Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Saint Patrick lived in the fifth century A.D. and was a Roman Briton. When Patrick was about sixteen years old, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave.

At this young age, Patrick’s faith was practically nonexistent. It was during his years of slavery that his faith would develop and grow. While in Ireland, Patrick tended sheep and would pray, sometimes uttering up to 100 prayers a day. This life of slavery spent shepherding and praying continued for six years.

One night while sleeping, Patrick heard a voice telling him that he would soon return to his homeland. He later heard a voice say, “Behold, your ship is ready.” This was no doubt exciting news to Patrick. However, he would soon find out the ship was also 200 miles away. Patrick escaped his captors and set out to find the ship that would take him back home. On the very day that he arrived at the harbor the ship was set to depart.

It was not smooth sailing from there (see what I did there?). Patrick had to talk his way onto the ship, endure three days at sea and then a lengthy journey back to his countrymen. During his travels he was even taken captive again for two months! Eventually, Patrick did make it home and was once again back with his family.

This by itself would have been an amazing story with a happy ending, but it wasn’t the end of Patrick’s story at all.

One night Patrick had a vision of a man coming from Ireland with innumerable letters asking him to return to Ireland. Rather than being filled with anger or resentment at his former oppressors, Patrick records, “I was stung intensely in my heart so that I could read no more.”

Patrick’s heart broke for the people of Ireland who did not yet know Jesus Christ. He decided that he would return to Ireland, to the very people who had kidnapped and enslaved him. He would return and bring with him the Gospel message.

There is so much in Patrick’s story that I find inspiring, but for the sake of brevity, I’ll focus on three quick lessons that jump out to me.

First, I can’t help but see the parallels between Patrick and Israel’s greatest king, David. 

David too was a shepherd who spent hours every day watching sheep. Like Patrick, David learned to commune with God through these times. Patrick and David both had little idea what God was going to do with them in the future and how these times of solitude were preparation for a greater work to come.

We too don’t know what our future holds. Maybe you’re currently doing great things for God, or maybe you’re bored out of your mind “watching sheep” (or whatever seemingly mundane thing is your equivalent). Even in the day-to-day patterns and rhythms of life, we can deepen our relationship with God. With Him the waiting is never wasted.

Secondly, Patrick’s story reminds me that God calls us to a life of purpose, not of ease. 

When Patrick felt God’s call to return to his homeland, it began a rather harrowing journey. Yes, his ship was ready, but it took effort and faith for him to reach it, and even then, he faced several more challenges along the way. I’m sure there was more than one occasion where Patrick questioned what God was doing.

It reminds me of the patriarch of the faith, Abraham, who was called by God to “Go from your country, your people, and your father’s household to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1). Abraham trusted God and left behind everything. God did eventually bless Abraham, but there were bumps along the way. Genesis 12:10 tells us that after Abraham arrived, “there was a famine in the land…” Imagine the confusion he felt—he followed God’s direction and immediately faced hardship. I don’t want to speak for Abraham, but I know I would be asking God what was going on.

Faithfulness isn’t just the initial obedience; it’s continual obedience and trust. Abraham had to trust God even when things looked different than he imagined. The same was true of Saint Patrick and the same is true of us. We trust God in the oasis and garden, and we must also trust Him in the valley and desert.

Finally, the overarching theme of Saint Patrick’s life, to me, is that of forgiveness. 

When Patrick feels the call to return to Ireland, his heart breaks for his former captors. Patrick so deeply experienced the Gospel message that it naturally overflowed in love for others, even those who had oppressed him. In Christ, we have been forgiven of far more than we could ever forgive. We should not only seek to live with a spirit of forgiveness, but with hearts that genuinely desire to see others come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.

Saint Patrick lived an incredible life, but what made it so incredible is what God did in and through him. 

Ultimately, the story of Saint Patrick points me to the story of my Savior, Jesus Christ, who willingly laid down His life so that I could be saved. Acts 4:12 tells us, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” In Jesus, we can receive the greatest gift of all, forgiveness and reconciliation with God. We all need to embrace that message for ourselves, but that’s not the end of the road. Like Patrick, we are called not only to believe the Gospel message but to share it with others.