On Monday we will once again commemorate the most famous
Irishman who ever lived. No, I’m not talking about Bono, although I would be in
full support of having a day dedicated to him. I am speaking of the man we
venerate by drinking green beer and pinching each other: Saint Patrick.
Folklore about Patrick abounds. One legend says he chased
all the snakes out of Ireland. Another says his walking stick magically grew
into a living tree. But, I think the truth about him is even more interesting.
Patrick was born in 387 AD in Britain. At the tender age of
16 he was kidnapped by pirates, taken to Ireland, and forced into slavery as a
shepherd by the cruel king Miliucc. For six long years he
wandered the Irish hills, utterly alone.
In his loneliness, Patrick began to call out to God. There was no one else to whom he could turn. As Patrick spent his days and nights in prayer, his
loneliness lifted and in its place settled an assurance of God’s presence with
him. Over time he developed an extraordinarily close relationship with God and
a rock solid faith.
Eventually, Patrick was able to escape Miliucc’s grasp and make
his way home to Britain. But this is not the end of the story. Incredibly, a
few years later Patrick made the brave decision to go back to Ireland to
evangelize the very people who had enslaved him. He became a missionary, traveling throughout Ireland and sharing the gospel wherever
he went. The Irish people warmly welcomed him, eagerly receiving the good news
of Christ. He was so well-loved that, upon his death, the nation made him
their patron saint.
Patrick discovered his calling in a very interesting way: through being exiled. He had to live for a time in a state of forced absence
from his country, his home, and his family in order to get to know God better. The Bible is full of similar
stories of the exiled: Abraham followed God’s call into a strange new land. Both Moses and John the Baptist lived alone in the wilderness for years. David and
Elijah had to hide out in caves because their lives were in danger. With each of
these men, as with Patrick, God used the pain and loneliness of exile to draw them to Himself and develop spiritual maturity.
Perhaps today you are finding yourself in a place of
personal “exile.” Maybe you are newly divorced, or jobless, or away from the
family that you love. Or maybe your exile is more internal – a sense of emptiness
or lack of purpose. Could it be that God has allowed this time in order to draw
you closer to Him? Maybe God is busy doing a deep work in you to prepare you
for your calling and, when it is over, you will have an exciting new sense of purpose and
emerge ready to make your mark on the world -- just as Patrick did.
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