
When considering the day, most of us think about wearing green and consuming green food (and beer). But there is a lot to be learned from St. Patrick and those early Christians among the Celts. I would recommend anyone to pick up George G. Hunter III's, The Celtic Way of Evangelism for a short but insightful overview of the early Christian influence in Ireland. Here are a few things that I find inspiring about Patrick and his early successors, according to Hunter:
- Love of Enemies: Patrick was from England, captured and enslaved by the Celts. He escaped and returned years later to minister to them.
- It's Never Too Late: He returned to Ireland in what was considered at that time, old age.
- Early Environmentalists?: Early Irish Christians had a high appreciation for the natural world and the Creators hand within it.
- Holistic View of Faith: Similarly, the early Christians in Ireland tended towards seeing God's presence everywhere, not just in church buildings.
- Urban Community: Rather than start monastic communities outside of town, they started theirs within villages, mixing monks and families together in one community.
Post[Pre?]-Colonial, Contextual and Unorthodox Ministry: Patrick and others respected the traditions and culture of those they ministered with and did their best to communicate the good news of God in a manner that related to their context–which lead them to be perceived as unorthodox and questioned to be heretical by Rome.
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