Image courtesy of 'george_washington' in the Flickr Creative Commons
Today is St. Patrick’s Day. We’ll celebrate by wearing green and pinching those who don’t. We may eat some corned beef and cabbage, laugh about pots of gold, and move along with our lives.
I’d encourage you to take a few moments to remember the legacy of Saint Patrick and apply it to your life today.
Tradition teaches us that Patrick was born in the 4th century (c.387) to a wealthy deacon in Roman-controlled Britain. At 16, Patrick was kidnapped by the Irish and held as a slave on the Emerald Isle. After escaping and arriving safely back to Britain, Patrick devoted himself to a mission of mercy. Refusing to let the actions of a few drive him toward a xenophobic bitterness, Patrick saw an opportunity for forgiveness and sharing the love of Christ. He returned to Ireland and founded the Church in Ireland.
Why not start a new St. Patrick’s Day tradition and forgive someone that has treatly you wrongly? Show a random act of compassion to someone that could use help or encouragement. That’s a tradition worth carrying on!
Mark Forrester 