No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
"Respectful dialogue" was the order of the day as the General Assembly invited Douglas Alexander MP, Revd Dr Doug Gay and the Very Revd Alison Elliot to address delegates and engage in debate this afternoon. The Assembly listened carefully and it was encouraging to see church representatives holding space for those of differing viewpoints to share their fears and hopes for the Independence Referendum this autumn.
In summing up, John Sturrock QC reminded us of the words of The U2 Invisible lyrics - that "there is no them, only us" (loosely paraphrased).
After the referendum on September 18th, there will still be only us. With that in mind it is important that before AND after the vote, we live generously, listen to our neighbour and work to relieve the burden of the poor and to care for the vulnerable in our communities. In that sense, nothing changes. While it is hoped that churches in their communities will always be places of hope, healing and reconciliation in times of conflict, there are usually more effective ways forward that avoid conflict and our priority, whatever the outcome of the referendum, will be to ensure that we continue to show love, respect and care for all in our community and, with whatever means are ours, to bring about the changes that will lead to justice and equity for all.
No comments:
Post a Comment