Tony Lowden: Jimmy Carter ‘Was All About Serving This Nation All the Way Until the End’

O DONNELL I believe ░░░░░░░░ deeply in public service ░░░░░░░░ just want to bring ░░░░░░░░ now by phone President ░░░░░░░░ s personal pastor Tony ░░░░░░░░ he is in the ░░░░░░░░ right now with the ░░░░░░░░ family And Tony thank ░░░░░░░░ so much for being ░░░░░░░░ us I know you ░░░░░░░░ the personal pastor for ░░░░░░░░ Carters for six years ░░░░░░░░ about what you learned ░░░░░░░░ the former president LOWDEN ░░░░░░░░ think Norah I think ░░░░░░░░ biggest thing that I ░░░░░░░░ was the fact that ░░░░░░░░ s not for self ░░░░░░░░ for country It was ░░░░░░░░ about serving this nation ░░░░░░░░ the way to the ░░░░░░░░ Every time I would ░░░░░░░░ to visit him he ░░░░░░░░ ask me three four ░░░░░░░░ Where have you been ░░░░░░░░ have you done Who ░░░░░░░░ you helped And how ░░░░░░░░ I help you help ░░░░░░░░ And some days when ░░░░░░░░ would have bad days ░░░░░░░░ he wasn t feeling ░░░░░░░░ he ll just say ░░░░░░░░ have you been And ░░░░░░░░ knew that he wants ░░░░░░░░ ask all four questions ░░░░░░░░ I have to answer ░░░░░░░░ four questions to him ░░░░░░░░ s one of the ░░░░░░░░ servant leaders I ve ░░░░░░░░ met in my entire ░░░░░░░░ O DONNELL Hmm that ░░░░░░░░ moving very like emotional ░░░░░░░░ hear you say that ░░░░░░░░ so focused on the ░░░░░░░░ I know he changed ░░░░░░░░ life How did he ░░░░░░░░ you LOWDEN He forced ░░░░░░░░ to take it to ░░░░░░░░ next level you know ░░░░░░░░ ministers and preachers and ░░░░░░░░ who are believe in ░░░░░░░░ faith a lot of ░░░░░░░░ we we put it ░░░░░░░░ display in church and ░░░░░░░░ study But he wanted ░░░░░░░░ you learn to go ░░░░░░░░ the walls of the ░░░░░░░░ not discriminate against people ░░░░░░░░ use Christianity as a ░░░░░░░░ to hate other people ░░░░░░░░ look at ways of ░░░░░░░░ faith without works is ░░░░░░░░ been along loving people ░░░░░░░░ people loving your neighbors ░░░░░░░░ about those who are ░░░░░░░░ even those who may ░░░░░░░░ vote for you but ░░░░░░░░ a way to be ░░░░░░░░ to show them compassion ░░░░░░░░ he just he I ░░░░░░░░ longer look at life ░░░░░░░░ way I used to ░░░░░░░░ look at it as ░░░░░░░░ way that my life ░░░░░░░░ to our nation and ░░░░░░░░ world to serve And ░░░░░░░░ hope that those that ░░░░░░░░ celebrating his life today ░░░░░░░░ today is not just ░░░░░░░░ celebration but our nation ░░░░░░░░ pick up the mantle ░░░░░░░░ pick up the legacy ░░░░░░░░ Jimmy Carter and we ░░░░░░░░ it to the next ░░░░░░░░ O DONNELL So beautifully ░░░░░░░░ And what do you ░░░░░░░░ about this service we ░░░░░░░░ about to witness LOWDEN ░░░░░░░░ I had an opportunity ░░░░░░░░ to do a walkthrough ░░░░░░░░ the National Cathedral And ░░░░░░░░ just hope that our ░░░░░░░░ our people get opportunity ░░░░░░░░ see this great celebration ░░░░░░░░ this man s life ░░░░░░░░ more importantly how our ░░░░░░░░ has come together both ░░░░░░░░ and Democrats independents our ░░░░░░░░ who have come before ░░░░░░░░ presidents before him our ░░░░░░░░ Court justices all in ░░░░░░░░ same building honoring this ░░░░░░░░ man But more importantly ░░░░░░░░ think that s God ░░░░░░░░ Jimmy Carter got together ░░░░░░░░ decide that we can ░░░░░░░░ this right before we ░░░░░░░░ our leaders We can ░░░░░░░░ this right before we ░░░░░░░░ our inauguration We can ░░░░░░░░ this right before we ░░░░░░░░ a transitional of our ░░░░░░░░ So that we can ░░░░░░░░ faith and hope on ░░░░░░░░ in our nation So ░░░░░░░░ our nation can have ░░░░░░░░ in our government make ░░░░░░░░ nation truly a great ░░░░░░░░ where we help others ░░░░░░░░ be the shining light ░░░░░░░░ we ve always been ░░░░░░░░ this nation O DONNELL ░░░░░░░░ course he taught Sunday ░░░░░░░░ himself and he spoke ░░░░░░░░ word of God but ░░░░░░░░ practiced the faith too ░░░░░░░░ how he did that ░░░░░░░░ Well you know I ░░░░░░░░ when he fell one ░░░░░░░░ right before he was ░░░░░░░░ to go to Tennessee ░░░░░░░░ do his habitat bill ░░░░░░░░ the Secret Service and ░░░░░░░░ told me to go ░░░░░░░░ the hospital and tell ░░░░░░░░ he shouldn t go ░░░░░░░░ Tennessee But as I ░░░░░░░░ there and went into ░░░░░░░░ room I said President ░░░░░░░░ I don t think ░░░░░░░░ should go to Tennessee ░░░░░░░░ build He said listen ░░░░░░░░ hospitals are just like ░░░░░░░░ They re easy to ░░░░░░░░ into and hard to ░░░░░░░░ out Laughter I need ░░░░░░░░ to help me get ░░░░░░░░ of this hospital so ░░░░░░░░ I can keep my ░░░░░░░░ and go build homes ░░░░░░░░ those who need homes ░░░░░░░░ the most amazing thing ░░░░░░░░ all that he had ░░░░░░░░ big bandage on his ░░░░░░░░ his eye over his ░░░░░░░░ and he had a ░░░░░░░░ eye And he was ░░░░░░░░ to get to Tennessee ░░░░░░░░ keep his word And ░░░░░░░░ believe that all the ░░░░░░░░ that he put his ░░░░░░░░ hand on the Bible ░░░░░░░░ raised his right hand ░░░░░░░░ he was a state ░░░░░░░░ he did the same ░░░░░░░░ when he was in ░░░░░░░░ Navy He did the ░░░░░░░░ thing when he was ░░░░░░░░ of Georgia And he ░░░░░░░░ the same thing when ░░░░░░░░ was president of the ░░░░░░░░ States In his mind ░░░░░░░░ in his spirit he ░░░░░░░░ took his hand off ░░░░░░░░ Bible because he made ░░░░░░░░ covenant with his God ░░░░░░░░ he would serve this ░░░░░░░░ nation and serve the ░░░░░░░░ And that s what ░░░░░░░░ s doing today The ░░░░░░░░ school teacher has given ░░░░░░░░ a lesson on faith ░░░░░░░░ hope to be the ░░░░░░░░ of our democracy O ░░░░░░░░ Reverend Tony Lowden such ░░░░░░░░ honor and a pleasure ░░░░░░░░ speak with you and ░░░░░░░░ you for sharing so ░░░░░░░░ about what we can ░░░░░░░░ learn from the former ░░░░░░░░ Our best wishes and ░░░░░░░░ with you as well ░░░░░░░░ I know you are ░░░░░░░░ today as well LOWDEN ░░░░░░░░ you Norah I lost ░░░░░░░░ friend I lost someone ░░░░░░░░ I love But we ░░░░░░░░ going to celebrate his ░░░░░░░░ today Thank you Norah ░░░░░░░░ a great day O ░░░░░░░░ Thank you. Thank you.”