“Before I was humiliated I was like a stone that lies in deep mud, and he who is mighty cameand in his compassion raised me up and exalted me very high and placed me on the top of the wall.” – St. Patrick
To celebrate St. Patrick is to celebrate the power of the One True God who continues to work in those of us stones that lie in modern mud.
Irish raiders stole Patrick from his family, enslaving him for six years until he escaped back to his family in Britain. After entering the church, Patrick returned to Ireland – to the people who had held him in slavery – serving them as a missionary and spreading the truth of Jesus Christ.
Today, before you don the green, cook up the corned beef, or raise a pint, consider those who have committed wrongs against you – those who perhaps held your spirit captive – and choose, like St. Patrick, to forgive them, even to reach out to them, serve them, in the power of the name of Jesus Christ.
People harmed many of us in our youth. Like St. Patrick who was taken captive or Joseph, the dreamer, sold by his brothers into slavery,
we experienced harm and a certain type of bondage that interrupted our direct track to growing as we thought we should. St. Patrick and Joseph both found the power of God to be stronger than the power of those who had done them wrong.
They overcame through the spirit of Jesus Christ and not only broke free but forgave those who wronged them. Rather than being crippled by their captors, they translated their experiences into the language of God’s love and wove it into a greater story.
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day is to celebrate a kind of freedom that many still have not experienced. The freedom to forgive those who have harmed us and to live our lives defined – not by them – but by our devotion to the truth and to Jesus Christ.
It isn’t an easy path. But it is possible path. Jesus. Jesus is the Way. Ask Patrick. He found the road. Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
A celebration of those, freed by Christ, who spent their freedom serving others.
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Lori,
As a former Irish Catholic (I’m still Irish..lol), I grew up hearing the story of St. Patrick, about driving out snakes and potato famines, and such.
I NEVER heard the story told as one of forgiveness, of mercy; as a pray for those who hate and curse and spitefully use you kind of a story.
THANK YOU so much for opening my eyes to such a wonderful story which sadly seems to have been hidden, for me anyway, amid the food, the booze, the parades and the wearin’ of the green.
Thank you Lori for this and other encouraging blogs. I agree with Pam, only story I ever heard was the “snake” one, so grateful to read about the forgiveness part which always leads to redemption and restoration.