LEGACY!

It was strange.

While traveling around Sri Lanka with a friend and his family, we visited some of the tea plantations about 100 miles from the capital, Colombo, in the highlands.

There it was—“Strathdon.” Strange.

Strange, because Strathdon is a place in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, a “strath” (river valley) of the River Don, about 50 miles west of my old haunt, Aberdeen (= mouth/confluence of Rivers Don and Dee).

But here? In Sri Lanka? Over 5,000 miles away from Aberdeen? In a whole different continent?

And beneath that name, was “Abergeldie.” That’s the name of a castle not too far from Strathdon, a castle close to the River Dee.

Strange!

I tell you, these Scots do get around.

Apparently these odd names (odd for Sri Lanka, that is) are a legacy of the Scots who established and ran most of the tea industry in that country in the 19^th century: the Scottish Ceylon [the old name for “Sri Lanka”] Tea Company. James Taylor, an enterprising Scotsman, set up the first tea factory there in 1872 and put Ceylon tea on the map. One million packets of Ceylon tea were sold at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.

Then, of course, there’s the intrepid Glaswegian, Tommy Lipton. Guess what he made a fortune in? After a visit to Sri Lanka in the 1890s, he bought up several tea estates, pioneering the use of a cable transport system to move sacks of plucked tea leaves between the steep hills and the valley processing factories below—still in use today. Queen Victoria knighted Tommy.

Towards the end of the 19^th century, “tea” was no longer synonymous with “China,” but with “Ceylon.” Even today, Sri Lanka is second only to India in tea production.

Thus “Strathdon Estate” and “Abergeldie Division,” still bearing the names of that influence from yon bonnie land.

The legacy of the Scots … in, of all places, Sri Lanka!

A good man leaves an inheritance

to his children’s children.

Proverbs 13:22

God has seen fit to use parents and pastors and teachers and trainers and elders and mentors to leave spiritual legacies for the next generation, to point them to Him.

In the fear of the LORD

there is strong confidence,

And his children will have refuge.

Proverbs 14:26

Indeed, we have a responsibility to model the fear of the Lord, the righteousness of walking with God, for the younger ones.

A righteous person

who walks in his integrity—

How blessed are his children after him.

Proverbs 20:7

Blessed are they who have had such legacies left to them.

But it is not just a one-way street.

There’s not much better than seeing your children, those in your flock, those you have disciple, those you have taught and trained, growing to be men and women after God’s own heart. That’s thrilling!

The father of the righteous

will greatly rejoice,

And he who sires a wise child

will be glad in him.

Let your father and

your mother be glad,

And let her rejoice

who gave birth to you.

Proverbs 23:24–25

The importance of leaving a legacy!

Train up a child

in the way he should go,

Even when he is old

he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Longlasting influence. A legacy that spans several generations.

Behold, for thus shall

the man be blessed

Who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion,

And may you see

the prosperity of Jerusalem

all the days of your life.

Indeed, may you see

your children's children.

Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 128:4–6

Amen!