Are you wearing green today? Of course, you could always lie and say that your undergarments (that’s preacher talk for underwear) are green, but would Saint Patrick want you to do that?

 This leads me to why I write today, WWSPD? What would St. Patrick do? Well, I would like to take a moment to tell you what Saint Patrick actually did. He loved his enemies.

 Did you know that Patrick (before his first name was Saint) was not Irish but was a slave to the Irish. He eventually escaped slavery, but while at home God spoke to him. God told Patrick to go back to the people who enslaved him and preach the gospel. You see, this was before the Irish people had heard the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ–a terrible situation that some people groups continue in to this day. Now many of us would probably have the attitude that is expressed in an often used modern saying: “to hell with them.” In this case the phrase would have been literally true, but somehow Patrick was able to love his enemies. He obeyed the calling of God. He left his home. He returned to the people who enslaved him, and through his love and obedience thousands entered the Kingdom of God.

How did Patrick have the strength to love those who enslaved him? Do you have the inner strength to love your enemies? How does someone obtain such love?

This Sunday, we’ll be looking at Christ’s command to His followers: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

As you look at someone wearing green today, in the midst of the jokes and good times, stop and say a secret prayer asking God to give you the strength to love like Saint Patrick loved. Ask for God’s strength to love your enemies.