the world, and they that dwell therein.
For [God] hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.
Psalm 24:1-2 KJV
This is the final Sunday of Creation Time in the Christian liturgical year, a mini-season which begins on September 1st and concludes on October 4th (tomorrow this year) with the Feast of St. Francis, the patron saint of critters and ecology.
This got me thinking about the 97th birthday this past Friday of former US president Jimmy Carter. Carter is a remarkable human being whose activism in peace-making, human rights causes, and organizations such as Habitat for Humanity during retirement may arguably outweigh his accomplishments during a single term as POTUS.
During his presidency Carter was ahead of his time when it came to environmental legislation to protect huge expanses of wildnerness in attempting to reduce the use of fossil fuels for vehicles, and in promoting the development of energy alternatives. He had solar panels installed on a portion of White House roof more than 40 years ago. They were removed during the Reagan era, put into storage, and never reinstalled.
As with virtually everything in his life and leadership Carter's decisions were informeed by his Christian faith. As a boy his mother, Lillian, taught him the importance of respecting Creation, as did Annie Mae Willis, the Black nanny whose care for Jimmy included taking him fishing.
In his book entittled Faith Carter observes "I have met many famous people of deep religious faith, including Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, Arch- bishop Desmond Tutu, Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin and Billy Graham, some of whom have had a direct and beneficial effect on my life." He goes on the speak of Annie Mae as one of the most influential people in his life of faith.
I'm impressed that the moral and ethical compass of Jimmy Carter led him to be a committed Groundling, caring for Creation, aware that the "Earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof."
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