If you’re like me, as March 17th approaches and we begin to hear the name of St. Patrick, you probably think of shamrocks, the color green, parades, and other gatherings. You also probably remember getting pinched as a result of not wearing the correct color, or pinching others who were not properly dressed for the holiday. Furthermore, if you’re similar to me, when you hear of St. Patrick, you naturally consider a holiday rather than the man for whom the holiday is named. Well, as people who appreciate the incarnational nature of Young Life, we’re also people who will truly value the story and ministry of St. Patrick, who has been considered patron saint of barbers, barrel makers, blacksmiths, cattle, engineers, people who are excluded, miners, those against snakes and, might I carefully suggest, Young Life leaders! For, as you familiarize yourself with the story of St. Patrick, you cannot help but see the parallels between the pillars of his ministry and those of Young Life. Consider this bio:
Born, Maewyn Succat, to parents Calpurnius and Conchessa, Patrick spent his early years in (Roman) Britain, in the present-day geography of England, Scotland and Wales. Though there is not absolute agreement, many argue Patrick was born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland in 387. Born to a wealthy family, his father was a deacon and his mother a relative of Saint Martin of Tours; they were Romans living in Britain, in charge of the colonies. As such, they were targets of Irish pirates, a possibility that became a reality when 14-year-old Patrick was taken captive by a group of Irish marauders to Ireland.
In Ireland, Patrick was pressed into servitude, tending flocks and fields. He was isolated and alone, clinging to his faith and hope of someday finding freedom. As a testament to his faith during this season, it is said that he turned to God in prayer, writing, “The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same. I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain.” It would take six years before Patrick, at the age of 20, could escape and walk 200 miles to the coast where he would receive safe passage on a ship and, eventually, reunite with his family in Britain.
Going to Where Others Are
Upon returning home and reacclimating to life in Britain, Patrick spent 15 years in theological training, before embracing a call that is both shocking and inspiring. Patrick returned to Ireland and brought the Good News to the very people who had imprisoned and mistreated him as a boy! Legend has it that Patrick had a dream, in which the people of Ireland were calling out to him, “We beg you, holy youth, to come and walk among us once more.” So, in response, at around the age of 46, the Spirit led Patrick back to Ireland — to the very nation and people he sought to escape — as a missionary, armed with the gospel. The year was approximately 432 and paganism was still dominant as Patrick arrived on the other side of the Irish Sea. “I dwell among gentiles,” he wrote, “in the midst of pagan barbarians, worshipers of idols, and of unclean things.”
Although returning to a pagan culture that once kidnapped and enslaved you is not the average story of a Young Life leader, the idea of entering a foreign place, “Going to where kids are,” is the call and privilege of every Young Life missionary. Though most of the time it may not require crossing an ocean or language barrier, every leader knows the experience of crossing a parking lot, gym, field, or lunch room to enter the world of adolescents. This “going” is not unique to Young Life, or St. Patrick, for that matter; rather it is the call of Jesus and can be seen, among many places, in John 4:4, as the Gospel writer says, “Now he (Jesus) had to go through Samaria.” Anyone familiar with the preferred travel routes in Jesus' time knows the vast majority of Jewish people skirted Samaria, opting for a route that would not put them in contact with the Samaritans. The only reason Jesus “had to go through Samaria,” was because of his heart for others and a divine appointment with a woman at a well. Patrick simply followed in Jesus’ footsteps, and we do as well.
Building Bridges of Friendship and Earning the Right to Be Heard
In Patrick’s return to Ireland, he not only understood their language, having spent six years of his life there, but he also understood the religious sensibilities of druidism and paganism, and used relatable images. Images like the shamrock, which Patrick used to teach about the Holy Trinity; the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Or, the Celtic cross, which Patrick created in an effort to connect the significance of Christ’s death on the cross with the Irish people’s veneration for the sun. Furthermore, legend has it that upon his return, Patrick paid his former master the full ransom price of a slave as “compensation” for his escape. Patrick’s ability to deliver his message in ways the Irish could understand, and his willingness to, in the words of Colossians 4:5, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity,” had a profound impact. Within a century, the entire nation of Ireland had converted to the religious faith of one of its former slaves! Prior to his death at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, March 17, 461, Patrick, venerated as St. Patrick from the seventh century on, had led countless people to faith in Christ and had established many monasteries, churches and schools.
In the spirit of St. Patrick and his Lord and Savior, Jesus, whom he emulated, Young Life leaders also seek to build bridges of friendship and earn the right to be heard. Like Patrick embracing the native Irish language, Young Life leaders seek to speak in terms that adolescents can understand. Furthermore, the use of images, word pictures, and popular media is a hallmark of Young Life communication. Leaders want to understand the culture they’re ministering in, and will often utilize the things teenagers already know to convey a spiritual truth. Like the Apostle Paul in Athens, in Acts 17:22, when he speaks to his Greek listeners about an altar with “an inscription: to an unknown God,” Young Life leaders observe, listen, recognize and utilize those things that point to God. These images might be found in a popular movie or song, a current event or a personal experience.
Also, under the banner of Colossians 4:5, which the King James Version interprets as “Walk in wisdom,” Young Life leaders apprentice Jesus and emulate St. Patrick as they look for ways to wisely serve schools, administrators, teachers, and parents, while being positive, healthy, role models for kids. While Patrick paid a seemingly unnecessary “compensation” to a former master, Young Life leaders also encounter costs as they invest their time, talents, and treasure in countless ways. All of this serves to “win a hearing” and draw others to Christ.
In closing, as we reflect on the amazing leader St. Patrick was and the incredible ways God used him in Ireland, there is a famous prayer credited to him. On March 17 (and every other day of the year!), it’s appropriate to speak this over our Young Life leaders and the mission at large. Join me in lifting up “The Breastplate Prayer” of Saint Patrick…
“Christ be within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ inquired, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.”
Amen
Written by Jonathan Schultz