Good afternoon. The first item of business this afternoon is time for reflection. Our time for reflection leader today is the Right Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.
Good afternoon. First of all, I bring to you the very best wishes of the Church of Scotland, and assure Parliament that, the length and breadth of this nation, our churches are praying for Parliament on a regular basis.
Luke, chapter 10, says:
“‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’
The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.’
Jesus told him, ‘Go and do likewise.’”
Good leadership, rooted in service for others, is essential for the good of any society.
The short passage that I read is an interaction between Jesus and a Jewish religious leader, where Jesus, in response to the question, “Who is my neighbour?”, tells the familiar story that we know as the Good Samaritan. Much has been made of that wonderful responsive story by Jesus, but often we forget that those concluding remarks between Jesus and his contemporary are fundamental.
The heart of the story is that the one who showed mercy reflected the quality of love that is expected by Jesus. In the ancient Hebrew language, the word for mercy speaks of the unconditional love that a parent has for their child. It is therefore a powerful and primal concept.
Indeed, mercy and forgiveness are at the very heart of Christian identity. Within the Christian tradition, we understand that we receive mercy as a gift from God through Jesus Christ, yet Jesus expected that a gift of such magnificence, grace and magnitude that is so freely given and gladly received by us should be personally expressed in all of our relationships.
Love and mercy are not always easy. We should have love for our neighbour—that person in need whomever they are—and love should be given in every way that we can. Love even for our enemies is, as Jesus said, not a suggestion but a command. He said, “Love your enemies and pray for them”.
To show mercy, and to act out of love, is not primarily a feeling but an act of will, even when we are deeply hurt and offended by someone else. It is to give to another what they do not deserve because we realise that we are the recipients of greater mercy.
What, then, is most important when it comes to the qualities of leadership? Is it charisma, intelligence, real-life experience, popularity or vision, or is it people who can be depended upon to show kindness, grace, forgiveness, and who have a generous heart and unconditional love and mercy in every circumstance?