The Church of Scotland’s commitment to promoting truthfulness in both public and private life has never been more important, the Kirk’s General Assembly has been told.
The comments came earlier today from Lord Hodge, the Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.
Lodge Hodge has been appointed Lord High Commissioner, the Queen’s personal representative to the annual General Assembly.
The assembly takes place in Edinburgh this week, with both in-person delegates and proceedings being streamed online.
Lord Hodge, this year's Lord High Commissioner, has commended the commitment of the Church of Scotland and its fellow churches in promoting truthfulness in both public and private life, which has "never been more important".https://t.co/hMJMPy8iKs#GA22
— Church of Scotland (@churchscotland) May 21, 2022
Delivering his speech remotely, Lord Hodge told the General Assembly in Edinburgh: “At a time when political leaders in autocratic regimes and, regrettably, in some democracies, have often been disrespectful of the truth and commentators accept with a resigned shrug the deliberate purveying of lies, the commitment of the church, and other churches, to promote truthfulness in our public and private lives has never been more important.
“The Old Testament prescription of acting justly, acting with compassion, and acting with humility retains its relevance today.”
A significant year
Lord Hodge said he was honoured to be invited to represent Her Majesty The Queen in a year which held two significant royal anniversaries.
The first of these was the visit to Edinburgh in August 1822, the first royal visit to Scotland by a British monarch in many years, which was designed to heal the rift between the country and the ruling House of Hanover.
The other significant anniversary is Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, and as someone born in the year of the coronation.
“The Queen’s message of Christian hope, which Her Majesty has delivered each year at Christmas has played an integral part of the celebration of Christmas over the years”, Lord Hodge added.
“The Queen has been an exemplar of the Christian ideal of service and each year has articulated the timeless values for which the Church stands.”
Lord Hodge assured the General Assembly of Her Majesty’s resolution to maintain Presbyterian Church Government in Scotland, and congratulated the Right Rev Dr Iain Greenshields on his appointment as Moderator.
“Appointment as Moderator is the highest honour that your colleagues can bestow,” he said.
“I have no doubt that your prior work as a parish minister in Cranhill, Larkhall, on the Isle of Skye and in the City of Dunfermline, your experience as a prison chaplain and as a psychiatric chaplain, and your work in presbyteries have given you the experience and insight to take on the role of leadership and to present the church’s work both within this country and on the international stage.”
The proceedings can be viewed on the Church of Scotland website.
Conversation