Plenary, 06 Sep 2000
Meeting date: Wednesday, September 6, 2000
Official Report
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Time for Reflection
We welcome to lead our time for reflection today Rev Douglas Alexander, the minister emeritus of Bishopton.
Rev Douglas N Alexander BD (Minister Emeritus, Bishopton):
Thank you, Sir David, for the honour of your invitation. I feel already that, as the telephone people would say, I am among friends—and family.
The island of Iona lies just up the west coast, as so many of you here know. The island is only about three miles long by one mile wide. Yet it has a special place, not only in the geography but in the history of our country. Famously, it has been said of the island of Iona that there was the birthplace of the Scottish nation, and the cradle of the Scottish Church.
Today, in this place, as this Parliament embarks on the voyage of its second full year, we can reflect for a moment on what was a well-established custom on Iona in the very early days. This custom was to do with the spreading of the good news—of the gospel.
Traditionally, a group of 12 would be sent out by coracle to sail the seas and go to distant lands. Twelve of a crew: note the symbolism of discipleship. The 12 were invariably made up of six pairs: two would be picked for their expertise in house-building; two would be chosen for their knowledge of crops and of sowing; two would be proficient in healing, in a primitive, early-medical sort of way; and, yes, two would be experts in the scriptures and in the ways of devotion and prayer. But they were only two out of the whole group of 12.
The result was that when the whole group arrived in some lonely village or some distant land, they brought good news: good news about better ways of building houses; good news about better ways of growing crops; good news about better ways of health; and, of course, good news about God and about tending to the life of the spirit.
It was a message of wholeness, and of holiness—for true holiness is always to do with wholeness: good news for all the people, in all kinds of ways.
Good government and the gospel itself are first cousins, and always have been. So, as ever, public service is a high calling. May you be challenged by it, constantly.
Public service will mean that each of you recognise that, all together in this Parliament, you are all—sometimes—in the same boat. May you find the compassion to honour that.
At the start of the second year's journey, a prayer:
God of all goodness: make us masters of ourselves, that we may become the servants of others. God of all goodness, journey with us. Amen.