Would the Cancel Culture Dare Cancel Saint Patrick?

In our culture that has drifted so far from the anchor of biblical truth and our Judeo-Christian heritage, nothing should surprise us anymore. In our nationwide celebration of the spiritual titan, Saint Patrick, can we expect his name and legacy also to be put on the chopping block?

Recently Franklin Graham wrote, “Madness is sweeping across our country. I am referring to the ever-widening spread of what has been dubbed cancel culture, the suppression and intolerance of people whose viewpoints differ from what our godless society has deemed fitting and appropriate. Not surprisingly, the overwhelmingly left-wing cancel culture has aimed its most vicious verbal darts squarely at Christians …”

Seeking ways to stir up hornet’s nests, anti-God, anti-marriage, anti-family and anti-freedom forces look for what they can tear down to topple traditional America. It’s not just fictional characters like Mr. Potato Head, Pepe le Pew, Peter Pan, Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben but historical icons like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Christopher Columbus and Thomas Jefferson. San Francisco recently removed over 44 heroes from high school names!

Before they aim their heat-seeking missiles at the historical Christian leader whom we honor this week in America and abroad, let’s “head them off at the pass” by eliminating the myths they can legitimately point out. Let’s take the wind out of their sails and then again honor one of the greatest Christian leaders who ever lived.

5 Myths Surrounding Patrick

— Patrick was not Irish.

— As a young man, he had no interest in God.

— He never drove out any snakes because there were none in Ireland.

— His use of a shamrock to teach the Trinity is cute for children, but it’s just a myth.

— There is no such thing as a leprechaun.

Now I’m not a party pooper. I enjoy a celebration, but I enjoy it even more when I understand what’s legitimate and what’s legend.

With St. Patrick’s Day and all the green, the parades, parties with Irish stew and toasts to the “luck of the Irish,” let’s get behind the blarney to focus on an incredible man of God who transformed a nation through the proclamation of the gospel and the planting of churches.

The Real Story of St. Patrick

I recall the descent of the plane years ago when I ministered in Ireland. I remember how absolutely awestruck I was to behold the green velvet landscape conjured up in the hearts and minds of tens of thousands of Irish celebrants who annually dye the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day. In celebrations throughout America, this special feast day is a sign of spring, bringing welcome relief after the cold of winter.

But what’s really behind this day and the man we honor? After all, he died over 1,500 years ago on March 17, . 461.

Patrick was born in Britain in A.D. 390. He was raised in a Christian family, but his interest in God was almost nonexistent. He was also illiterate.

Teens are often apt to wander, and Patrick did, reaping the consequences. At the age of 16, he was kidnapped by thugs and taken hostage on a ship to Ireland. Imagine the trauma and grief his parents experienced while praying for God’s miraculous intervention and the return of their son.

For six agonizing years, he was trapped as a slave, working as a shepherd on hillsides. He was alone. He was scared. In desperation, he cried out to God to rescue him from his plight.

Picture your teenage son or daughter on that hillside, trembling and fearful for their very life.

Yet God was at work in Patrick’s soul (just as He is in your wayward son or daughter). In his classic Confession, he painfully wrote, “I would pray constantly during the daylight hours” until finally God broke through and revealed Himself in a dream and specifically said the following to this young, lost soul, “Your hunger is rewarded. You are going home. Look, your ship is ready.”

Patrick Departs

He bravely boarded a ship that was going to Britain, and he knew instinctively God was taking him back home. Risking his life but pierced to the core by the call of God on his life, Patrick journeyed some 200 miles from the Irish coast.

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