Plenary, 27 Sep 2006
Meeting date: Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Official Report
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Time for Reflection
Good afternoon. The first item of business is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader today is Colonel Ruth Flett of the Salvation Army in Wick.
Colonel Ruth Flett (Salvation Army):
This weekend, members and friends of the Salvation Army worldwide are called to pray for the victims of sex-trade trafficking. It is a subject of great concern, as it is estimated that more than 2 million people are trafficked every year, 1.2 million children are affected and the annual cost is $10 billion. When we consider those figures, it makes us shudder at the extent to which human beings will go to make money out of the poor and vulnerable.
People of all faiths and none will be drawn into the prayer circle for those whose lives are being ruined by this sordid business. Throughout its history, the Salvation Army has been involved in fighting against such exploitation. It is an issue that must be kept high on the agenda of people who have influence and compassion. However, prayer is only one side of the coin; the other must be action. The Salvation Army's call involves education, vigilance and a strengthening of partnerships between Governments and concerned agencies, but it goes further, and urges all to pray, in the words of the victims, "Dear God. Let it stop."
Jesus taught his followers not simply to recognise the problems and cares of others, but to "lift their burdens", to feel the weight of their suffering and despair, to articulate in prayer their pain, and to suffer with and pray with them.
It is my privilege to convene the Scottish committee of the world day of prayer. Women representing 12 denominations step outside their own traditions and enter into the world of the country selected to prepare the annual service. In recent years, the women of the Lebanon and South Africa have written the service. The challenge is to keep their words and concerns as the basis of the service, so that all who meet to pray will pray not only for the country but with the people of the country, in their words.
In this Parliament, you are no strangers to the concerns of others; they are your daily business. These moments of reflection challenge us all to step outside the security and comfort of our traditions—be they religious, political or cultural—and bear the burdens of those who have asked us to voice their despair.
Let us pray.
Father, as we pause together before the business of this day we pray for all people who are hurting and exploited. Give us the courage to enter into their pain and anguish and the vision to see what can be changed. Amen.