Official Report 876KB pdf
Good afternoon. The first item of business is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader is the Rev Tommy MacNeil, the minister of Martin’s Memorial church in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis.
Presiding Officer and members of the Scottish Parliament, thank you for the opportunity to address you today. It is a genuine honour to do so, and I hope that you are grateful for my bringing a bit of sunshine from Stornoway.
Although our jobs are different, we have several things in common. Every day, we pursue issues of justice, fairness and equality on behalf of our communities and for our beloved nation of Scotland.
There is another important area of work where we are on the same page—communication. ?Words are important. Words have power. Words can change the world. Listen to some words that have defined history and that will take you back to points in history as I mention them:
“Never in the field of human conflict”.
?“I have a dream.”
“They think it’s all over; it is now.”
That one is a bit of a struggle.
“For God so loved the world”.
“That’s one small step for man”.
“He is not here. He is risen.”
“There shall be a Scottish Parliament.”
I want to speak two powerful words to you today but, before I do that, allow me to tell you about my two grandchildren, Haley, who is three, and Noah, who is four months old. They rock my world. As Noah grows and learns, his parents are hoping that his first word will be, “Mummy” or “Daddy”. Personally, I am rooting for “Grandpa,” but that is just me. After that, they teach their children the importance of saying “please” and “thank you”, and I am proud to say that, at three, Haley has already mastered that.
Here is something fascinating for us to consider today. Saying “Thank you” mattered to Jesus. In Luke 17, we have the account of Jesus healing ten lepers, who lived outside the city, each with a bell around their neck to warn people to keep clear. They were isolated and lonely, yet, as people do today, they found community in their common sense of need. ?They heard that Jesus was nearby, so they shouted to get his attention. In response, Jesus gave them a simple instruction:
“Go and show yourselves to the priests.”
Jesus knew that only the priests could declare them clean. Remarkably, we are told that, as they went, they were cleansed. All 10 were healed, but only one returned to say “Thank you”, and Jesus asked that one, “Were not all 10 cleansed? Where are the other nine?” Saying thank you matters.
As members of the Scottish Parliament, you have to listen to many words and requests every day and, as public servants, you do what you can in response to those requests. In view of the sacrifices that you make in your daily work, the two words that I have for you today are simply “Thank you”. Thank you for all you do in the service of others. Thank you for acting justly and loving mercy and for working towards a better Scotland for all. Thank you to our MSP, and my friend, Alasdair Allan, for the honour of coming to speak to you today.
Presiding Officer, allow me one more moment to quote the recently deceased Pope Francis, who, when speaking in 2020, said:
“The gratitude that comes from encountering Christ’s love and mercy is enough to bring joy and hope to a troubled world. If we are bearers of gratitude, the world itself will become better, even if only a little bit.”
Scotland could be revolutionised by our prioritising kindness and gratitude, which I believe are part of our DNA as a people.
In conclusion, I appeal to you using the words of the apostle Paul to communicate something of my heart to you and my heart for you.
“I thank God continually for you and never stop praying for you.”
Thank you for listening.
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