I took some time to watch the Olympic Torch Relay as it meandered by the church on a Tuesday morning not too long ago. Being a sports fan, I have enjoyed following the path of the torch across our nation, noting people who have been chosen to carry the torch. Not that I am bitter at all, but I was not chosen to carry it (rats!), I would have loved to carry it (along with thousands of other rejectees).
There are so many spiritual lessons I could pontificate on in reference to the torch, the flame, the relay, the connections,….One comes quickly to my mind; the idea of “handing off the torch”. The flame is carefully guarded along the way – the scripture tells us, “Above all else, guard our heart, it is the wellspring of life (Prov. 4:23)”. Carrying the flame has proven to be an honour that those who have participated in the relay, in fact organizers have noted that people carrying the flame have typically been holding the torch high in the air, higher than they had anticipated. It shows the pride and honour people feel when being a torch bearer. Spiritually, those who carry the torch of faith, the good news of Christ, can celebrate being a recipient of God’s grace.
The torch is always passed along, and as careful as the journey is for each person, the handoff is vitally important and celebrated. I believe it is important for us to intentionally pass the flame or torch of faith on to others, to pass it on carefully, deliberately and celebrate the faith journey. We need to do that, person to person, people to people, and generation to generation. Let the hand offs continue and let them run! Pass the flame on…