Generations

This year, one of my resolutions has been to read the entire Bible chronologically. It being January, I am still in Genesis. This time through, the element of the book that has struck me most forcibly has been the multi-generational mindset implied by God's promises to Abraham and Isaac.
Think about it. Abraham leaves his homeland and follows a God he does not know because of the promise of blessing for himself and the promise, "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing" (12.2, ESV). A generation later, He renews that promise to Isaac, "Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and will bless you, for to you and to your offspring I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath that I swore to Abraham your father. I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" (26.3-3). Certainly, these promises offered benefits for Abraham and Isaac during their lifetimes. But it strikes me that their obedience must have been largely motivated by the desire for their descendants to be established. This has certainly become an important part of our understanding of the Abrahamic covenant.

In 1780, John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife Abigail, "I must study Politicks and War that my sons may have liberty to study Mathematicks and Philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematicks and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce, and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, musick, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelaine." As a student of poetry, I enjoy this quote. More importantly, however, the outlook Adams expressed is one similar to that of the fathers of Israel.
As a relatively young person, I am used to thinking of myself as a member of the next generation. But I'm an adult. And that means that I have a responsibility to worry about my future descendants--future relatives, future believers, future citizens of my country and the world. So what does that mean?
Probably a lot of things. But I need to explore its exact implications much more seriously and intentionally.
Sara Groves recorded a song called "Generations" that summarizes this staggering responsibility well: "Remind me of this with every decision: / Generations will reap what I sow. / I can pass on a curse or a blessing / To those I will never know."