Editorial:

Heirs of a future world

by Mary Hammond, Plain Truth Editor

Now I’m not a great fan of TV in general – and morning TV in particular – but over the Christmas holiday I came across a series running on the BBC called Heir Hunters. In each episode a firm of probate detectives seeks to find the ‘rightful heir’ of one or two people who have died without leaving a will and where there’s no known relative to inherit their estate.

Teams of the probate detectives have to work fast – they’re up against a time limit – but after much research a beneficiary is always found. Usually the heir is a distant relative who knew little or nothing of the deceased’s life – or death – and typically the sums of money of the inheritance are quite substantial. But predictably, all the stories have a happy ending. An unexpected windfall, sometimes changed lives and all made possible through the lifestyle of another person.

Imagine this

Now imagine for a moment it was you who unexpectedly became the beneficiary of an estate. A legatee of a stranger’s will. However, this time it wasn’t a cheque with a six-digit number, it was for a large piece of land – several hundred acres in fact. But there were conditions. You couldn’t sell or give this piece of land away and you had to live there yourself. You could build and grow just what you wanted – in fact do pretty much what you pleased. Now that doesn’t sound too bad, does it?
But what if the late owner had not been a very good steward of his land. What if he’d used part of it as a waste landfill site. Then cut down all the hedgerows and trees to make room for an industrial estate whose occupants had long since departed. Leaving behind discarded drums of waste oil which had seeped away, leaving the surrounding ground polluted and unusable for crops. He’d used his land to yield the maximum amount of money, with little or no thought of any long-term consequences. After all, as long as it provided him with a comfortable income and lifestyle for his lifetime, then surely, he reasoned, that was all that mattered.

Preoccupied with the present

Of course, the scenario is imaginary, but the type of inheritance the heir received is perhaps not too far from real life. Could it be that we are often too preoccupied, focussing on the immediate wants and needs of the ‘here and now’, that thoughts and actions of the legacy we are leaving for future generations take a back seat? (Or even get left on the pavement, waving goodbye as the car speeds along in the fast lane of life.)

We’d like to think that in this issue we have been reflective, offering some ‘food for thought’ – from a Christian perspective – about some of the important matters that are affecting us here and now.  Topical issues whose impact could greatly affect generations to come. Starting with the article A threat worse than terrorism we explore the subject of climate change in general but our response as Christians to environmental stewardship in particular. OK, we’re not advocating becoming ‘tree worshippers’ but we are supportive of the concept that we have a God-given duty of care of the environment.

Then, in View From The High Street, Gethin Russell-Jones shows us how our ever increasing and exacting demands within the production and purchasing habits of the food industry have caused us to become a nation of ‘wasters’, whilst millions across the world die of hunger. Not a great legacy for future generations. And perhaps not something with which we as Christians would want to be associated.

You see, when God created the world and saw the creation of his hand, he was pleased with what he had achieved and pronounced that ‘it was good’.1 Then he entrusted its stewardship to mankind.2 What a great responsibility. Now isn’t that something worth preserving for others to share and enjoy? For the many millions not yet born. Heirs that will inherit our future world.
 

1 Genesis 1:31
2 Genesis 2:15