Recently our church celebrated 50 years of God’s faithfulness in ministry through our local church and the thousands of other churches planted worldwide through the work that began here in Hermosa Beach, California. It was truly a grand celebration, and a wonderful reunion with friends from near and far, some of whom I hadn’t seen in decades.
Represented were several generations of Christians committed to finishing the race and completing the task the Lord Jesus has given each one: the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20:24)
This got me thinking about the Biblical metaphor of the Christian life being like a race. We are instructed to run the race marked out for us with perseverance (Hebrews 12:1), and to run in such a way as to get the prize, not running aimlessly (1 Cor 9:24-27). Some have considered that race to be like a marathon, but the more I ponder the metaphor, the more I think it is like a relay race. ‘Finishing the race’ looks very different for marathons versus relay races. These distinctions can be very instructive.
In a marathon, athletes run on their own, as individuals. Finishing the race simply means crossing the finish line in the shortest time possible. But given the grueling distance covered, an athlete must pace himself so that he can make it to that finish line.
In contrast, a relay race is a team sport. No one runs alone. Finishing the race does not involve a finish line, but a successful handoff of the baton, which must be carried during the entire race. Given the shorter distance each runner covers in a relay, they run with all their might, not pacing, as in a marathon. For a Christian, we run with all His (Christ’s) energy. In Colossians, Paul writes of the task of proclaiming Christ, saying “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” (Col 1:29) There is no pacing; only a full-throttled run.
In a relay race, the handoff is crucial. A runner’s job is not done until the baton is securely in the hand of the next runner. The baton is not thrown from runner to runner, hoping it will be caught. It is carefully and intentionally placed into the hand of the next runner. The first runner slows down a bit to ensure the handoff is secure, running with the next runner, both holding the baton for a short time, as the new runner begins to pick up speed. Once secure, the first runner must release the baton so the new runner, with a burst of energy, can move away at his top speed, running with perseverance the race marked out for him.
In a relay race, each runner knows that his portion, in the grand scheme of things, is relatively short, and he must run with all his might. When I think about the race marked out for me (Hebrews 12:1), if I were to zoom out, I would see that I am just one runner in a long succession of runners, carrying the baton (the Gospel) to the next athlete (the next generation). The baton is the same baton that has been passed from generation to generation, from runner to runner, for centuries. Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, states that he has served the Church by fulfilling the commission God gave him to present to them the word of God in its fullness (Col 1:25). Likewise, we carry the baton, the Word of God, in its fullness, to the next generation. I will not demean a new generation by giving them a ‘gospel-lite’ version, as though they cannot handle the full Gospel. I will not alter the Gospel to suit a changing world. At the most crucial point in my race, if I do not hand off the same baton that I received, I am disqualified. If I drop the baton, I will have nothing to hand off to the next runner on my team.
The celebration of 50 years of God’s faithfulness brought so many runners together: some whose race is just beginning, and some who’ve been running for decades. Many older and younger athletes are running together in ministry, with the Gospel-baton handoff in motion even now.
This is where the race is won or lost: in the handoff.
In contrast, a relay race is a team sport. No one runs alone. Finishing the race does not involve a finish line, but a successful handoff of the baton, which must be carried during the entire race. Given the shorter distance each runner covers in a relay, they run with all their might, not pacing, as in a marathon. For a Christian, we run with all His (Christ’s) energy. In Colossians, Paul writes of the task of proclaiming Christ, saying “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” (Col 1:29) There is no pacing; only a full-throttled run.
In a relay race, the handoff is crucial. A runner’s job is not done until the baton is securely in the hand of the next runner. The baton is not thrown from runner to runner, hoping it will be caught. It is carefully and intentionally placed into the hand of the next runner. The first runner slows down a bit to ensure the handoff is secure, running with the next runner, both holding the baton for a short time, as the new runner begins to pick up speed. Once secure, the first runner must release the baton so the new runner, with a burst of energy, can move away at his top speed, running with perseverance the race marked out for him.
In a relay race, each runner knows that his portion, in the grand scheme of things, is relatively short, and he must run with all his might. When I think about the race marked out for me (Hebrews 12:1), if I were to zoom out, I would see that I am just one runner in a long succession of runners, carrying the baton (the Gospel) to the next athlete (the next generation). The baton is the same baton that has been passed from generation to generation, from runner to runner, for centuries. Paul, in his letter to the Colossians, states that he has served the Church by fulfilling the commission God gave him to present to them the word of God in its fullness (Col 1:25). Likewise, we carry the baton, the Word of God, in its fullness, to the next generation. I will not demean a new generation by giving them a ‘gospel-lite’ version, as though they cannot handle the full Gospel. I will not alter the Gospel to suit a changing world. At the most crucial point in my race, if I do not hand off the same baton that I received, I am disqualified. If I drop the baton, I will have nothing to hand off to the next runner on my team.
The celebration of 50 years of God’s faithfulness brought so many runners together: some whose race is just beginning, and some who’ve been running for decades. Many older and younger athletes are running together in ministry, with the Gospel-baton handoff in motion even now.
This is where the race is won or lost: in the handoff.
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