Moderator’s call for ‘love and justice’

THE Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland called on politicians to ‘resist the momentum for division and polarisation’ when he addressed the Kirking of the Parliament Service at St Giles’ Cathedral in October.

Lord Wallace of Tankerness, who attended two Kirking services as an MSP, told an audience including Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay, that during his time as a politician he had been ‘spared much of the vituperation and abusive language’ that characterises much political debate today, particularly on social media. He reminded the congregation that, when she spoke at the General Assembly of 2019, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had said: “perhaps these days we can be too quick to retreat into political tribes, with a focus on areas of conflict rather than agreement.

“So all of us – and political leaders especially – have a responsibility to resist the momentum for division and polarisation…

“And when politicians forget or fall short of that responsibility – as all of us sometimes do – the Church is, I think, well placed to remind us of it.”

Lord Wallace added: “So, just in case any listening are tempted or apt to forget or fall short, may I gently remind you of the responsibility so well-articulated by the First Minister, and ask that you are prepared to call it out when others fall short.”

He also defended the rights of people of faith to engage in the political process. He said: “If faced with the plight of those mentioned in Psalm 146: the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoners, the blind, all who are bowed down, strangers and orphans, silence is not an option. Opting out can speak volumes.

“And when Jesus says that he wants people to have life and life in all its fullness, I interpret that not only in terms of spiritual fulfilment, but also by believing that if each person is to have life and experience it in its fullness, we must aspire to a society where people can enjoy good health, a sound education, secure housing, rewarding and secure employment, justice and security, a healthy environment where we cherish creation – and all these globally as well as domestically.

“Self-evidently and compellingly, that takes one into the sphere of politics and political action.”

He also commended a quote from the US philosopher and activist, Cornel West: “Justice is what love looks like in public, just like tenderness is what love feels like in private.”

Lord Wallace continued: “And as we emerge from 19 months of pandemic, surely, we need both love and justice.

“We must not forget that we have been through a time when sickness, death, job insecurity, anxiety over lost education has touched the lives of thousands. So many old certainties have been shaken. This is not the time to go back to where we were before; rather, now must be a time for healing and rebuilding.

“We must not lose the outpouring of community spirit, which we saw during lockdown. We must raise our sights, strengthen community bonds and dare to imagine how our society might be.”

The Kirking of the Scottish Parliament takes place every four years, on the reopening of Parliament following Scottish general elections.