going to be a rough road ahead…
This may also be an invitation. As people of faith, we have a unique and increasingly vital role to play in modeling the best of human nature, created in the image of God. We are moving into an age where leading with care and compassion will be counter-cultural—and more important than ever. The values we embody and the example we set in our congregations and communities will help shape the moral fabric of the future. It’s essential that we ground ourselves in the teachings of our traditions, and, as the Buddhists teach, “take refuge in the teacher,” who is the Christ for us.
The theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer challenges us with these words: “We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice; we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.” This is our calling—not just to care for those who are suffering but to address the systems and attitudes that perpetuate harm. It’s a call to show a different way—a way of love, humility, and service to the common good.
We are also guided by Martin Luther King Jr., who reminds us: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
But that arc does not bend on its own. It bends because of leaders like Jimmy Carter, who lived their convictions with integrity. It bends because of ordinary people like you and me who choose compassion over division, justice over expediency, and hope over despair.
As we navigate this time of political, environmental, and social upheaval, let us remember Carter’s life as a model of what leadership can and should be. When the world feels fractured, our greatest responsibility is to embody the love and compassion that can bring healing. Leadership begins with us—in our relationships, in our congregations, and in the ways we show up for one another. Let us lead with courage, humility, and unwavering hope, trusting that even in dark times, we have the power to shape a future grounded in justice and compassion.
In honoring Jimmy Carter, may we also honor the call to live and lead with the same spirit of Christian Love that defined his life. The road ahead may be challenging, but together, we can bend the arc toward justice.
If you would like support “readying” yourself and your congregation for what are sure to be challenging months ahead, download our “Who Do We Choose To Be In the Age of Collapse?”
