I’ve avoided the traditional “Irish blessing” in this daily exercise of prayer. To my way of thinking, this prayer has been over-sentimentalized as a needlepoint favorite and a staple at weddings. Silly me! I’ve allowed its popularity to obscure its keen insights.
The Irish Blessing Prayer originated in the early days of Christianity in Ireland. Some conjecture it was composed by Patrick in the fourth century, yet no one is quite sure. The prayer was originally written in Gaelic, an ancient dialect of Ireland and Scotland. There are three primary images utilized in the prayer: wind, sun, and rain. Ireland’s weather is notoriously unpredictable. As an island surrounded by water, the shifting currents of the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic make the job of an Irish meteorologist especially challenging. Wind represents God’s presence in Scripture and serves as a common metaphor for the Holy Spirit. At Pentecost, God’s presence and power come as mighty wind (Acts 2.1). Sun represents God’s mercy. Zechariah equates God’s mercy to the rising sun in his song of praise for the coming Messiah (Luke 1.78). God’s mercy is as dependable as sunrise. Rain represents God’s provision since nothing grows without rain. Isaiah declares that as surely as the rains water the earth, so God accomplishes his faithful purposes (Is. 55.10-11). The wind at your back…the sun warm on your face…the rains falling softly on your fields are appropriate prayers of blessing for all God’s people:
Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you, May the wind be always at your back,
May the sunshine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Rev. Dr. Peter James served 42 years as the senior of Vienna Presbyterian Church in Vienna, VA — 21 years in the 20th century and 21 years in the 21st century. He retired in 2021 and now serves as Pastor-in-Residence at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Even as a pastor, prayer came slowly to Pete. Read Pete’s story.