From the ages of 8 to 12, I attended a Jesuit Boarding School in Derbyshire; Jesuits live by a rule founded in 1540 by Ignatius of Loyola – vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience; they are an impressive outfit. Although not a conscious choice, the cottage where I live is on the site of an ancient monastery – probably established by the monks of Lindisfarne around 650AD and referenced by the historian Bede; I welcome many religious associations in my life. The specifics of any particular God or religious denomination no longer interest me – but I find it compelling, that since the beginning of recorded history, individuals have ‘withdrawn from the world’ to found communities dedicated to serving others. It would appear that whichever God they might invoke is secondary – that compassion is integral to human nature.
There’s a film currently doing the rounds called The Dig – starring Carey Mulligan and Ralph Fiennes; it’s based on the true story of the famous discovery of the Sutton Hoo, Anglo-Saxon burial site. One of the reviewers says: “It’s really an investigation into the fleeting nature of life and the ever-present shadow of death”. The Mulligan character says: “We die, and we decay; we don’t live on”. The Fiennes character replies: “I’m not sure that I agree. From the first human handprint on a cave wall, we’re part of something continuous; so we don’t really die”. Sitting on my bench, in the graveyard opposite, I frequently connect to this ‘continuity’ – that the past is never lost – its legacy unfolding in the present.
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Today, February 5th, sees the launch of Now Scotland, the new national membership organisation for everyone in the independence movement; (article by Martin Hannan). The achievements of the SNP around independence should never be questioned – immense; but there is a growing sense that a ‘broader’ campaign would now be more effective – prioritising grassroots activists, outside the formal political process. For her consistent support of community action, over many years, I’m a fan of writer and activist, Lesley Riddoch – who has pledged to join Now Scotland: “The bold decision to organise an all-party/no-party grassroots YES movement from scratch – is a beautiful and precious thing”.
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I’m familiar with the High Streets of Linlithgow and Callander, which suffer similar decline and inertia; I would settle responsibility for the regeneration of Anytown High Street on a group comprising local people and traders – following the model demonstrated by the Midsteeple Quarter Project in Dumfries. This article in Brinkwire outlines current thinking around how the locals can gain more control over their High Streets.
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If a second Referendum takes place (increasingly likely), the viability of Scotland’s economy will be closely examined, and I, for one, need to get a better grasp. Graeme Roy of the Fraser of Allander Institute has posted this piece in the Conversation; he argues that the economic issues are quite different to 2014.
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With similar populations (circa 126 million), Japan has 5,000 Covid deaths – Mexico has 150,000. This article argues that the stark difference equates to cultural differences in our willingness to follow rules; some cultures are ‘tight’ – others more ‘loose’. Most Scots think that our First Minster’s ‘pitch’ has been well judged.
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The latest issue of Private Eye has an article: Restarting the Gravy Train, about the £2.9bn Restart Scheme to tackle the coming job crisis; it seems that only a restricted list of ‘approved’ private contractors have been invited to bid – Serco, Capita, G4S etc – the usual blunderers. Compare this to Scottish Govt’s recent wide consultation on its procurement strategy; this was SENScot’s submission.
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This is from the biography of Albert Einstein by Anne Rooney.
“I believe in a God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fate and actions of human beings……We are in the position of a little child entering a huge library filled with books in many different languages. The child knows someone must have written those books. It does not know how. It does not understand the languages in which they are written. The child dimly suspects a mysterious order in the arrangements of the books but it doesn’t know what it is. That, it seems to me, is the attitude of even the most intelligent human being toward God. We see a universe marvellously arranged and obeying certain laws, but only dimly understand these laws. Our limited minds cannot grasp the mysterious force that moves constellations.”
