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Jumpstarter 9 of 10

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LET ME DIE IN IRELAND  /  Chapter 10: How long, O Lord  /  Discussion Questions
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Question 9
After ordination, Patrick preaches that God has “abandoned us because we have abandoned Him,” accusing the people of trusting swords/Rome, ignoring Jesus’ teachings, and secretly worshiping Brigid and Lou; what picture of God’s purposes in national calamity is Patrick assuming, and how does that land against common evangelical habits of explaining suffering?
Another way to ask: Patrick preaches that God has abandoned the nation because the people abandoned God and trusted swords and old gods. What is Patrick assuming about why God allows national disaster, and how does that compare with how many evangelicals explain suffering?

Direct Answer Patrick assumes national calamity is God’s judgment-like discipline meant to expose unfaithfulness and call people back to trust and obedience, not merely a random tragedy. In his preaching, suffering is tied to idolatry, misplaced trust, and ignored commandments, which confronts any habit of interpreting hardship without moral and spiritual self-examination.

Support from Transcript:

  • Patrick asks, “Do you know why we're beset by barbarians…? God has abandoned us because we have abandoned Him,” directly connecting invasion with spiritual cause.
  • He identifies the root sin as misplaced trust: “We put no trust in Him… we trust our swords and the legions of Rome.”
  • He challenges mission avoidance: “Why is nobody converting the barbarians? If we brought the love of Christ to them, they wouldn't be attacking us.”
  • He accuses them of ignoring Jesus: “most of you totally ignore the teachings of Jesus… more concerned about… wealth… personal safety than… souls.”
  • He interprets through Israel’s pattern: “Do we learn nothing from… ancient Israel? When did calamities befall them?”
  • He exposes secret idolatry: worshiping “Brigid and Lou… You can't sit at the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”
Discussion Follow-ups How can a church call for repentance without becoming self-righteous, like the critics accused Patrick of being? What might it look like to connect suffering to discipleship without claiming to know every detail of God’s purposes?

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