Celtic Spiritual Poetry (24)
The ancient fortresses of the pagans,
to which title had been gained by long habitation,
are empty and without worship
like the place where Lugaid dwelt.
The little places that were settled
by twos and threes
are Romes, with assemblies
of hundreds and thousands.
Though it was far-flung and splendid,
paganism has been destroyed:
the kingdom of God the Father
has filled heaven, earth, and sea.
– Oengus mac Oengobann, The Martyrology of Oengus, Irish, 9th century[1]
And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
– Daniel 2.44
The Celtic Revival
The Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD) was a sudden, widespread, expansive, and clear movement of God’s Spirit, which saw paganism swept from Ireland and various places on the continent. Oengus was reflecting on the progress of the Kingdom of God over all the pagan deities and religions of Ireland during the preceding five centuries. Where once great pagan “ring forts” had stood, now monastic communities and churches, started by “twos and threes” of God’s people, dominated the landscape.
Oengus’ Féilire (“Martyrology”) celebrates the work of faithful Irish saints who believed God that His Kingdom would grow and overcome all obstacles and opposition to fill “heaven, earth, and sea”. Even though Ireland in the 5th-7th centuries was perhaps the most unlikely place for a revival to begin, this is precisely what happened, changing everything there and beyond.
The Celtic Revival is but one demonstration of the truth of Daniel’s vision of the Kingdom of God, growing and overwhelming all opposition to bring grace, truth, justice, mercy, goodness, beauty, and stability to societies and nations through the proclamation of the Gospel. Oengus wanted us to remember those who had contributed to this great movement of God’s Spirit, and to call us to emulate their example in knowing, loving, and serving Jesus with all our soul and strength.
An unlikely venue
Ireland was the wildest, most dangerous place in the world when Patrick arrived there in 430 AD—an unlikely venue for revival to begin. Even Roman legions balked at invading it. But the wild Irish tribes could not resist the power of the Gospel in the hands of courageous, faithful saints.
We should expect the Kingdom of God to have the same impact in our day. But do we? Do we really believe that Jesus can fill our lives, and overflow from us to fill our Personal Mission Field? Our nation? The earth and the seas?
The fact is we don’t expect it. Even though Isaiah promised it (Is. 9.6, 7), Jesus commanded us to seek it as our first priority in all things (Matt. 6.33) and to pray for it to come on earth in the same manner that it obtains in heaven (Matt. 6.10).
But we don’t believe Daniel and Isaiah. Or Jesus. Oh, those are nice ideas to ponder—the Kingdom growing, the increase of righteousness without end, and so forth. But we don’t believe it. We believe things are going to go from bad to worse, and we just have to hold on for dear life until, just before we’re all swallowed up by the Beast, the Lord comes to rescue us. Whatever ideas we cherish about the Kingdom of God are strictly for the benefit of our souls. This is as much of the Kingdom as we seek or pray for, when we seek or pray for it.
Which, if we’re honest, is not very often.
This is not the teaching of Scripture, and it is not the record of Church history. Our faulty understanding of the Gospel and of the Kingdom keeps us from knowing the kind of reviving and transforming power that set the Irish free from paganism and liberated all of Western Europe into the righteousness, peace, and joy of the Kingdom of God for centuries after Patrick.
Why not in our day, too? Why should we not expect the Kingdom to flourish and advance in this way in our own day?
The difference between us and the saints Oengus celebrated is simple: They really believed their Bible, and they staked their lives on it.
For Reflection
1. What do you expect the Kingdom to look like as it grows and overwhelms unbelieving elements in your Personal Mission Field?
2. What does it mean to seek the Kingdom and righteousness of God? Would you say that this is the defining priority of your life?
Psalm 72.9-11, 18, 19
Martyrdom: Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed
And let the Righteous rule the earth, and let His foes bow low;
let nations praise His matchless worth, and all His bidding do.
Now bless the God of Israel Who wondrous works performs.
And bless His name, His glory tell both now and forevermore!
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
If you’d like to learn more about the Celtic Revival, download our free PDF introduction by clicking here.
Other columns of interest: This week: Our ReVision column continues the study of “Everyday Christianity.” The Read Moorepodcast features excerpts from Patrick: A Devotional History. The focus of our Scriptorium daily study is on “Matthew: The Coming of the Kingdom.” Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you. You can subscribe or update your subscriptions by going to the bottom of the home page.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
[1] Carey, pp. 190, 191.
