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

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.

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!”