Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid)

Meeting date: Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Official Report 888KB pdf

Time for Reflection

Good afternoon, colleagues. I begin as usual with a little reminder of the social distancing measures that are in place throughout the Holyrood campus—just be careful when leaving the chamber, in particular.

Our first item of business today is time for reflection and our time for reflection leader is Pastor Peter Anderson from the Destiny Church in Edinburgh.

Pastor Peter Anderson (Destiny Church, Edinburgh): Presiding Officer and members of the Scottish Parliament, it is a privilege for me to speak to you this afternoon.

Twenty-two years ago, while working as an architect in the city, my wife and I started a church in our living room. Years on, Destiny Church is now a large, vibrant and diverse church that meets in four locations around Edinburgh. At the last count, there were 37 nationalities represented in the congregation.

The black, Asian and minority ethnic communities add so much in so many ways to Scottish society, but in particular I love that they value honouring others. African and Asian cultures consider it normal to honour parents, the elderly, teachers and leaders. In contrast, we are often faced in Scotland with a negative culture of dishonour. People think nothing of verbally tearing strips off public figures. It seems like a badge of honour for some journalists to try to catch leaders out and cast doubt over their character. Many of you on social media will know all too well the impact that an aggressive comment or reply can have: it cuts deep. It seems to me that we need some of that culture of honour that our black and Asian friends embody so well.

We all believe that it is right to show value and honour, but what is that conviction based on? For me, honour is more than a nice ideal: it is a theological conviction. In the Bible, we read that God created humans in his own image and therefore all people have intrinsic value and worth. Foundational to Martin Luther King Jnr’s pursuit of justice in his generation was that same conviction. He said that every person

“from a treble white to a bass black is significant on God’s keyboard, precisely because”

every person

“is made in the image of God.”

Two thousand years ago, God demonstrated in the most remarkable way the value that he places on us. Jesus’s life, sacrificial death and resurrection affirms the infinite worth that he places on human beings like you and me. Both the story of creation and the story of redemption tell us that we are honoured and valued. That gives us a basis for how we can interact with honour, even towards those we sometimes disagree with.

Although I am sure that there are days—in these days especially—when the loudest voice in your head is the voice of the critic, I want to assure you that there are many who value your courageous leadership in these hard times. Let me personally say a heartfelt thank you for your leadership and passion in the service of people in this great nation.

Thank you, Pastor Anderson.