Church
Lessons from Life Bible: Personal
Reflections with Jimmy Carter
There, Care, Share
“Throughout the years of
his public life, former Pres-
ident and Nobel Peace
Prize-winner Jimmy Carter
has lived out a conspicuous
faith… [He] has been lead-
ing Sunday school classes
ever since he was an 18
year-old ensign at the U.S.
Naval Academy…
For over 6 decades, he has
been examining the Scrip-
tures and teaching classes to
adults… [This] Study Bible
is designed to… amplify the deeply held
convictions of one of the most important
and influential voices of our time.”
— Excerpted from the inside book jacket
J
immy Carter has been teaching Sunday
school all of his adulthood, even as
Governor of Georgia and President of
the Unites States. The difficult decisions he
had to make while in office, whether about
caring for the poor, finding peace in the
Middle East, fighting an enemy, advancing
human rights or reversing nuclear prolifera-
tion, were all influenced “by his
deeply-held belief in the Bible.”
After returning to private life, Carter not
only resumed hosting Sunday school class-
es at Marantha Baptist Church in his
hometown of Plains, but he remained “an
outspoken advocate of the
poor and disadvantaged.” And as a commit-
ted Christian, he has endeavored to follow
Jesus’ example of attending to the least of
his brethren by devoting his blood, sweat
and tears to a variety of worthy causes.
Jonathan Reckford, CEO of Habitat for
Humanity, credits Carter and his wife, Ros-
alynn, for donning hard hats every year for
over a quarter-century to help his organiza-
tion build and repair homes for folks in
desperate need of affordable housing. Reck-
ford states that their participation has never
been a mere photo-op, given that “No one
works harder on … site than President and
Mrs. Carter.”
If you’re interested in understanding the
source of Jimmy Carter’s inspiration and
abiding faith, you might want to invest in
this special edition of the New International
PHOTO BY HELEN SILVIS
By Kam Williams
Special To The Skanner
News
Members of the 11:45 movement walk on N. Killingsworth Street to offer a
caring adult presence. Pictured here are (from left) Pastor James Dixon;
Bishop Marcus Pollard and Elder Cliff Moffet. The 11:45 movement is
using four strategies in its effort to support youth and families and end
youth violence: THERE, which puts caring adults on the street and in places
youth congregate; SHARE, which links youth to adult mentors; CARE, which
links families to community resources; and PRAYER, which provides spiritu-
al support to the community. Sign up online at www.eleven45.org
Bible which highlights selected Scriptures,
and is supplemented throughout by a life’s
worth of his favorite lessons, reflections and
prayers. For instance, he offers a literal
interpretation of Jesus’ suggestion that “We
must do the works,” (John 9:3-5) as an
Page 6 The Portland Skanner March 7, 2012
urgent imperative to minister to the needy
“today, right now.”
The Good Book annotated by a former
president who probably would prefer to be
remembered as a selfless servant of God.