Character Counts
“What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
Watching the snow fall this morning in a beautiful call for more hot chocolate, I am reminded of irony and truth.
We call it a "blanket of snow" when that blanket is anything but warm. In a similar way, we teach our children growing up that character counts but then act as though that is secondary to action to, "getting things done." Jesus and all of holy scripture is consistent in its witness that character and action cannot be separated and still be faithful. Yet there are millions of Christians who justify this double standard to attain an agenda, as though you can separate bad character from good and faithful action.
I am reminded of this truth because as the snow falls, I am also listening to the testimonies about President Jimmy Carter at his national funeral. Regardless of political opinion, most everyone agrees that President Carter was one of the most consistent in character and faithful action on behalf of others of any president we have had. A devout Christian and veteran, Carter taught Bible studies his whole life, was a faithful husband and father, empowered and elevated women and persons of color, strove to eradicate disease in developing world countries, brokered a peace agreement between Israel and the Arab world, and worked for bettering our environment before "climate change" was in our lexicon.
Years later, a group of pastors and I worked alongside President and Rosilyn Carter in building affordable Habitat for Humanity homes in south Dallas for persons who would otherwise not have access to home ownership and equity. Up close, President Carter's character and faithful action on behalf of others were aligned, consistent and on full display. There was no irony. In today's world, I am grateful for the witness of one who lived as our mothers and fathers and teachers taught us: character counts.
Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,
