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The Five Generation Rule

The average lifespan of an American male currently stands at 76.1 years. If that statistic holds true, my life is more than half over. I’m 49 years old. Just a few months away from that half-century mark, otherwise known as the big 5-0! I’m a little bit grayer now, a little bit heavier, a little bit wrinklier but hopefully a little bit wiser, too. I’m happy to say that I am at a comfortable stage in my life. I have fully come to grips with “looking and feeling my age” since having become a quadragenarian. Truth be told, I am rejoicing! Not everyone reaches this peak. But now as I prepare for life’s slow descent I also can’t help but reflect on the importance of my legacy. 

     The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “legacy” as “a gift by will;” it is  “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor.” Upon passing, some of us leave money for our loved ones. Others leave real estate, or personal property of some kind. All leave memories. Regardless of who we might be, we all have a legacy to leave.

     Right at the turn of the 20th Century, American educator and journalist  A. E. Winship (1845–1933) focused his scholarly attention on the legacy of one particular man. He decided to trace the descendants of the renowned preacher and theologian, Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), almost 150 years after his death.  His findings are remarkable, especially when compared to a contemporary of Edward’s named Max Jukes.

     Winship selected the Puritan as a case-study due to the high moral principles, religious scholarship and tireless work ethic that Edwards displayed throughout much of his life. His research revealed that Edward’s legacy included: 1 U.S. Vice-President, 1 Dean of a law school, 1 dean of a medical school, 3 U.S. Senators, 3 governors, 3 mayors, 13 college presidents, 30 judges, 60 doctors, 65 professors, 75 Military officers, 80 public office holders, 100 lawyers, 100 clergymen, and 285 college graduates.

     Max Jukes’ legacy came to people’s attention in 1877 when the family trees of 42 different men in the New York prison system were traced back to him. Sociologist Richard L. Dugdale was the first to study the Jukes family in depth. His research revealed that Jukes’ descendants included: 7 murderers, 60 thieves, 190 prostitutes, 150 other convicts, 310 paupers, and 440 who were physically wrecked by addiction and alcoholism. Of the 1,200 descendants that were studied, 300 died prematurely.

     These contrasting legacies provide an example of what some call the five generation rule. “How a parent raises their child — the love they give, the values they teach, the emotional environment they offer, the education they provide — influences not only their children but the four generations to follow, either for good or evil.” What a challenging thought! If someone was to study your descendants four generations from now, what would you want them to discover? Do you wish to leave a positive legacy like Edwards’ full of life-long contributors, or a negative one like Jukes’ full of life-long convicts? The life you live today will determine the legacy you leave tomorrow!

— Ron Metheny 



Bible Verse: A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

— ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13:22‬ (‭ESV‬‬)


Quotable Quote: A hundred little inventions we all of us have for keeping our names going after we are dead. But with the wicked man it is all in vain.

— Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892)



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