Act as stewards, not owners
Act as stewards, not owners
To act as stewards, not owners, is to recognize that authority exists to care for, protect, and maintain balance—not to possess or exploit. Stewardship is responsibility exercised on behalf of others, including future generations.
Ownership ends obligation. Stewardship creates it.
Meaning of stewardship
Stewardship means:
- holding authority in trust
- caring for what cannot be replaced
- acting with restraint
- prioritizing long-term balance over short-term gain
- answering for consequences of use or neglect
Stewards serve law; they do not dominate it.
What is stewarded
Stewardship applies to:
- land and waters
- non-human beings
- crests and names
- authority and jurisdiction
- history and memory
- relationships between peoples
Nothing stewarded is disposable.
Limits on steward authority
Stewards:
- may not alienate what they hold
- may not convert stewardship into ownership
- may not erase history or obligation
- may not bind future generations without consent
Steward authority is always bounded.
Stewardship and accountability
Stewardship requires accountability through:
- witnessing
- feast acknowledgment
- fulfillment of responsibility
- correction when harm occurs
- transparency in conduct
Stewards must be answerable.
Stewardship during disruption
During disruption, stewardship:
- preserves continuity
- holds authority provisionally
- protects law from opportunism
- prepares for restoration
Stewardship prevents loss during instability.
Consequences of acting as owners
When stewards act as owners:
- authority becomes illegitimate
- responsibility is abandoned
- harm multiplies
- correction becomes necessary
Ownership behavior violates stewardship law.
Core principle
Authority is stewardship, not possession. What is held must be returned intact to those who come after.