Celebrating diversity and challenging discrimination

This coming Sunday, 12 September, is designated as Racial Justice Sunday by all the Churches in Britain and Ireland.

This year is a very special year for two reasons. The first is that churches all over Europe have dedicated the whole of 2010 to think about how they are responding to migration.

And the second is that, here in Scotland, a new organisation to support and encourage black and minority ethnic Christians is being established. MECTIS (Minority Ethnic Churches Together in Scotland) is being launched at a special service on Sunday evening at Wellington Church in Glasgow.

MECTIS is for the ‘black majority’ or black-led churches, for migrant churches, for Christian organisations and groups working with black and minority ethnic people, and for BME people worshipping in the more traditional, established churches in Scotland.

Leaders from MECTIS groups and the established churches will be present at the special service next weekend. I hope that MECTIS will both be a place where all people can come together to talk, and to work and worship together.

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland have produced special worship resources for Racial Justice Sunday, which will be used in churches across the whole country. Maybe you could plan to use them in your Church?

This prayer has been written by Betty Luckham of the Catholic Association for Racial Justice:

Heavenly God, we praise your name and thank you for your glorious goodness and mercy.
Lord Jesus, we pray a blessing for all those actively engaged in the struggle for racial justice.
Holy Spirit, we beseech you to enter into the minds and hearts of all those in authority in the Church.
Grant that they may:
Hear the voices crying out for justice
Engage in developing a better understanding
Act to bring about change
Lead and inspire others by their good example.

We ask this through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
The love of God is greater than all evil.

We pray for racial justice:
- in our lives
- in our churhces
- in our land.
Amen.

Migration matters to Scotland

Aleksander Kudajczyk played Chopin last Sunday at the University of Glasgow. Mr. Kudajcsyk lives and works and Scotland. However, not too long ago, he was a cleaner in the law department at the University. He asked one day if he could play the piano at the University Chapel. The rest is as they say… history. In Poland, Aleksander had been a music student at one of Poland’s most renowned music schools and in the words of Stuart MacQuarrie, the University Chaplain. he played “exquisite Chopin”.

Mr. Kudajczyk represents the new wave of immigration to Scotland, young, skilled and contributing to his/her country of residence. Migration matters. Traditionally, Scotland has been a country of emigration; the outflow of human capital has inevitably depleted this country of brain power and economic potential. Our fertility is below replacement levels. This means that there are not enough young people to carry the burden of an ageing society.

However, since 2004 Scotland has been a net importer of people. The introduction of the points system for immigration and the Fresh Start programme clearly favour highly skilled immigrants. Much research points to the social and economic benefits of this migration. We must not, however, forget our moral duty to offer shelter for asylum seekers irrespective of their qualifications since all immigrants contribute their skills, their culture and their unique view of the world to the benefit of everyone in Scotland.