St. Patrick's Day

The Importance of Redeeming Pegan Symbols

1 Comment / celebrations, Faith, Knowing God, outreach / By / March 1, 2023 / , ,
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St. Patrick’s Day is Just 10 Days Away !

Before humans wrote—they drew—the quest to express and record thoughts in visual form launched early. The first written languages consisted of symbols, not letters. Early Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese manuscripts bear witness; the written Chinese language utilizes characters representing words. With over 50,000 characters (an educated Chinese person knows about 8,000), it’s a complicated language entirely based on symbols. Even in an age of prolific literacy, art remains full of symbolism. Symbolism helps us see and learn beyond letters.

Christians have a long history of redeeming symbolism. We tell stories and teach Biblical truth through symbols. The Lord instituted Passover, and the shedding of a spotless lamb’s blood pictured the Messiah’s redemptive work on the cross.

The Apostal Paul in Athens pointed to the monument erected to the unknown God and made the One True God known. Imagine the challenge of teaching illiterate people in ways they can see. Symbolism does that. We use symbols, like the colors in the wordless book, to teach preschoolers.

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We use evergreen Christmas trees to teach them about everlasting life.

St. Patric used shamrocks to teach the triune nature of God. He also pointed to an ancient Irish symbol for eternity, the circle (also representative of the sun), and taught the eternal nature of the true Son of God—Jesus—the Light of the World. The early Christians in Ireland redeemed Celtic knots to decorate crosses. They created trinity knots to expand the teaching of good theology.

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As St. Patrick’s Day decorations fill our communities this year, let’s be mindful and ready to talk to others about the rich Christian heritage symbolized in so many of them. St. Patrick spent his life in Ireland making disciples; using the decorations around us to do the same seems like a great way to honor him and celebrate the holiday. Let’s redeem a day that has devolved into drunken parties and share the message of salvation with those around us

. “In the knowledge of this faith in the Trinity, and without letting the dangers prevent it, it is right to make known the gift of God and his eternal consolation.” St. Patrick

What do Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Saint Patrick have in Common?

1 Comment / celebrations, Faith, Spiritual warfare / By / March 2, 2022 / , , , , ,

Legendary Courage!

As war rages in Ukraine, it’s business as usual in America. On St. Patrick’s day. Parades will march through our streets with marching bands and shamrock-covered floats. I predict many will wear blue and yellow armbands to support Ukraine. Who knows, maybe in Chicago, they’ll dye the river yellow and blue and watch it turn green? Then, the bars will fill in the evening, and glasses will be raised to Zelensky, toasting his courage as the usual drunken debauchery unfolds. This kind of celebration is not what Patrick envisioned when he left Britain and returned to Ireland.

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Irish slave traders kidnapped Patrick (born a free Roman citizen) from his homeland in Britain when he was seventeen. He was one of few who escaped this fate. After returning to Britain, he came to saving faith. He returned to Ireland with a burning desire to see God transform the heart of the Irish people. His courage stands as an example to us today.

“It was not by my own grace, but God who overcame it in me, and resisted them all so that I could come to the peoples of Ireland to preach the gospel. I bore insults from unbelievers, so that I would hear the hatred directed at me for traveling here. I bore many persecutions, even chains, so that I could give up my freeborn state for the sake of others. If I be worthy, I am ready even to give up my life most willingly here and now for his name. It is there that I wish to spend my life until I die, if the Lord should grant it to me.” from Saint Patrick’s Confessio

As Zelensky stands against Putin, he understands the cost. Patrick understood the cost of returning to Ireland. Are we willing to lay down our lives for something greater than pleasure and comfort? Is the freedom the Gospel brings worthy of our sacrifice?

Yes! But will we count the cost?

Real courage isn’t rhetoric. It’s easy to imagine what we would say or do in dangerous circumstances. I waste a lot of time daydreaming like that. Yet, we shy away from sharing Christ because we don’t want to offend people. That’s like failing to do CPR on a person who passes out in front of us for fear of being sued. If we can save lives, shouldn’t we?

Courage shows up in hard places; we choose bravery, or we don’t. Many around us will head to the bar on St. Patrick’s Day. Before that happens, let’s ask them a bold question, “What do you know about St. Patrick?” Then let’s be bolder yet and thrust the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God—into the conversation. It doesn’t matter if they don’t believe the Bible is God’s truth. As a wise old pastor once said, “poke ‘em with it anyway!”

Remember Saint Patrick!