“The Next Generation”

Forbes Magazine reported that Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, was the richest person in the United States in the 1980’s. Walton, a strong Christian, brought the concept of “service leadership” into the corporate structure of Walmart. The company flourished.

The Danforth family were major players in the founding and development of Ralston Purina, Washington University, and other major entities in St. Louis. Strong Christians, they brought Christian values and ethics into the highest levels of politics, medicine, and education. When I worked at Purina in the early 1970’s, I heared stories of the early days, when the day began with exercise and morning prayer. The famous “checkerboard” featured the four key components in life …. “Physical”, “Mental”, “Social”, and “Religious”. 

When I first came to work for Pfizer, Inc. in 1972, I met John McKeen, the retired chairman of the Board. As president and chairman, from 1950 to 1968, he transformed the small Brooklyn chemical company into a worldwide operation. He told me, “son if you work hard, take care of your family, and love God, you’ll do well at this company”. McKeen was a strong Catholic.

Sam Walton, John Danforth, and John McKeen are long passed. And unfortunately many of the values on which these great companies were built have also disappeared. It’s dismaying to read through the current brochures of these big institutions and so many others today.  You wonder if these pioneers and founders would recognize the entities they built.  Today you may see a focus on “renewing the planet, advancing diversity and inclusion….goals based on vague and confusing notions. The original vision no longer has prominence. 

So what can we gleam from this? Are there any lessons to be learned? Well one thing is that much of the things of life may only  last for one generation. Things that may have seemed  so solid still require constant maintenance; they don’t last on their own.  If the next generation doesn’t carry on the vision and legacy of a country, of the church, schools, they tend to crumble. 

A whole generation was not alive when 9/11 occurred 22 years ago; they didn’t experience the horrors. Without proper education, the lessons of that day will be lost.  I just saw a report that “23 percent of adults under 40 and 12 percent of all respondents believe the Holocaust is a myth and the number of Jews killed has been greatly exaggerated.” As Winston Churchill said in a 1948 speech to the British House of Commons, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. 

We’ve heard the phrase that  “God has no grandchildren”. Who’s replacing the Billy Grahams and Pope John Paul II’s in our world? Who’s replacing the John Danforths and John McKeens of Corporate & Educational life? It takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears and grace to pass on a legacy to the next generation. It’s not easy. Yet it is vital if the good things of a society are to be preserved and the horrors of history are not to be repeated. 

May the Lord help us to preserve and teach our children and grandchildren and next generation the truths of God. We can’t do it all, but we can do our part. Thank God we also have an army in heaven who are praying for us. And most importantly thank God we have the Holy Spirit helping us.  Let’s not worry, let’s just do what God calls us to do. And the next generations of saints and pioneers will take their place. And that will be very good news.