Contents
- Scottish Parliament Wednesday 19 June 2002 (Afternoon)
- Time for Reflection
- Points of Order
- Local Government Finance
- Private Hire Vehicles (Carriage of Guide Dogs etc) Bill
- Parliamentary Bureau Motion
- Presiding Officer's Ruling
- Decision Time
- Glasgow Airport (Rail Link)
Time for Reflection
To lead our time for reflection today, we welcome Colonel John Flett, the Scotland secretary of the Salvation Army.
Presiding Officer, thank you for inviting me to lead these reflections. Forty years' service as a Salvation Army officer has convinced me that the parable that Jesus taught about the Good Samaritan is continually relevant. Every neighbour is created in the image of God and deserves respect.
It is not enough to be there and see the need; there has to be an immediate and effective response. Religious practice, political ideology or even the exercise of authority can create barriers that limit the delivery of care when it is needed. How much more effective the outcome would have been if all the parable's characters had entered into meaningful partnerships of concern.
If we want to make an impact, faith, ideology and action are inseparable. If we would serve all the people of Scotland, we dare not place limits on our partnerships. We all need each other and we must value each other for God's sake. Faith and politics cannot be kept apart. There are no impossible situations, because no one is beyond the transforming power of God.
May Morrison was a gracious and compassionate member of my first congregation, who was always ready to go the extra mile. It was not always like that. For years, May was one of Edinburgh's most troublesome characters. Banned frequently from our women's hostel in the Grassmarket for disruptive behaviour, May was described regularly as a hopeless case.
May awoke one morning on a bench on Arthur's Seat, surrounded by sheep. She says that at that moment she recalled the two texts hanging in the office at the hostel that threw her out so often—"All we like sheep have gone astray" and "I am the Good Shepherd". That challenged May and she made her way back to the hostel and pleaded to be allowed in. Although the Major must have thought, "Not again", she sensed that perhaps God's moment for May had arrived. From that moment, May's real nature, long crushed by her chaotic lifestyle, emerged to show what God really intended—a lovely, lovely lady. May was not a one-off; I have met thousands like her in all parts of the world who have been similarly transformed.
The Salvation Army works for the likes of May and others. Our mission is clear—to bring the message of hope and transformation at every point of need. What we have in experience, skills and insights is offered gladly in support of your vision, as a Parliament, of social justice for all our neighbours.
I invite you to join me for a brief prayer.
God of Grace, Mercy and Hope, grant to the members of this Parliament wisdom to discern Your will, power to serve this nation and a vision that includes the needs of the whole world. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.