Well, me lads and lades it’s that time of year again; March brings to mind the admiration I have for Saint Patrick, himself I do. I am still trying to read through my copy of the Celtic (not Seltic, its Keltic) way of Evangelism by George Hunter. It is a wonderful book that I am slowly digesting. Hunter states that in a post Christian world like we live in today that Celtic Christianity is the way to win the souls of today’s people. I tend to agree with him. I think we have seen the day of big revivals. People will be won today in a one on one experience. Each of us must hear the same call Patrick did to win the world by winning individuals to Christ.
You many not know this but Patrick was a real person not just some green suited little person. He was born in England, captured by slave traders when a boy, and sold into bonds in Ancient Ireland. He spent his time watching sheep there (what is it about sheep and God experiences?) where he truly had a spiritual transformation. God directed him home and he gave his life to God and the Ministry. Strangely he couldn’t shake the call of God to go back to his former land of slavery and witness the message of salvation his former masters. He organized missions that included someone to proclaim the gospel, others to live out the gospel and relate to the local population, and artisans who would help the music and art loving heathen Irish accept the love of God. This was different than anyone else had done it before which accounts for why the Irish were still without the hope of Christ. The Roman Catholic missionaries worked on the rulers, got them to convert to Catholicism and then proclaim that all their people had made the same decision. So you had a lot of people who didn’t have any type of personal relationship with Christ. Patrick saw his call to win the common people and work his way up to the rulers after the kingdom had converted. Generations after Patrick his missionaries were doing the same thing, moving into an area, loving people, working along side people and through the process of spiritual osmosis winning those people to a personal faith in Christ Jesus.
Of course the Adversary doesn’t like such things. He had the Church in Rome come into conflict with the Celtic Church. Eventually through working in the politics of Earthly kingdoms they put the Kee-bosh on the missionary efforts of Celts. Such an effort has born fruit in the empty cathedrals of Europe today. People will turn away from just ritual if it doesn’t create relationship.
However, Celtic Christianity didn’t die out. It just went back home to places like Iona and Irish Monasteries who continued to copy bibles and other books. This work of Celtic priest keeps ancient knowledge from passing away. It also helped give birth to the Reformation a few hundred years later that helped take the gospel around the globe.
So when we go to our neighbor, Dallas life, NYC, or anywhere with the good news of Jesus we are helping complete Patrick’s mission. God has called all of us to “Go ye therefore”
