In today’s Celtic Lent reading, I was introduced to Illtyd, who was a commander of soldiers. He was intrigued by an encounter with a hermit who, despite antagonism and rudeness from Illtyd’s soldiers, didn’t react in any retaliatory way. Cadoc, the hermit, explained he had not retaliated because he was a warrior of spiritual warfare and followed Jesus’ words and actions rather than the world’s. In a dream that night, God spoke to Illtyd and asked him to drop his weapons and follow Jesus instead. As soon as he woke he did just that!

Today that intrigues and challenges me. How come this mighty warrior changes his whole life with an encounter with a seemingly insignificant hermit and a dream from an unseen God? What did people say. How would his family respond to ‘I met a hermit and had a dream and God told me to do this’? How did Illtyd know this was God? What convinced him so much that he immediately dropped tools and changed course? All I can come up with is that, I guess when it’s God you just know! Is that a kop out?