Letters from Rev. Jonathan Foster
September 2010
Dear Friends,
“Relay”
About a month before this magazine will be issued the European Athletics championships took place. Great Britain performed well in them, taking a large number of medals. I didn’t see very much of them as I was camping and didn’t have access to a TV, but I did see one picture in a newspaper that made me think.
It was the women’s relay race, and there were a number of athletes in the picture firmly clutching their relay batons, racing ahead. The focus of the picture, however, was on one team, in the midst of the changeover, dropping their baton. The anguish on their faces, with the clear knowledge that they were now out of the race, was very striking.
One particular use of the image of ‘relay’ is that of ‘relaying’, passing on, a message. That is a very large part of the Christian faith – we are called to pass on the message of Jesus. His parting words to his disciples as recorded by Matthew were “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age”.
How do we relay the message of Jesus and his love, and of his call to all people to follow him? Firstly, by proclaiming it, making it public and available to people. The Alpha Course is one contemporary means for doing this, publicised widely, inviting people to come and discover more about God and to bring their questions. We will be running a course later this year. The Christian media, books, music and press are another resource. There is a wide range of outlets available and the internet has added to them. Have a search, if you use the web, or try a local bookshop or library.
Secondly, however, Jesus knew that words on their own may not get the message across. He lived that out himself: preaching and healing, teaching about God’s love and showing it himself, in action, to the ultimate extent of laying down his life as a sacrifice. Jesus also taught his followers to live their faith, to be part of the message. “You are the salt of the earth”, he said, speaking of the distinctive flavour and dynamic cleansing, preserving and enhancing quality that salt brings. “You are the light of the world --- let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (see Matthew 5: 13-16). His brother James would later write, “I will show you my faith by what I do” (James 2: 18). These two strands of word and action are still integral parts of Christians’ work of ‘relaying’, passing on, the message of Jesus.
In a relay race two people are involved in the handover of a baton, the giver and receiver. There needs to be a willingness on the part of the one receiving to take on the baton, and enough communication between the two for an effective handover. Applying this analogy to the handing on/sharing of the Christian message, the importance of Christians’ involvement in the wider community and meaningful engagements with it, cannot be emphasised enough.
Happily in Parkstone and Poole there is a strong tradition of Christians being fully engaged in their neighbourhoods and wider community, many too come to bring their children to baptism, or to share their marriage vows or to commend their loved ones to God through a funeral. These are also vital moments in which the message of Jesus is relayed to the next generation.
Like those in a relay race, let us take great care to hand over what has been entrusted to us.
With very best wishes
Jonathan Foster
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