The State Funeral was held for Jimmy Carter today at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. I found it to be very moving.
In case you missed it, it is on YouTube from several sources. I have it above for you. I think it was just over 3 1/2 hours, but it is absolutely worth watching every minute, I promise. If you don't have time to watch it all, just go forward until you are at the 2:44 time. That is when Andy Young delivered the Homily. Please, be sure and listen to that. (For some reason, the camera is mostly on the ex-Presidents at that time, but it is Andy Young that I want you to hear.) As one of the TV announcers pointed out afterwards, Andy Young spoke most eloquently and without looking at any notes.
As you all know, Jimmy Carter was from Plains, Georgia. (Although he really was from a place even smaller, a community about 3 miles from Plains called "Archery".) He wrote of his upbringing during the Depression in his book, "An Hour Before Daylight". I highly recommend it!
With love and respect, that is one of the phrases that I remember from this service. It is with love and respect that I will remember him. He is our longest living U.S. President and the only one from my home state.
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There was another service that they showed on the local Atlanta station this evening. It was from Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, where he taught Sunday School for many years. Jimmy Carter will be laid to rest in Plains, Georgia, beside his wife of 77 years, Rosalyn Carter. (I am thankful that all these services happened before tomorrow as Georgia will have a "weather event". Snow is predicted! Wish us luck, Southern folks can't handle snow.)
"Let There Be Peace on Earth (And Let It Begin with Me").
Can I hear an "Amen"? AMEN!
It was a beautiful service. He was such a virtuous man and every speaker spoke of that. We could use some Jimmy Carters in the world right now.
ReplyDeleteHe did many good things.
ReplyDeleteThe greatest. Brenda
ReplyDeleteAmen! And may he rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteIt was very nice to watch. (I just wish one of the attendees was capable of absorbing the "sermon.") Georgia should be proud of Carter. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteI love that photo of the sunset. I watched a lot of it and thought it was very nice.
ReplyDeleteI was working, but our main news at 8:00 pm on one of the national TV stations had some highlights of the service.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up as a child in a part of Germany with a large US American presence, Jimmy Carter's face was the first I consciously knew as him being the President of the United States, even though at that age I hardly understood what that meant.
We knew (and cared) little about him as a person, with a host of our own politicians and events taking priority, but I have the utmost respect for any couple (like my own parents!) staying together for all their lives - it says a lot about a person to achieve that.