General
This is a guest opinion column
On January 31, 2009, I had the honor of introducing former President Jimmy Carter before he spoke at the Southeast Regional Gathering of the New Baptist Covenant at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham.
A lot of things have changed since then. I’m no longer Baptist, and I’m a lot more jaded about politics and life.
After the introduction, I went down to the front pew and took a deep breath. The choir did their number, and then President Carter walked to the podium. He looked out at me and motioned for me to return to the stage. I hesitated because I wasn’t sure what was happening. The person sitting next to me said, “He’s calling for you to come back up.”
So, I did.
When I got to the podium, he looked at me and into the mic and said, “That was the kindest introduction anyone has ever given me.”
And he kissed me on the cheek.
Today, I’m struck by the fact that “peace” was my word for 2024.
While much has changed, the need for peace and reconciliation is maybe greater than ever. And it begins with seeing the person in front of us at any given moment.
Here’s the introduction:
When Brent McDougal [of the Alabama Coorporative Baptist Fellowship] called and asked me to introduce our keynote speaker for today, I immediately hung up the phone and called my dad, whose first words were, “Well, well—a little girl’s dream come true.”
For this Baptist girl from Georgia, it is a great honor and high privilege for me to introduce this One whose vision for a New Baptist Covenant brought so many of us together in Atlanta last year, and has now brought us here to this historic place today.
For me, the New Baptist Covenant meeting last year represented something I wanted to believe existed, but had almost given up on.
As momentum built for this Regional Gathering—and particularly as the excitement grew surrounding former President Jimmy Carter’s presence with us, several of you in this room—at the dinner table or in a simple phone conversation—were eager to share your personal stories and memories–examples of how President Carter has touched you in some way.
I listened as one of you recalled the moment 30 years ago when you watched as Egyptian President and Israeli Prime Minister clasped hands with President Carter after signing the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. You described it as an amazing moment that you would never forget—so meaningful that it caused you to weep openly.
Another of you recounted what it was like to make that pilgrimage to Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, GA to attend a Sunday School lesson taught by President Carter–to hear him, a former President, share about his personal faith and lead in Bible study—something I understand that he still does about 35 times a year.
One of you shared about your treasured photograph of you and President Carter and Mrs. Rosalyn Carter, standing outside that church; while another recounted your sheer excitement at catching a glimpse of President Carter riding his bicycle in Plains!
And yet another spoke of how much you always admired and appreciated the aspect of service that President Carter brought to the Presidency, and especially how that commitment to service has been maximized even after leaving the White House—building homes with Habitat for Humanity, speaking out against the gap between the rich and the poor in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, monitoring elections in volatile countries, working to eliminate disease, advancing democracy around the globe through The Carter Center, and always seeking to advance peace.
When he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, it was due to, and I quote, “his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
For me, my cherished moment with President Carter—my favorite memory– occurred in Atlanta last January, when I sat in a large auditorium full of thousands of people, and listened as he shared so intimately about one of those pivotal moments in his faith journey. I felt like he was talking directly to me—as if I were the only person in that room–and I will never, ever forget how he recalled that experience he had during a mission trip many years ago, when, during a challenging time in his own faith, he observed the gentle way that his partner on that mission, a Cuban-American pastor, ministered and witnessed in the community. As they were preparing to part ways, President Carter asked the pastor about his faith—what it was that made him capable of this and made his faith so evident in his life–and the pastor friend shared that he tried to follow a simple rule: “to Love God, and Love the person standing in front of you at any particular time.”
Loving God and loving Neighbor–Simple, yet profound. President Carter shared that this had a significant impact on him, and it is the theology that he adopted as he recommitted his life to God—and that has shaped and guided him throughout his years of service.
We have witnessed that, haven’t we? As our President; as Baptist witness; as humanitarian; as Seeker of Peace.
One of the organizers of this event reminded me recently, “in your introduction of President Carter, remember–you speak for all of us.”
And so in that light, President Carter, what I think I’d like to say, on behalf of all of us, is this: Thank you. For your vision of peace and your tireless efforts to achieve it–in our world and in our denomination. Thank you for choosing peace and reconciliation. This is quite a legacy. And we are so grateful.
If you’ve been around a radio or television at all this week, you probably know that President Carter has had a full week introducing his latest book, We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land. If I understood him correctly earlier today, he said he had “57 interviews this week.” We are very fortunate to have him here with us today.
Following the musical selection by the Chamber chorus we will hear from our keynote speaker–the 39th President of the United States, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, noted author, and servant leader: Jimmy Carter.
Allison Dearing, the former Executive Director of the One Place Metro Alabama Family Justice Center, is a Birmingham-based consultant and seeker of peace.
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