Plenary, 05 Dec 2001

Meeting date: Wednesday, December 5, 2001

Official Report 351KB pdf

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Time for Reflection

To lead our time for reflection, I welcome Mr John Scott, of the Christian Scientists.

Thank you for the invitation.

At the heart of the work that the Parliament is doing is an overriding sense of care: a sense of care for the needs of all of us who live in Scotland. That is evident in the legislative work that the Parliament undertakes, from consideration of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Bill to consideration of the Regulation of Care (Scotland) Bill itself. In every instance, care and compassion for the individual is the Parliament's primary concern. I say that because I have felt it in my own brief contacts. As committee members who create the legislation, members have shown willingness to respond, warmth and courtesy—in short, a real sense of care.

I have dwelt on the sense of care at the heart of our devolved Government because, since the events of 11 September, our lives have been shaped by a global dimension of care. Our mental landscape has changed for good. Those events have been forcing us to think more caringly of our neighbours everywhere—of those of different religious backgrounds or none. As concerned citizens, we are reaching out more sympathetically to those around us. In essence, the need to love our neighbour is now paramount.

At the same time, we have been looking more than ever before for answers beyond ourselves, in a spiritual dimension. We ask:

"Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us?"

Those words come from the book of Malachi in the Bible. However, the rhetorical question:

"Have we not all one Father?"

is implicit in all the monotheistic religions.

The person who discovered and founded Christian Science over a century ago, Mary Baker Eddy, wrote:

"God is universal, confined to no spot, defined by no dogma, appropriated by no sect."

That must be true of our search for a more inclusive sense of peace, a more inclusive sense of care and a more inclusive sense of family.

In common with all Christians, Christian Scientists turn to the Lord's prayer. We are also encouraged to include a short prayer, which is simply called "The Daily Prayer". As all here are committed to government in a wide sense and to the need to express more care for others, I will close with this prayer:

"Thy kingdom come;" let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them.