A St. Patrick repost...

On this St. Patrick's Day, I thought I'd repost this reminder from last year:

Happy St. Patricks Day! It is more than beer, shamrocks and lucky charms.

St. Patrick was born a Romano-British citizen. He was taken by Irish invaders from Britain at age 16 and served as a slave in Ireland for six years. During that time he prayed, and he studied. He escaped slavery and went back home, but he later returned to the homeland of his captivity, Ireland, to spread the gospel and plant churches.

In the 5th century, it is believed that Patrick was responsible for the planting of over 200 churches and he won 1000's of people to Christ. When Patrick entered a new town or province, he would often befriend the local ruler and introduce him to Christ. Patrick would then establish monastaries for the training of Christians with a strong emphasis on mission. He effectively established missionary training centers throughout the country in order to reach the whole of Ireland.

Patrick also learned the local language, the old Gaelic, and translated the gospel into their culture. He used their colloquialisms. He studied their culture. And he helped them understand Christ within their own context. Here are a couple of classic examples:

1. It was Patrick that used the indigenous shamrock (three-leaf clover) to explain the Trinity to the Celts. Three leaves, one clover; three persons, one God.

2. It was also Patrick who used a druid symbol of reincarnation, the circle, overlayed it with a cross and created this "celtic cross". This was brilliant in two ways: 1) it used the current cultural symbolism to help them understand the gospel, and 2) it represented the triumph of the gospel over the false religions of the day.

As you wear your green today, remember the mission of St. Patrick!

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, and in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

- a prayer of St. Patrick