Back in the sixth century Patrick traveled to Ireland on assignment: Convert these pagans to Christianity. What Patrick did, however, was to endear the Irish people to himself and he to them. Rather than confront them with an agenda to convert, he got to know them. He familiarized himself with their pagan ways and rituals. These pagans always used the sun as an image of Divinity. Patrick therefore incorporated that bright roundness onto the Christian cross. To the people he was saintly simply because he respected them and their local traditions.
If only we all could behave like Patrick and simply listen to each other with respect not agenda. DO NOT try to convert anyone to your own ways. Listen. Take the relational way, the way of letting-be. Patrick honored the pagan ways and used their own imagery. Here, for example, is a Celtic Cross with the round sun, favorite pagan symbol, superimposed onto it.
Poet and devout Roman Catholic, the late Brian Doyle, demonstrates this way in his prayers, addressing Divinity as Coherent Mercy. Doyle minces no words in his prayer-talk.
Prayer of Spitting Inchoate Rage That You Allow Such Things & People to Inflict Such Horrendous Pain & Agony, Especially on Little Kids, How Could You Let That Happen? Most of us secretly wonder about such mysteries but few of us let God know as directly as Brian Doyle does. I usually quiet my rage by reminding myself that God, after all, gave us freedom. Doyle knows all about this freedom, too, but he goes directly to God with his prayer-complaint: “How could You have given us such freedom? But you did; and so my prayer must be finally for me, to work harder against the dark, to sing louder, is that right? Your silence is eloquent again ‘as always’ as always. And so: amen.
