Plenary, 06 Jan 2010
Meeting date: Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Official Report
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Time for Reflection
Good afternoon and welcome back. Our first item of business this afternoon, as always, is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader is the Rev Jim Cowan from Arthurlie parish church in Barrhead.
Rev Jim Cowan (Arthurlie Parish Church, Barrhead):
Thank you, Presiding Officer, and a good new year to you all.
You will know, of course, that the end of an old year and the beginning of a new year is a time for reflection for many people. We look back with gratitude and sometimes regret, and we look forward with anticipation and sometimes dread. I have no doubt that some people here will be glad to see the back of 2009. Certainly, some politicians in other parts of the United Kingdom will be glad to see the back of the past year. We all know that it was a tough year for many people in political life, and that includes people here in Scotland.
Today, 6 January, is the day when the Christian community celebrates Epiphany, the main theme of which is the visit of the Magi—the wise men—to Jesus. Much has been said in the past suggesting that those who are wise should still seek the one who described himself as the way, the truth and the life. However, if you are not a Christian, you might view that as an arrogant suggestion. Not all people in Scotland are followers of Christ, but I am certain that you folks here in the Parliament are seekers of the truth.
You will probably be aware that in my denomination, the Church of Scotland, there are one or two high-profile issues and debates going on, which I am not at liberty to discuss in public. However, in listening to the various sides of the debates I am learning that most people are genuinely trying to be honest and to share the truth as they see it. The problem with truth, of course, is that we have different views and understandings of it. We can often be like the blind men in the Hindu proverb who cannot agree on what an elephant is because they all have different experiences by touching it. I am sure that you have heard the parable before. Each man thinks that he alone knows the truth about the nature of an elephant. They fail to grasp the fact that, if they listened to each other's experiences, they would gain a fuller understanding of its true nature.
Not many of us, if any, are capable of understanding the whole truth about very much, but the wise among us are those who genuinely and earnestly seek the truth through listening to the experiences of others—not being threatened by a different version or understanding of the truth, but rather seeing it as an opportunity to expand their own understanding.
It seems almost too obvious to state that, if we genuinely seek the truth, we should never be afraid to listen to the opinions of others or other truths, just as we should never be afraid to see things through others' eyes, and just as you who earnestly seek the welfare of the people of Scotland, if you are wise men and women, should never be afraid to listen with open minds to the wisdom of your fellow truth seekers.
May the new year bring challenges and achievements, opportunities and fulfilment in your personal and public lives. May God bless you all in 2010.