One of the few American Presidents I, as a non-American, instantly warmed to was Jimmy Carter. History seems to have written him off as a bit of a failure, yet for years after we’d hear about him, quietly popping up in world trouble spots, using his influence with other world leaders to try to bring peace. Some years ago a magazine compared his life style with those of his contemporaries. Richard Nixon was writing his memoirs to prove that he really was a great statesman; Gerald Ford was spending his time on the golf course improving his handicap; Ronald Regan was making millions on the celebrity speaker circuit; and Jimmy Carter was working as a carpenter, building houses for poor people.
That’s when I realized why I liked him so much. He was following in the footsteps of that other carpenter, Jesus, who taught that the mark of greatness in his kingdom is serving others