On Easter Sunday, my friend Jack McNary preached an inspired Easter message which he entitled “Opening Day.” But it was his message to the children which got my imaginative juices moving, and wich led to this posting of Celtic Crossings. He brought out an egg which he had obtained at a local store; a bit oversized, sort of the size of a turkey egg. Very nondescript until he flipped a small switch and a light came on inside the egg, and pastel shades of light began to flicker through the “shell” of the egg. And so the message to young and old, big and small, was the opening day for the light of the world; the light which death could not contain, nor could the world extinguish; the “Easter Light” emerging from the “shell” of the garden tomb.There are many legends which surround Patrick’s mission to bring Christianity to Ireland. One which comes to "light" in this context is Patrick’s confrontation with King Leoghaire at the Hill of Tara on Easter of 432 A.D. For the Celtic king and his druid advisors, this particular day and night was a pagan recognition of samhain, or the darkness that comes into the world. It was a kind of scary, mystical time not unlike our Halloween, and no fires were permitted across Ireland until samhain was over. In his novel I Am of Irelunde, Juilene Osborne-McKnight provides this insight into Patrick’s ministry:
At first light, I rode alone on horseback to the plains of Tara, ringing the little bell. When enough people had gathered around me, I spoke the message I had composed in my prayers.
“The people of Eire have known many gods. Some are gods of darkness. They feed on death and war; anger them and they will turn against you like a storm. Some are gods of light and laughter; if they are pleased with you, good fortune may come your way. “But I bring you an unchanging God. My Lord will stand with those who love him. …Tonight is samhain night. Tonight you fear the darkness that comes through the door of the world. But I tell you that tonight the Light that banishes all darkness will ignite in Eire. Tonight the fire of the Lord God will burn in the darkness. Tonight, the Light that can never be extinguished will be lit at the heart of Eire.” Then we went and gathered much wood. We set our torches to the tower of wood. The flames rushed high into the night, sparks rushing toward the stars.
The Druidic prophets warned the king that if that fire were not stamped out, it would never afterward be extinguished in Ireland. So, Leoghaire summoned Patrick and his faithful followers to come to him at the Hill of Tara ...
“Great King of Eire!” I cried. “I know that you fear my God and the changes that he will bring, but I tell you that these changes will be gentle, like these green stems Son, and the Spirit has carpeted all of Eire with his own name.”
From behind the king, there is movement, and druid Dubtach comes forward, a man whose “word could kill a man or save him, stop a war or cause it to begin.”
“I will take the baptism of the One Who Comes!” he cried.
Leoghaire groaned.
“Why have you chosen this?” I asked softly.
Dubtach smiled.
“I believe in the Word,” he replied.
They tumbled after him then, … the druids and then Ethni and Fedelm, the daughters of Leoghaire. When he tried to stop them, Ethni placed her hand on her father’s arm.
“You have told us to abide by the wisdom of our tutors, father. See where they take the baptism. We are women of Eire. We decide for ourselves. We choose the White Christ of Padraig (Patrick).”
At last Leoghaire could bear no more.
“Halt!” He stood and raised his hand.
“Patricius, I give you permission to preach throughout Eire the doctrine of the new God, for I see that it will not be stopped.
And so that Easter Light of a bonfire set in opposition to a pagan ritual continued to burn and was never extinguished in those Celtic lands. But for us today, the Easter Light is more than a bonfire set on hill to illuminate the darkness. The Easter Light is the power at work within us to bring about God’s will and purpose in a troubled land. The Easter Light is what gives power to the fainthearted, and strengthens those who feel powerless; it is what renews the strength of those who wait upon the Lord; it is the Light for those times when all other lights fail us. The tomb could not contain it; the darkness cannot overcome it. It is the “Light” which the Lord has blessed; let us rejoice and be glad in it!
