Plenary, 28 Feb 2007

Meeting date: Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Official Report 478KB pdf

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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 the Rev Andrew Hill, who is the minister of St Mark's Unitarian church in Edinburgh.

Good afternoon. In less than a week from now, I shall become an old age pensioner, and in less than a month, I shall be retiring from my work as the Unitarian minister here in Edinburgh. I came to Scotland from England almost exactly half my life ago and it is to England that my wife and I shall return in order to be near other members of our family. I have been here in Scotland through all the stages of devolution and the birth of the new Scotland.

So, what shall I tell the people of England about Scotland today? I shall tell them that Scotland today is a diverse and energetic community whose citizens are the people who live here now. I shall tell them that devolution has brought government far closer to the people than ever it is at Westminster. I shall tell them that this is a magnificent and beautiful building that was nowhere near as overbudget as London's Wembley stadium is going to be. I shall tell them about the four qualities that are engraven on the mace of this Parliament—justice, compassion, wisdom and integrity.

In my spare time, one of the things that I sometimes do is write hymns. These are the words of one of them, which I dedicate to you and to the people of Scotland and which I shall continue to use even when, shortly, I return to England:

Justice for persons and for different nations,
respect for diverse species in our care,
community of life on earth sustaining,
love for a planet which we all must share.

Compassion is the strength of love and sympathy
letting us share another being's pain;
creature or human, loving friend or stranger
care for each other is the whole world's gain.

Wisdom is insight clear precise and thoughtful
searching for truth and human law refined;
guidance from past, made ready for the future
by the best reasoning of the human mind.

Integrity, with honour and uprightness:
these are the qualities which form and make
women and men, citizens for tomorrow
those who serve others for another's sake.

Justice, compassion, wisdom and integrity,
these are the virtues which our poor world needs.
They'll flower tomorrow, fruit in glorious splendour
if we today, go out and plant the seeds.

Justice, compassion, wisdom and integrity: may those qualities always guide your work.