Good afternoon and happy new year to you all. The first item of business is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader today is Chris Gordon, community fundraiser for the Bethany Christian Trust.
Presiding Officer, members of the Scottish Parliament, it is a pleasure to come and speak with you today, as the first week in January is traditionally one that is filled with hope. New year’s resolutions are made, gym memberships are taken out and the latest fad diet is promoted in the media. Each is undertaken with the longing that our lives will in some sense be better than they were the year before, and it is that promise of hope that drives us as human beings.
In my role at Bethany Christian Trust, I have the opportunity to meet some of the people who use our services, and I am continually struck by their desperation for change. From listening to them, it seems that the fullness of the change that they seek will not necessarily be achieved through financial or material improvements in their lives. They are seeking support and friendship in their community, and they are searching for opportunity and purpose in their lives.
Jesus brought that hope to first-century Palestine. In drawing widows and children towards him, he radically changed society to include the most vulnerable and marginalised. Jesus began to model a society free from man-made social barriers, in which those on the fringes could have a future as part of a community.
The promise that Jesus brought was not a temporary fix that would bring material gain but rather a lifelong—indeed, an eternal—transformation in people’s lives. When a person encountered Jesus in the gospel stories, their life became radically different, with the apostle Paul perhaps the best-known example. At Bethany, in our work, we see changes in people too. Families flourish when they are supported through challenging times, and individuals fulfil their potential when they are given space and opportunity. We are witnessing communities becoming strengthened as people support one another.
Of course, creating community is no easy feat. It requires time and patience, and results might not be seen within a month or a year. Above all, it is necessary to listen, for it is in listening that we have the opportunity to truly engage with someone and to understand the challenges that they are facing. So this year my resolution will be to keep my running shoes under the bed and instead to be intentional in my listening. Then, perhaps, I can play my own small part in supporting those in my own community who are hoping that 2016 will be better than the year before.
Thank you, and happy new year.