Jimmy Carter sat before a microphone for 45 minutes last Thursday morning and detailed his diagnosis and prognosis for battling cancer. He looked every bit the familiar face Georgians have known for decades. It’s quite easy to forget that he’s approaching his 91st birthday. The fact that he’s in otherwise excellent health helps.

There was a noticeable calmness and quiet dignity about him that, while routine for him, was magnified by the circumstances of the press conference. After all, who among us would hold such a press conference with the details (which sounded almost as if an apology) that we would be scaling back our activities knowing that we would be receiving radiation within hours for cancer that had spread to our brain? Would we be first concerned to let others’ know we may not be keeping a full (and international) schedule? How many of us would have put on a coat and tie that day?

Jimmy Carter is a product of the small town of Plains and from these strong roots has achieved the pinnacle of political power. And yet, with all he has seen and done, he sat, calmly, quietly, answering question after question about his future. The Nobel Peace Prize winner is clearly a man at peace with himself, and his mortality. He has goals he wants to fulfill – like eradicating the guinea worm – but he knows how much time he has left is a question with an answer that is out of his hands.

Faith has long been part of President Carter’s public persona. He taught Sunday School days after announcing he had cancer. He did so again this past Sunday after his first radiation treatment. He does so 2-3 times per month, juggling responsibilities at his home church in his hometown while traveling abroad for the Carter Center. His travels bring hope and healing to a world lacking in both.

Carter has dedicated his life to demonstrating he doesn’t just talk the talk of Christianity when it was politically expedient. Long after his electoral goals have ended he has continued to apply his efforts and energy to glorify the Kingdom of God.

The questions asked by many of my friends privately and on social media this week had themes of, “How does he keep doing this?” and, “How is he so calm knowing what’s ahead of him?” The answer is one of faith, and his actions have allowed him to demonstrate the power of his faith on a worldwide stage.

With these images in mind I’ve been struck by the contrast of how religion and politics have been mixed since President Carter left the White House. The 80’s gave us the rise of the Christian Coalition and an organized Right To Life political movement. The battle theme was to “win the hearts and minds”.

And yet, many of us aligned with these goals have often fallen short in the eyes of the voters and very likely the eyes of God. Instead of the calming peace and forgiveness that comes from a personal relationship with God, we’ve weaponized religion as a tool to beat partisan enemies.

Republicans used these tools with a lot of success over the past two decades, (if you define success solely on the basis of short-term electoral gains). In the process, we’ve also told those who don’t vote the way we do they’re not welcome in God’s Kingdom. We’ve placed ourselves, not God, in making judgment on others’ souls.

The problem is compounded when so many of our leaders have fallen short of the words they express, and reveal personal spiritual and moral failures. It’s not too difficult to understand why those who are unchurched look upon the hypocrisy and decide they don’t wish to be part of our party. Much worse, they don’t want to be part of our religion.

Too many have used – and continue to use – religion as a club to beat political followers into submission. In doing so, we bypass any chance to actually win hearts and minds. And thus, we lose souls.

It’s not too difficult to understand why the only time Jesus showed anger was when he turned the moneychangers out of the temple. The moneychangers – well, they are a resilient bunch – survive and thrive to this day and are quick to tell you God is a Republican and the devil is a Democrat.

Yet amidst all the trumped up religiosity, there’s this quiet man from Plains-90 years young and staring down the devil that is cancer. He is calm not because he believes God is on his side, but because he knows he’s on God’s side. He need not ask what Jesus would do because he already knows. Jesus speaks to his open heart- a heart that is open to human suffering and pain. And through his actions, the lifelong Democrat has been able to show the world the grace God’s love affords us.

I hope some of our moneychangers are taking notice.

Charlie Harper, author and editor of the Peach Pundit blog, writes on Georgia politics and government; www.peachpundit.com