For most of the Western World, Saint Patrick’s day is an opportunity to drink green bear and for the Irish to get their pride on. Usually, all of this results in something that is less than glorifying to God. So what’s a Christian to do with St. Patrick’s Day?
As a pastor and father, my decision has been to tell my children the real story of Patrick. It’s a story of God’s amazing grace and the power of the gospel to transform lives. Specifically, to so radically transform the life of young man that he would take the gospel to the very people who kidnapped and enslaved him years before. It’s a story about how God used such a man to bring the gospel of Christ where it had never been before.
Therefore, St. Patrick’s day isn’t really about Patrick at all. Instead it’s about the loving sacrifice of a great Savior, the sweet and sovereign providence of his loving Father, and the empowering presence of his Spirit. It’s a day that cries out for Christians everywhere to give glory to God.
And to seek to live faithfully in the same spirit as Patrick, so well spoken by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5.
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
– 2 Corinthians 5:14-21
You can read more about Patrick in this article.
Even better, you can buy a great book about him.
Or you can just watch this video (with or without kids):
MAGNIFY CHRIST 