To many people, St. Patrick’s Day has to do with partying, or maybe it has to do with being (or pretending to be) Irish. But the real life of St. Patrick had to do with making a deep commitment to Jesus Christ. Patrick, kidnapped as a youth and sold into slavery in Ireland, found real life and hope through faith in Christ. After escaping from slavery and returning to Britain, he later returned to Ireland – to take the gospel message to the very people who had enslaved him. He was following in the way of Jesus, to “take up one’s cross” and to “love one’s enemies.” In the end, through great personal sacrifice, he transformed a society.

The real message of St. Patrick is not about green beer! It is about experiencing the transforming call of God to share in the expansive love of Jesus Christ.

Sunday’s Scripture Reading:
Ezekiel 33:30–32

About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.