Can We Get the Baton Round?

I love watching sport. This past week we’ve been treated to the European Athletics Championships hosted in Birmingham. As I write we have one more evening to go with a possible 10 Gold Medals to be won. Can Great Britain and Northern Ireland claim the top slot of the medal table? 

Saturday night was a sporting spectacle with both our women’s and men’s 4x100m teams winning Gold. It was beautiful to watch both races last night, our teams were superb. 

If you listen to replay commentary, there is always the well used line “can we get the baton round?” The relay isn’t just the speed of the runners, but it totally depends on ensuring the baton is passed safely from each runner to the next. It is a skill. It takes a lot of practice and there have been many, many races where there has been bitter disappointment when an outstretched arm and open hand don’t manage to make that safe grab. Race over!

It made me think about Paul saying to the church in Corinth when he wrote: 

“For we are co-workers in God’s service”

1 Corinthians 1: 9 

We are working together to be a well-practiced relay team, each bringing different skills and characteristics and with a sense of God’s timing. Paul put it like this,

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.” 

1 Corinthians 1:6 

Together we participate in building God’s kingdom, and it takes us all to be on the team. It doesn’t work unless we work together and the care we have for one another is at the heart of our work. Just like the care of placing the baton in our hands and ensuring what is precious is safely passed on as we all run the race of life.

Lord God, thank you for the gift of life 

and the path you have set before me. 

Grant me endurance, clear focus 

and the skill to play my part 

and pass on the baton 

as I work with others in the daily call 

to build your Kingdom here on earth. Amen.