Psalm 47 - Sometimes These Write Themselves

Mar 18, 2025

(This is one of those “too long for email” ones because of the number of photos, so be sure you click the header above if you want to see all of the photos).

So our first full day in Ireland happened to be St Patrick’s Day! How awesome is that? And how awesome is it that the Psalm for today is one that just seemed to totally fit the main event of our day!

The Psalm today is one of celebration and gratitude. It begins with “Clap your hands, all you peoples” as a response to who God is. It continues by extolling God’s presence and power and comes towards a close with “God is king over the nations...” As I read the Psalm this morning (after a wonderfully deep sleep after the flight over and our drive to Cork), I thought about what was ahead for the day today - the HUGE St Patrick’s Parade through the city center of Cork. I knew it was going to be a big celebration and was thinking about the shouts, the singing, the claps, and the energy of being in Ireland on this day of all days. But I was surprised by what I experienced at the parade.

What I experienced was an incredible celebration not only of Ireland and Irish pride but a celebration of the multitude of cultures that are a part of the region. The parade felt like a sampling of the United Nations passing by. Every continent except Antarctica and Australia were represented. And the specific countries that went by were Ireland (obviously), Boliva (three different groups), Ukraine (two groups) Poland (two different groups), China (two groups), Mexico, Palestine, Iraq, Pakistan, Nigeria, Iran, Nepal, the United States (a marching band from Colorado Springs!), and several others that I didn’t get photos of. In addition there were groups that were centered on multiculturalism and diversity - a group of LGBTQ+ runners, people seeking to bridge divides across languages, peace and justice activists, and bridge-builders. There were young and old, soldiers and police, dancers and musicians, and people of various different relgiious faiths.

What it looked like was what I imagine the Kingdom of God might look like one day. People walking together, celebrating together, waving flags together, laughing together, singing together, clapping their hands together, and greeting everyone along the way.

It was beautiful. Simply beautiful. Like I entited it, sometimes these just write themselves. I saw Psalm 47 throughout this beautiful event.

Here is a compilation video and then a bunch of photos of the parade at the end. Be sure to check the drum group at the end - wow!

In addition, we started the day at the St Finn Barr Cathedral and visited the lovliest of labyrinths that had a beautiful blooming tree overhanging one edge.