the celtic cross

the cross of st patrick was actually a tool he designed himself to witness to the tribes of ireland. the pagan tribes worshipped what they knew, which was nature. their most prominent religious symbol was a circle - in honor of the sun which gave life to all. rather than try to eradicate their ancestral religion, patrick decided to superimpose the christian cross over the pagan symbol for the sun. thus, he caught their attention rather than their disdain when approaching new tribes. he taught them not to worship the sun but he who created the sun. even in his conversion of an entire island, he understood the importance of respect and tolerance for the beliefs of others. this way he was able to incorporate christianity into their minds and hearts as the next step of understanding God rather than trying to erase all they knew and start from scratch.