Several points struck me in this week's reading. First, the Irish were considered to be unreachable people by many when Patrick set out on his mission. Obviously, there are cities and subcultures that people today have their doubts about if they do not explicitly consider them to be unreachable. For those who long to desire that all creation is redeemed Patrick's mission to the Irish is a encouraging narrative.
Second, Patrick's missionaries worked in a community and as a community. Their missional groups were not just made up of pastors but craftsmen, artists, teachers, scholars, farmers, and children. They welcomed others into their community life. Their community came in alongside an existing pagan community and they simply lived out "life in Christ" in front of and next to that community. They lived with anticipation of paradise..."The privileges of Adam and Eve in Eden, received from God but lost by the Fall, were reclaimed." (Hunter, 29)
"The visitor would first pass beyond a circular outer wall and through a gate that signified one was entering hallowed ground. The wall did not signify an enclosure to keep out the world; the area signified the 'alternative' way of life, free of aggression and violence and devoted to God's purposes that the community modeled for the world." (Hunter, 2)
Finally, they redeemed the cultures they invaded. They did not simply impose a different culture. And profoundly, "There is no shortcut to understanding the people...When the people know that the Christians understand them, they infer that maybe the High God understands them too." Here the Body of Christ realizes its potential to convey the concern, love, and redeeming activity of God.
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