April 20 - Panic On The Pond: Jimmy Carter Repels Swamp Rabbit Attack

Grace in Unexpected Moments

This is the day a swamp rabbit swam up to President Jimmy Carter's fishing boat in Plains, Georgia in 1979.

In today's lesson, we will explore how an unusual encounter between President Jimmy Carter and a swimming rabbit became a nationally mocked incident. What does our response to unexpected, even absurd situations reveal about our character? How can Christians maintain their spiritual composure when caught in moments that test their dignity?

President Carter deftly defends himself against the killer swamp rabbit.

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"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." - Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

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This Date in History

The calm of a spring afternoon shattered as the creature cut through the water directly toward the boat where the President of the United States sat holding his fishing rod. Jimmy Carter, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation away from the crushing pressures of the White House, noticed the disturbance and pointed it out to those accompanying him. What happened next would transform a simple fishing trip into one of the most peculiar incidents involving an American president.

On April 20, 1979, President Carter was fishing in a pond near his family farm in Plains, Georgia when a swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) suddenly swam toward his boat. Carter, an experienced outdoorsman familiar with the wildlife of rural Georgia, later recounted that the rabbit appeared agitated or frightened. As the animal approached his boat, the president used his paddle to splash water at it, causing the rabbit to change course and swim away.

The incident might have remained a mere personal anecdote except that Carter mentioned it to a few staffers upon returning to the White House. Press Secretary Jody Powell, amused by the story, casually mentioned it to Associated Press reporter Brooks Jackson over lunch. To Powell's surprise, Jackson immediately saw the story's unusual appeal and reported it. The Washington Post subsequently ran a front-page story titled "President Attacked by Rabbit" on August 30, 1979, several months after the actual encounter.

The timing couldn't have been worse for Carter's administration. Already struggling with serious challenges including an energy crisis, stagflation, and the ongoing Iran hostage situation, the president now faced ridicule over what the press dubbed the "killer rabbit" incident. Political cartoonists had a field day, depicting Carter being menaced by a fierce bunny reminiscent of the killer rabbit from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," a popular film released just four years earlier.

White House staff, attempting to mitigate the damage, tried to downplay the incident, but their efforts backfired when the press demanded photographic evidence. When the White House reluctantly released a photo showing Carter fending off the swimming rabbit with his paddle, it only fueled more ridicule. The image of the powerful leader of the free world defending himself against a rabbit struck many Americans as both comical and emblematic of an administration increasingly portrayed as ineffectual.

The rabbit incident became a defining moment of Carter's presidency not for its intrinsic importance, but for how it crystallized existing perceptions of his administration as beleaguered and unlucky. Coming during a period of national malaise and declining approval ratings, the story reinforced a narrative that Carter couldn't catch a break even during a peaceful fishing trip. What started as an unusual wildlife encounter transformed into a political liability that continued to shadow his legacy long after he left office.

Historical Context

The "killer rabbit" incident occurred during a particularly challenging period in Carter's presidency. The late 1970s saw America mired in economic troubles with inflation reaching double digits and an energy crisis forcing Americans to wait in long gas lines. The Iranian Revolution had begun in January 1979, eventually leading to the hostage crisis that would dominate the final year of Carter's administration. Public confidence in the government had been declining since the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal, creating a receptive audience for stories that seemed to confirm presidential incompetence.

Environmental conservation represented one of the bright spots in Carter's presidency. He established the Department of Energy, signed important environmental legislation, and personally embodied conservation values through actions like installing solar panels on the White House roof and, ironically, enjoying outdoor recreational activities like fishing. The swamp rabbit incident occurred on protected wetlands near his family's property, lands that benefited from the conservation policies his administration championed.

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Did You Know?

• The swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) is one of the largest cottontail rabbit species in North America, capable of swimming for considerable distances with only their head above water, making the rabbit's aquatic approach to Carter's boat less unusual to wildlife experts than it seemed to the general public.

• White House photographer Fred Ward captured the rabbit incident on film, but the actual photograph wasn't released until years later during the Reagan administration when it was discovered in the White House archives.

• The incident likely wouldn't have become public knowledge if Press Secretary Jody Powell hadn't mentioned it casually to a reporter, thinking it was too minor and amusing to become a full news story.

• Carter was so irritated by the persistent mockery that he later dedicated several paragraphs in his presidential memoir to explaining the incident and defending his reaction to the approaching rabbit.

• Despite the ridicule, wildlife experts confirmed Carter's account that swamp rabbits can indeed be aggressive when frightened, particularly during breeding season, which occurs in spring when the incident took place.

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Today’s Reflection

There are moments in life that don't fit the script. You're going about your day—maybe even doing something restful—and then, BAM!, a swamp rabbit charges your boat. Probably not at the top of the list of things you expected to happen today.

But that's exactly what happened to President Jimmy Carter in 1979. An ordinary fishing trip became a surreal news story. The event was strange, humorous, and widely mocked. But sometimes the absurd isn't meaningless. It's revealing.

As Christians, we believe God uses all of life, including the inconvenient and the ridiculous, to shape us. Sancification is the ongoing work of God forming us into the likeness of Christ—shaping our hearts, renewing our minds, and transforming our reactions so that, over time, we reflect His character more than our own impulses. But sanctification doesn't happen only in crisis or quiet time. It happens in traffic. In awkward conversations. In unexpected encounters that tug at our pride or throw off our composure.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

This isn't surface-level advice. Paul isn't just calling us to better behavior. He's reminding us that we are chosen, set apart, and beloved. That identity precedes the command. The virtues we're told to "put on" are not self-improvement strategies. They're the visible outworking of Christ being formed in us.

When Scripture speaks of being "clothed," it's often referring to a deeper transformation. We are called to put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 13:14 (NIV)), to be renewed in His image, and to walk by the Spirit, producing the fruit of the Spirit—not through effort alone, but through abiding in Him (Galatians 5:22–25 (NIV)).

That means even small moments matter. They are the proving ground of the Spirit's work within us.

Jesus modeled this perfectly. When questioned about paying the temple tax, He didn't bristle or make a scene. He told Peter to go catch a fish—and inside that fish's mouth was the coin they needed (Matthew 17:24–27 (NIV)). A bizarre request, a surprising outcome. But behind it all, a steady confidence born of divine peace. Jesus didn't need to protect His image. He simply did what was right, with calm authority and a clear identity.

Most of us don't face religious traps or temple taxes. We face camera phones when we're not ready. Jokes at our expense. A poorly timed fall or a stammered answer. Our instinct is to defend ourselves. To preserve dignity. But when we're secure in Christ, we don't have to cling to image. We can respond from the Spirit, not the flesh.

Self-importance stiffens under pressure. Holiness bows, breathes, and walks on in peace.

When Paul tells us to put on compassion and humility, he's describing fruit that grows from a heart aligned with Christ. These virtues aren't costumes. They are evidence. Evidence that Christ is not just someone we believe in, but someone we are being made to resemble.

So when life throws you a "swamp rabbit" moment—when it's not tragic, just absurd—ask yourself: what are you clothed in? Pride or peace? Image or identity? Performance or presence?

God is shaping us even in these small things. He's using them to refine us. To display His nature through ours. And to remind the world that grace isn't fragile, and joy isn't circumstantial.

Because sanctification doesn't skip the strange. It walks straight through it—and shows that He's still at work in all of us.

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Seriously, it makes me feel special.

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Practical Application

The next time you find yourself in an embarrassing or unexpected situation, pause before reacting. Take a deep breath and mentally acknowledge your identity in Christ before responding. Practice transforming your automatic responses by creating a simple mental habit: when something throws you off balance, silently pray "I am clothed in Christ" before speaking or acting. Keep a small journal tracking your "swamp rabbit moments" and how your responses are gradually changing as you intentionally practice responding with humility, gentleness, and patience rather than defensiveness or pride.

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Closing Prayer

Gracious Father, thank You for using every moment of our lives, even the unexpected and absurd ones, to shape us into the image of Your Son. We confess how quickly we prioritize our image over our witness when caught off guard. Forgive us for the times we've reacted from pride rather than from the identity You've given us as Your beloved children.

Lord Jesus, help us to clothe ourselves daily in the character You modeled perfectly. Give us the security to laugh at ourselves when appropriate, the humility to remain gentle when challenged, and the wisdom to see Your refining work in every circumstance. May our responses to life's unexpected moments reveal that You are truly transforming us from the inside out, for Your glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Final Thoughts

Our reactions reveal our reality. In the gap between what happens to us and how we respond lies the evidence of whose image we bear. Not in the polished moments of prepared testimony, but in the unexpected seconds when our guard is down, we discover whether we are truly being transformed or merely performing. The fruit of the Spirit isn't seasonal; it grows in all circumstances and reveals itself most authentically when we have no time to rehearse our response.

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Easter Related Articles

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Author’s Notes

Dear friends,

This Easter Sunday, as we celebrate resurrection and new beginnings, I'm thrilled to share some news I've already hinted at: I'm officially writing my first book!

The working title is "Why Jesus? A Short, Honest Guide to Faith, Salvation, and the Christian Story" and it's something many of you actually helped inspire. In our recent feedback poll, several of you mentioned wanting a resource that could help introduce non-believers to Christ in a clear, approachable way.

One of you put it this way:

"I would be interested in seeing a Bible study that leads non-believers to Christ. One I could invite neighbors to who don't have a Bible background and encourage them to come to Christ."

That idea stuck with me because it was already something I’d been thinking and praying about.

I also kept thinking about the rest of us. People who've been around Christianity for years but still wonder: Do I really know what God's original plan was? Where it all went wrong? Why Jesus had to be the one to make it right?

This book is for all of us who carry those questions whether we're new to faith, burned out by religion, or simply curious enough to ask again.

This book is my answer to that need. It's a short, conversational guide written specifically for people who don't have a church background or much knowledge about Christianity. No churchy language. No pressure. Just an honest conversation about who Jesus is, why He matters, and what salvation really means.

I've designed it to be something you can confidently give to a friend, neighbor, or family member who's spiritually curious but might be intimidated by longer, more theological books. It tells the complete story—from our brokenness to God's redemption—in a voice that feels like sitting across from a trusted friend.

I’m still in the writing process, but I wanted you to be the first to know. The plan is to release the ebook first—priced low to make it easy to share—and then follow up with a print version soon after. I'll be sharing more details soon, possibly share some previews and the expected release date.

As Easter reminds us of what matters most, I'm committed to capturing that truth in the pages of this book—and I can't wait to share them with you soon.

P.S. - I'd love to hear if this resonates with you or sounds like something you'd read, share, or use. I’m also gathering a small team to help shape the launch: early readers, feedback, cover picks, all of it. If you’re interested, just email me at WhyJesusBookTeam@gmail.com. I’d welcome any feedback you might have.

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