Meeting of the Parliament

Meeting date: Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Official Report 612KB pdf

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Time for Reflection

Good afternoon. The first item of business is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader is the Rev James Whyte from Fairlie parish church in Ayrshire.

When I come down the Royal Mile, as I did today, I still get a bit of a buzz when I see this iconic new building. I came down the hill from another great assembly in Edinburgh—the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, which many people view as being the historic ecclesiastical core of Scotland. Some of you might come from a different tradition from mine and might see no connection between this assembly and the general assembly. However, irrespective of where you come from and how you came to this place, all have been motivated by the desire to serve.

In the New Testament—in scripture—we read a moving passage in John’s gospel, in which Jesus washes the feet of his disciples. At any level, that is a lesson in humility and service. Those two aspects link the members of the Parliament and the general assembly on the Mound and what they seek to do and have in common—to serve the people of Scotland.

All too often, in the daily rush of things, we are caught up in committees and we are all guilty of forgetting what first called us to serve. In this amazing building, you are heirs to all that is noble in our country. In this time for reflection, I call on you to reflect on that inheritance every time you come here, and if you ever feel depressed or down-trodden by the stress of serving others—which can be stressful.

The Parliament and the general assembly have much in common, because both are assemblies that are called to lead others. Leadership demands leaving self aside to fulfil that calling for the greater common good. None of us is called to serve the media. None of us should be motivated by the modern media sense. However, all of you are called to serve others—to serve our people in humility, irrespective of their background and their religious or ethnic origins. Scotland deserves and expects nothing less.

All who enter this chamber have a difficult job. However, you should never forget why you came here in the first place: you entered this place and accepted the call to serve others to make a difference, if you like. All of us should never forget that we have a duty to follow that road, no matter how tough it gets.

Presiding Officer, I thank you for the opportunity to be with you today and I pray God’s blessing on all in this Parliament.