Yesterday, President Jimmy Carter’s body was finally committed to Mother Earth. I want to share some thoughts regarding the life and times of this very unique individual and uncommon statesman. 

As a teenage enthusiast of current affairs and American politics, I cut my teeth with the entry of then Governor James (Jimmy) Earl Carter into the 1974-75 presidential campaign that produced him as president. I would later follow his presidency from radio and television news and visits to the News Board of the USIS at Cocoa House and UTC Stores Complex in Ibadan. Those were eventful years of a kind-hearted, compassionate and transparent American presidency. 

President Carter visited Nigeria while in office (the first by an American president to sub-Saharan Africa) and showed, in practical terms, true interest in matters of concern to the Third World and sub-Saharan Africa in particular. 

His engagements were characterised by mutual humanity and not patronising North-South stereotypes. He was an American leader who dared to bring America’s true virtues and Christian ideals into political leadership at the highest levels of statecraft. 

Some nation-states took malevolent advantage of his disposition and style, while the American people penalised him for it by denying him his second shot at the presidency. 

By considering Carter’s elevation and practice of true, unvarnished Christianity to be a weakness in national leadership and international politics (a view still held by millions of older Americans and Westerners who witnessed his rule),  America made a mortal strategic mistake in leadership choice. 

This was reflected by their wholesale rejection of his High Road principle rather than tinkering and iterating it. The results on multiple fronts since 1980 (when he was rejected at the ballot box) will take more than one essay to analyse and expatiate upon. 

The world’s peace, or the absence thereof, begins from the minds and hearts of men. He was a quiet, unpretentious political revolutionary with virtue and uncommon sense as his munitions. President Carter operated on the principle of winning the hearts of men and nations with deeds premised on Christian virtues during his presidency and beyond. 

President Carter won my heart as a teenager for America, and I’m sure many other kindred hearts from all nations at the time. The embrace of the other option, the Machiavellian mantra of ‘the end justifies the means’, is fundamental to where America has found herself today internally and internationally, and if she does not recant and embrace a comprehensive shift in paradigm for political leadership, the continual decline in her moral foundations, which will culminate in the final collapse of American leadership upon the globe, will be irreversible. 

Carter’s leadership style mainstreamed a morally strong, compassionate, and principled America ready and willing to be vulnerable in her defence of these values and principles.  Leaving open, as an optional alternative (rather than the first choice), the unleashing of the vastly superior military power of the USA. 

It is not a moot point but a crystal clear reality with an abundance of evidence that America has lost more, in terms of global prestige, economic,  industrial and international acceptability, through her direct and indirect embrace of the doctrine of global preeminence at all costs, through the application of military force, diplomatic violence and implicit practice of the principle of the end justifies the means. 

The greatest casualties are the stability of the international environment, global peace and equitable international economic and political order.

The continuing tragedy of human civilisation is our pretentious espousal of religious principles, ideals and ethos as prescribed in the holy books in formal religious worship but stubborn refusal to even attempt their implementation in actual governance and statecraft. 

The results are the continuing chaos, violence and despair in almost every theatre of human existence. James Earl Carter dared to conduct governance and his human relationships on the true principles of his Christian beliefs, not only as the leader of the so-called free world but in all his transactions out of political power. 

The world and even his fellow believers considered his uncommon commitment obtuse,  unrealistic and naive!! Now, with the benefit of hindsight, who is the hypocrite and charlatan? The answer is whispering in the winds. This anomaly of unprincipled leadership choices explains why a personality like Donald Trump can be considered more trustworthy and reliable by tens of millions of Americans, hold ultimate political power, and shape the political future of a normally Christian society like the USA. 

Just as President Lincoln used the Gettysburg Address to establish the viability of democracy and justice for all, President Carter’s life established the principle of the viability of the practice of comprehensive Christian virtues in life and governance. In the words of Christ in Matthew 5:14-16 New International Version (NIV): “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”

President Carter’s conduct in office has proved the following propositions: 

1) the ideals of the Christian Faith, however spartan and unpopular, can be applied, streamlined and fully practised at the highest levels of governmental leadership with the exercise of the human will.

2) that the current standard practice and norm, which is ingrained in national leadership and international relations, of elevating convenience, exclusive prioritisation of national and individual interests by the use of cunning, brute force and diplomatic fraud to attain selfish objectives, using the principles of ‘the end justifies the means’ and ‘let the majority have their say, and the strong and powerful have their way’ is not necessarily the most beneficial on the long run to its practitioners or mankind in general.

It should be self-evident that the current social, economic and political state of affairs of the United States of America in the last 45 years since Jimmy Carter left power is a poignant demonstration and evidence of this reality. If truly God-fearing, altruistic, and malevolent interests-resistant leaders have ruled America in the last four and half decades, she will not be experiencing the current runaway gun violence crisis, highly divided citizenry, lack of universal Medicare (despite being the richest, most powerful nation on earth), and increasing brokenness of its political system.

It is the unforced willingness of President Carter to go to all lengths and practise his Christian creed in the Oval Office, irrespective of the inconvenience, pain and risks to his political capital, socioeconomic interests and personal comfort, that marks him out as an incomparable and exceptional American and world leader. 

Carter’s ‘leadership exceptionalism’ is as great and justified, if not superior, to the much touted and globally accepted Principle of American Exceptionalism.

Thank you, President Carter, for coming and making a quiet but bold, beneficial difference to the world. For your sake, may the Almighty continually bless your generations. 

So rest well, President Jimmy Carter, true Missionary Statesman, Servant Leader Per Excellence, Mighty Believer, ‘True Disciple of Christ and Great Man of Faith. Your life bears witness to the truth: ‘Let God be true, and every man a liar’.

‘I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith,’ — Second Timothy 4:7-8.

Good night, President James Earl Carter.

Victor Olomo, Sr, lives in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.