The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. ~Mahatma Gandhi
It’s confession time. I’m one-quarter Irish (from my McCracken heritage) and I live on a street clad with Irish pubs. Yet, I really know very little about Saint Patrick; so I decided to do some research. Now that I know a little more, in the future, I hope to think of March 17 as “forgiveness day.”
I’m borrowing background information from Lee Cockerell’s blog, “Lessons in Leadership” March 18, 2009 post on St. Patrick’s Leadership Lessons.
THE LIFE OF SAINT PATRICK: A STORY OF FORGIVENESS
Born to a wealthy British-Roman family, Patrick was kidnapped by a band of Irish marauders as a teenager. The raiders carried him off to Ireland where they forced him into slavery, tending their flocks and fields. Isolated and alone, Patrick clung to his faith to endure the cruelty of his masters.
After six years in captivity, Patrick summoned the courage to risk escape. He ran away from his captors, surviving a 200-mile trek across Ireland to the sea. Upon arrival to the coast, he talked his way onto a shipping vessel bound for his homeland.
Lesson #1 – [Leaders] don’t harbor grudges.
After being enslaved in Ireland, you would think Patrick would have been resentful of the Irish for stealing six years of his life. However, he dedicated the next 15 years to studying theology in preparation for a return trip to Ireland as a missionary. Despite being kidnapped and cruelly mistreated, Patrick chose forgiveness and showed compassion to his former captors.
Lesson #2 – [Leaders] go the extra mile to make amends.
Patrick was not exactly a welcome visitor back in Ireland–especially when he began teaching a religion that ran contrary to the beliefs held by druid priests. However, Patrick won favor by returning to his former master and paying the full ransom price of a slave as “compensation” for his escape. This generous gesture astounded the Irish and appeased them.
Lesson #3 – When reconciling a relationship, [leaders] speak the other person’s language.
During his six years of forced labor in Ireland, Patrick gained a working knowledge of the Celtic language. When he returned as a priest, he could speak directly to the Irish in their native tongue. Furthermore, Patrick understood the religious sensibilities of druidism from his time in captivity. Accordingly, he was able to communicate the message of the Christian faith in images that made sense to the Irish.
Regardless of a person’s religious beliefs, there’s no denying Saint Patrick’s enormous influence as a leader. By harnessing the power of forgiveness, the one-time slave persuaded his former captors, and their entire nation, to adopt his Christian faith.
This week, share the story of Saint Patrick and encourage forgiveness as an act of leadership. Happy Forgiveness Day!