By Mark Grace, CCCNZ Ambassador
Na, i tenei kapua nui o nga kaiwhakaatu e karapoti nei i a tatou, whakarerea e tatou nga whakataimaha katoa, me te hara whakaeke tata, kia manawanui hoki tatou ki te oma i te omanga e takoto nei i to tatou aroaro; Me te titiro pu ano ki a Ihu, ki te kaitimata, ki te kaiwhakaoti i te whakapono…
O lenei, o i tatou o ē o lo‘o si‘omia e le fa‘apotopotoga tele o tagata molimau, ‘ia tatou tu‘u‘eseina mea mamafa uma, ‘atoa ma le agasala o lo‘o pipi‘i mai, a ‘ia tatou taufetuli ma le ‘onosa‘i i le tausiniōga ‘ua feagai ma i tatou. Ma ‘ia va‘ava‘ai atu ‘iā Iesu, lē na te ta‘ita‘iina, ma o ia fo‘i e fa‘a‘ato‘atoaina lo tatou fa‘atuatua…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…
Hebrews 12:1-2
In one of the most anticipated events of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, both the U.S. men's and women's 4x100 relay teams were eliminated—not because they weren’t fast enough, but because they dropped the baton. Speed wasn’t the issue; the handover was.
There’s something very Christian about the relay race. There’s a Christian metaphor not in the sprint to individual greatness, but in the rhythm of receiving and releasing, of running intently with what you’ve been entrusted, and passing it on well. That’s what Paul saw. That’s what Paul did.
Again and again, Paul describes the Christian life in athletic terms. “Run in such a way as to get the prize,” he urges in 1 Corinthians 9. And in his final letter to Timothy, Paul reflects: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
Paul never imagined he’d run the race alone. His eyes were always on the next runner—Timothy, Titus, Silas. His passion was working towards the handoff.
Think of the Old Testament handoffs. Moses didn’t enter the Promised Land, but he laid hands on Joshua, charging him with courage and strength. David didn’t get to build the temple, but he prepared everything so Solomon could. Elijah didn’t finish alone but passed his baton to Elisha.
Again and again, God shows us that leadership is not a solo sprint but a sacred relay. Each generation receives the baton of faith, runs with it, and passes it on.
The same is true for us. Whatever God has entrusted to us—our families, our ministries, our work, our witness—it isn’t ours to hold onto forever. We run our leg of the race with faithfulness and then hand it on with joy.
In the course of the Christian life, the question is not only, “Are we running well?” but also, “Are we preparing the next runner to take the baton?” May we be found faithful in both.
