Scottish Parliament to be presented with special Bible to mark 25th anniversary of devolution
Published on 22 April 2024 4 minutes read
A special Bible to mark the 25th anniversary of devolution will be presented to the Scottish Parliament.
Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, will hand over the holy book (New International Version) to Presiding Officer Alison Johnstone tomorrow.
The Moderator will be accompanied by Elaine Duncan, chief executive officer of the Scottish Bible Society, which has jointly provided the gift with the Church of Scotland.
Bound in black Morocco leather, the cover features the words Scottish Parliament and ‘Wisdom, Justice, Compassion and Integrity', the same words etched onto a ceremonial mace presented to the Scottish Parliament by the late Queen Elizabeth.
Inside the front cover, a presentation plate states ‘Presented to the Scottish Parliament by the Church of Scotland and the Scottish Bible Society to commemorate the 25th anniversary of devolution, April 2024'.
When the parliament reconvened in 1999, the committee rooms and the debating chamber were housed in the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland on The Mound in Edinburgh until the present building near Holyrood Palace opened in 2004.
Speaking truth to power
Mrs Foster-Fulton is spending time at Holyrood this week and will discuss a range of important issues with party leaders and representatives including poverty and deprivation, climate change, violence in the Middle East, assisted dying, ending conversion practices and how people treat asylum seekers, refugees and migrants.
She will be the Time for Reflection leader in the debating chamber tomorrow afternoon and will deliver an inspirational message to MSPs.
The Church believes that it is important to influence the world that we all live in and supports and encourages those who undertake politics as a vocation for public service, recognising that the primary motivator is to try and make people's lives better.
Mrs Foster-Fulton explains why it is wholly appropriate and necessary that the Church fully engages with the political world.
She said:
When people say that the Bible and politics don't mix, I ask them which Bible they are reading.
‘The Bible claims for all human beings this exalted status that we are all, each one of us, created in the divine image.'
Two powerful sentences from the late South African theologian, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
He preached and taught about the bridge between faith and politics – not in a party-political way but in a way which helped to relate the Christian faith to everyday life, to society and to challenging the great causes of injustice around the world.
The cornerstone of his, and our, beliefs remains the Bible - the revealed word of God in the scriptures which are our supreme rule of faith and life.
As part of my Moderatorial visit to the Scottish Parliament in the 25th year since devolution, I am giving to the parliament a copy of the Bible.
It holds truths and wisdom that shine light on righteousness, holiness, mercy and just government.
It invites you into a lifelong dialogue about how to make real the values etched into the parliamentary mace: ‘Wisdom, Justice, Compassion, Integrity'.
As well as presenting the parliament with the gift of scripture and the Good News of Jesus Christ (my grateful thanks to the Scottish Bible Society for helping to make this happen), I will be taking the opportunity to lead worship at a parliamentary service.
It is my hope that the role of the Church of Scotland is to convene spaces for cross-party fellowship, prayer and worship.
The time in Holyrood is also a chance for deep conversations with a range of politicians representing different political groups and ideas.
This is a chance for me, as Moderator, to represent the concerns and hopes of the wider Church, and to offer the prayers and good wishes of the Church of Scotland to those elected to public service.
It will also provide a chance to listen to what MSPs have to share with us.
Their concern for the reforms and changes that the Church of Scotland has been engaging in over the recent past is a reminder that our role in community and civic life is still of importance and relevance to wider society.
I am therefore mindful of how our decisions at local and presbytery and national level are shared with and communicated to political leaders.
I'll be raising in particular a number of key concerns too.
The impact of poverty and deprivation in Scotland and around the world.
How we treat asylum seekers, refugees and migrants.
The experience and ideas of the Church in relating to contemporary public questions such as assisted dying.
The role of church, faith and political leaders in the face of an increasingly unstable world due to conflict, especially in Ukraine and the Middle East, and climate breakdown.
And to let them know that ‘the Bible for all human beings, this exalted status that we are all, each one of us, created in the divine image.'
Those who are able are asked to respond to human need, to welcome the stranger, to offer advice and wisdom to the civil government, to follow the Prince of Peace and seek to be peace-makers.
