I try to avoid either-or distinctions. That kind of polarization is rarely accurate. People don’t divide neatly into camps. Most differences between people take place on a spectrum, not with black-and-white distinctions. And, when we are presented with stark choices, we aren’t always consistent in our choices. Occasionally, however, it can be helpful to see the choices we face in the context of the stories of our people. When we understand choices our forebears have made, there is much to be learned about the choices we face.

The bible is not arranged in chronological order. There was an attempt to do so, starting with the stories of creation and continuing through the historical books, prophets, gospels and epistles. But placing the books in that order means that they are not in the order in which they were written and first were used in worship and other ways by our people. More ancient than the stories of creation, the flood and some other material that begins our bible are the stories of Abraham and Sarah. Their departure from the land of their parents and grandparents was occasion for the beginnings of our people. Their grandson Jacob, wrestling with his conscience - and also with an angel - was given the name Israel. That name stuck as the name of the people and is now the name of a modern political state.

Abraham and Sarah found themselves out in the wilderness, far away from the familiar and far away from their traditional support systems. In a tribal culture where family depended on a large group of relatives, there were always others to provide help in the event of an illness or tragedy. Out in the desert, Abraham and Sarah found that they had to be creators, not inheritors.

Throughout the stories of our people we see the distinction that is frequently a struggle between the desire to build something new and the desire to lean on the work of previous generations. When Moses led the people out of the land of slavery into a new life of freedom, there were plenty of complainers. The security of the old system, even if it involved forced labor, was seen as preferable to life in the wilderness. The sense of entitlement that came with living in the same place and having your role defined was gone when they were on their own having to provide for their own needs.

Later, when they had come into the promised land, the people virtually demanded a king from God. Despite their learning that they were created in the image of God and creators themselves, they longed to be like the neighbors and have a king who inherited power and control. Having for a while left the wilderness behind they sought to develop patterns of inheritance and defined roles in the community. The people got kings with all of the attendant injustices. The prophets called them back into a new way of thinking but it took a series of dramatic setbacks before they remembered who they were.

I was reflecting between these two poles that draw people: creators and inheritors when conversing with someone who was dealing with the business, amidst the grief, of sorting out the estate of parents: “I’m sure other families aren’t like this, but we’re having a lot of conflict over the estate.” My response was that such conflict is way more common than one might imagine. Over the years, I have seen enough as a pastor to know that the process of inheriting is complex and difficult. I’ve witnessed a lot of people acting in ways that are contrary to their own best interest just to grab a piece of what they think they deserve.

There was a time when traditional inheritance customs served the continuation of families. Parents died as their children were launching into their adult lives, the inheritance of material wealth helped to launch businesses and support young children. But life expectancy has gotten a lot longer since those days. Today inheritance comes to most people after they are well established and often at a point where there is little need.

There is, however, a great sense of entitlement: “I just want to get what I deserve.”

What seems obvious to me, however, is that the greatest inheritance from previous generations has nothing to do with money or material value. Attitudes towards work, creativity, problem-solving skills, tenacity, and courage are far more valuable in this uncertain world than wealth. Unlike money, dividing up values and personal qualities does not make for smaller amounts. Two children inheriting a parent’s courage makes for more courage in the world, not less. Compassion and love also increase when shared.

A wise teacher once commented to me that the stories of our Hebrew Scriptures represent an on-going discovery that God’s promise is always about belonging to a people and never about owning a piece of real estate. The people, often, however, become confused and think that the promise is land. The psalmist takes this lesson a step farther: “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” (Psalm 24:1) The illusion of owning the land is just that: an illusion. It never has belonged to individuals - it has always belonged to God.

Therein lies a great distinction between creators and inheritors. Creators can own their creation. Inheritors possess their inheritance for a little while only. Perhaps the true purpose of an inheritance is not to possess it, but rather to pass it on to future generations - to continue the investment of previous generations.

It is a complex concept and one that I do not fully understand. And, as I said at the beginning of this blog post, I shy away from dividing people into camps. I’m sure each of us has some tendencies as creators and some as inheritors. There are, however, moments when you have to make a choice: Abraham and Sarah in the wilderness have to choose between going back and becoming inheritors or going forward and becoming creators. Would that I could find the courage to follow their example.

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