Passing The Baton. What Now?

I’m not ready to “pass the baton!” What now?

I was recently enjoying a conversation with a 20-year-old young man. We talked about how God was giving him wisdom and insight that I might not have because I’d grown up in a different world than him - No smartphones or social media, etc. Then he made a comment that shook me up a bit, “It’s like you’re passing the baton.” I thought, “huh?! Does that mean I’m done?” What if I don’t think my time is up and I don’t want to “pass the baton” yet?

Remember, a baton is passed a lot of times before it is passed for the last time.

As I considered our conversation, I realized the phrase “pass the baton” commonly communicates a kind of finality that doesn’t match the very metaphor that it’s drawn from. How many times do athletes who compete in relay races pass a baton? They pass it in practice and competition and in more practices and more competitions for years. So, how many times do professional relay athletes pass their baton? A lot!

Suppose a relay athlete who’s at the top of their game and has been competing for many years is placed on a team with a new young runner who has a lot of potential. Ideally, the two would develop into a really successful team as the seasoned athlete helps the new athlete step into their potential. During that time, likely after hundreds of baton passes, it will become clear that the younger athlete is ready to be the seasoned athlete to train someone else - ready for a kind of final baton pass.

A strong youth ministry will be like that. Where we do ministry with youth and not for them. Where we “pass the baton” again and again, back and forth with them as they train to be ministers themselves - just like Jesus

Some day there will be a final passing of the baton to the young man I’m running with, but not yet. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy competing on a team with him while praying that, when the time for the final passing comes, we’ll both be ready.

What are your thoughts?