Plenary, 14 Jun 2000
Meeting date: Wednesday, June 14, 2000
Official Report
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Time for Reflection
To lead time for reflection today, the Parliament welcomes the Reverend Iain Whyte, the chaplain of the University of Edinburgh.
The Reverend Iain Whyte (Chaplain, University of Edinburgh):
In our chaplaincy centre there is a free-standing stained glass window that is visible from the street. It is a magnificent mosaic of nature that includes the sun, the moon, flowers, water, insects and a lot more in rich colours. The window is the result of a three-year project of a group from the Edinburgh University Settlement, all the members of which have mental health problems. I am delighted that they chose to place the work on permanent loan with us.
At the opening ceremony, one of the staff who worked with the group said to me, rather apologetically, "It's not really very religious." She probably thought that something that did not refer specifically to God or Jesus would seem inadequate to a chaplain. I do not know of anything more religious than a work of art that is lovingly and painstakingly made with beauty and hope by a group of people to whom life has dealt severe blows.
I believe that that window represents something vital in a Scotland where inclusiveness will be the litmus test for the future. Inclusiveness is very different from tolerance, although it can never be less than that. Tolerance is passive and permissive; it is about allowance and is quite often grudging. Inclusiveness is creative and encouraging in its recognition of the varying contribution that different people can make.
In the Bible, no end of bigotry and prejudice is exhibited, and the history of religion is similarly flawed. At its best, however, faith transcends tolerance and transforms society, as when Israel recognises God's choice of a shepherd boy for king and when Jesus singles out women, disabled folk and members of ethnic minorities as the ones who are taking the lead in pointing to the divine purpose. Our own society in Scotland must become confident enough to shed the fear of affirming the contribution of those who are different from others, in faith as in football, in philosophy as in politics, in social life as in sexual orientation.
In the top left-hand corner of that window, there is the figure of the sun with a message wrapped around it. The person who worked on that part died without seeing the project finished, but the lines that she wrote are, for me, a prayer in every sense.
"To grow everyone needs the sun—without it we all perish and die. Let us remember those who have not been given the chance to flourish, and may we never forget—but hope that one day the sun will shine on everyone."
Amen.
Before we begin this afternoon's session, I am sure that members will join me in welcoming the delegates of the Commonwealth local government conference. They have come from many countries, and include Mr John Murray, the Speaker of the New South Wales Parliament, and many of his colleagues.