This time next week another St. Patrick’s Day will have come and gone. The processions and parties will be over. Sadly, however, what St. Patrick believed, and what he worked for more than 1,500 years ago will scarcely be mentioned. Cultural celebrations have washed away almost all of Patrick’s memory as a committed follower of Jesus Christ.
Whilst we know very little about him, we do have some of his writings. He is best known for his ‘Confession’ in which he tells us a little about his life, and a great deal about his faith. I would encourage you to read it for yourself. It runs to only 10 pages and is available on the internet.
One of the most striking passages is where he sets out the need for personal integrity as key to being able to tell others of Christ: “But in the hope of eternity, I safeguarded myself carefully in all things, so that they might not cheat me of my office of service on any pretext of dishonesty, and so that I should not in the smallest way provide any occasion for defamation or disparagement on the part of unbelievers.”
His reputation mattered – not in terms of having it massaged by the equivalent of a fifth century spin doctor, or PR firm, but in the integrity of his actions and his whole approach to life. He had a compelling personal commitment to Christ honouring excellence in the detail of everyday living. That is as relevant now as it was then.
Today, there is much talk about transparency, openness, and values. Patrick tells us unambiguously that personal integrity is foundational to any claim of credible Christian faith. It is not enough to have clever ideas, good instincts or even Bible knowledge. It is essential, for common good and personal well-being, to have great personal integrity as a foundation for what we do and who we are.
It matters in business and professional life, in the church, family life, politics and public service. It is so important to be a person “in whom there is no guile” – to quote Jesus’ description of Nathanael in John’s gospel (1:47). No-one could reasonably suggest that our patron saint is out of date, or irrelevant. Patrick was a humble man of integrity, a continuing role model for all leaders, in the church and outside it.
There is much to celebrate about him. By far the best way of honouring him would be for us all to read his own words, think about them carefully, and apply them as rigorously to ourselves as he did to himself. It would make a huge difference to my own ‘Confession’. And to yours?
This blog first appeared as ‘Thought for the week’ in the Newsletter on Saturday, 11th March 2017.