Biden Gives Eulogy at Jimmy Carter's Funeral

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Outgoing President Joe Biden delivered a eulogy for Jimmy Carter during his funeral on Thursday as Carter’s family and the remaining presidents, including President Trump, sat in the front rows.

Biden spoke of Carter’s modesty during his speech, including a time when he and Jill Biden sat with Carter and his wife in his living room, creating memories. Biden said he was the first Democrat Senator outside of Georgia to endorse him for president, and then went into the concept of “character,” which he believed Carter exemplified.

“Because of that, character, I believe, is destiny,” said Biden. “Destiny in our lives, and quite frankly, destiny in the life of the nation. It’s an accumulation of a million things built on character, that leads to a good life and a decent country. Life of purpose, life of meaning. Now, how do we find that good life? What does it look like? What does it take to build character? Do the ends justify the means?”

“Jimmy Carter’s friendship taught me, and through his life, taught me, strength of character is more than title or the power we hold,” Biden continued. “It’s the strength to understand that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. That everyone, and I mean everyone, deserves an even shot, not a guarantee, but at least a shot.”

Here Biden shifted to discussing “hate.”

“We have an obligation to give hate no safe harbor. And to stand up to what my dad used to say is the greatest sin of all: the abuse of power. That’s not about being perfect, because none of us are perfect,” Biden said. “We’re all fallible. But it’s about asking ourselves, are we striving to do things, the right things?

“What value – what are the values that animate our spirit?” he continued. “Do we operate from fear or hope? Ego or generosity? Do we show grace? Do we keep the faith when it’s most tested?””

“We’re keeping the faith with the best of humankind and the best of America, is a story — in my view, from my perspective — of Jimmy Carter’s life,” said Biden. “The story of a man, to state the obvious, you’ve heard today, some great, great eulogies, who came from a house without running water, nor electricity, and rose as a pinnacle of power.”

Biden continued by noting that Carter tried to manifest the words of his Savior, and let politics distract him from his mission to help the world, and that this constituted his character. He also mentioned Carter’s faith and quoted Hebrews 11:1, saying it was “the substance of things hoped for, and evidence of things not seen.” Biden also quoted Luke 10:27, with the command that “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.”

From here, Biden launched into the ideals Carter held onto for the nation, including the priority that we be a nation where all men are created equal and in the image of God.

“We never fully lived up to that idea of America, but we never walked away from it either because of patriots like Jimmy Carter” continued Biden.

Biden said that Carter displayed what it is to be a practitioner of good works, and to be a good and faithful servant of God and the people. He listed Carter’s successes and titles through life, including being a Navy veteran and President. He also made mention of Carter’s work after his time as POTUS, naming in a “model citizen” for American and around the world.

Biden concluded by thanking the Carter family for sharing the man with the country, before leaving the podium and touching Carter’s casket on the way back to his seat.