Life & Work Magazine
Life & Work Magazine


34 mins

LETTERS

Remembrance

Reading about Alastair Stephens’ recovery in the mortuary in the Somme reminds me of my late father’s similar experience.

He volunteered at the age of 16, was wounded at Gallipoli and invalided out. He then found another regiment and was sent to France – the Somme.

A shell hit his trench and he was laid out in the mortuary with his comrades. An orderly spoke to a nurse and told her there was a soldier in the mortuary also from Edinburgh with the same name as hers. The nurse was my father’s eldest sister and when she saw her only brother lying there, she sobbed over him.

As the hot tears hit his face, he opened his eyes and his lips moved. As they say, the rest is history.

Not only did he live a happy life, but at age 41 volunteered in 1939 and served as a Captain in the Pioneer Corps in World War Two.

He died on active service on June 17 1942 and his name is on Gifnock War Memorial.

Mrs Pat Cornell,Clarkston, Glasgow

The two page life of Earl Haig (Life and Work November) overlooked too many matters of signiicance in an ungenerous spirit, unbeitting your Remembrance special edition.

For example, Haig’s funeral in 1928 set out from Pont Street for Westminster Abbey with the coin on the gun carriage earlier used for the Unknown Soldier. It then went by train to Edinburgh for a further service before being taken to Dryburgh Abbey in the Borders. His standing in the wider community, especially in the decade after Armistice, can be reasonably gauged by the honours bestowed. In 1919 he received OM and his Earldom.

At St Andrews University, he was rector from 1916 and Chancellor from 1922. He captained the R&A golf club 1920-21.

He was given the freedom of Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee. He was welcomed, in Scotland especially, with adulation from young and old alike, a hero without stain, thanked for victory and the end of hostilities.

Beyond the call of duty he fought for the post-war welfare of returning veterans.

In 1921 Bemersyde in the Borders was given to him by the nation. Many statues and memorials for him appears over the years including an equestrian statue in 1937 in Whitehall.

In the Great War, his was perhaps an impossible job. Would any other leader have done any better?

J Michael Buchanan, London

The November issue of Life and Work rightly focussed on events of 100 years ago.

This is the end of a four year period when there has been the opportunity to remember ‘the war to end all wars’.

The stated aim of WW100 Scotland was to commemorate and to reflect on what we might learn for today.

The former has been a constant theme but where or what has been the learning for today?

Militarism and nationalism interacted then with toxic results and can still do so.

Can we improve our understanding of the drivers of conlict? Should we be celebrating and encouraging the work of UN Peacekeeping and MSF, or of organisations such as Peace Direct and Fellowship for Reconciliation who explore how locally to reduce conlict.

What is Britain’s responsibility in reducing weapons build up through the international arms trade?

After 100 years is it time to re-think November 11?

For many it seems increasingly associated with support for the armed services. Perhaps in future it could focus genuinely on efforts to reduce conlict and on the work of organisations active in that ield.

Duncan MacIntyre, Eaglesham

Respect Plea

I read Mr Stirling’s letter in the November issue with great interest.

Interesting as it was, the main thought that suggested itself to me was ‘damned by faint praise.’

On the one hand he floats the idea that men do not attend because of women in Kirk Sessions. But in the next sentence he speaks meliluously about fine women elders and ministers.

Then he speaks of being a lazy man leaving the work to the women.

His first statement cancels out the other two.

I suspect that he fails to understand the purpose of General Assemblies. Although they fulfil a certain legislative function, legislation is passed after the Assembly seeks the mind of God on the matter at hand.

It could therefore be argued that those who take the huf and walk are showing unwillingness to accept the mind of God on the matter. In the Old Testament urim and thummim were cast and in the New Testament lots were drawn after prayer.

People didn’t walk when the result didn’t go their way.

John Nugent (Rev), Wick

’Ladies First’

Listening to Radio Scotland I heard an item by the Pagan Chaplain at Edinburgh University who is legally licensed to conduct weddings.

Cartoon: Bill McArthur

Her background was in the Church of Scotland and she had formally joined the church as a young woman.

One of the main reasons she gave for becoming pagan was the patriarchy in the Church of Scotland, whereas in paganism, women have a central place.

This made me sit up and take notice.

As a churchwoman, I wonder what is the signiicance of this, if any? Is it just a perception, or does it reflect the reality?

Perhaps there may be something here for the church to reflect on. Is the culture in our church constraining women from expressing and fully developing their faith?

And, why, as a woman, do I fear I may be entering a mineield in raising this?

Some thinkers have said the Church of Scotland is moving from decline towards extinction, so I am emboldened to offer a suggestion.

If this really is the situation, then perhaps we may be ready now to consider every possible solution, even if it may seem outlandish. To quote Burns,

“O, wad some Power the giftie gie us To see oursels as others see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us”

My Mother always told me that Love is NOT Love until you give it away, and so I would suggest that churchmen at all levels, with faith in a God who is great enough to do all things, to consider giving up some of their space to churchwomen and think about adopting, as a top priority, a general policy of ‘Ladies First’.

Margaret Whitelaw, Lenzie

Singing Spirit

What a wonderful reply to the Rev Scott McKenna from the Rev David Torrance in October letters.

My spirit sang within me, a dinosaur spirit at that, that others see God’s amazing miracles happening today as I do – thank you Rev Torrance!

Patricia Chapman, Linlithgow

Island Acrostic

Soaring clifs Teeming with seabirds Kittiwakes, fulmars, and gannets Innumerable Launching out in faith Defying Atheism.

Jim McEwan (Rev), Nethy Bridge, Inverness-shire

Life and Work welcomes letters from readers of not more than 350 words which can be sent by post to Life and Work,121 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4YN or by email to magazine@lifeandwork.org

For verification purposes letters must be accompanied by the writer’s name, address and daytime telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. In exceptional circumstances the Editor will consider publishing a letter withholding the details of the writer, provided veriication can be made. The Editor reserves the right to edit letters for space and legal reasons.

This article appears in the January 2019 Issue of Life and Work

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  COPIED
This article appears in the January 2019 Issue of Life and Work