10 years ago, we produced What Kind of Nation? A Manifesto for a Future Scotland as our contribution to the public discourse and debate surrounding the Scottish Independence referendum in 2014.
This was a foundational document which framed much of our advocacy work for the following decade. A lot has happened in the past 10 years. The church has remained a constant throughout Scotland’s uncertain, constitutional future; the Covid-19 pandemic and changes in political leadership. Now is the time to reflect on the role we, as Christians, can play in the future of our nation.
This report is a reflection on where we are as a nation. It is a framework for how and why evangelical Christians engage in political life. And it is an encouragement for Christians to keep reflecting and sharing Jesus – seeking the best for Scotland in everything.
We want to show policymakers how the influence of faith can make a hugely positive difference to policy making. We know that the Scottish Government values the role of churches and Christian charities in supporting the most vulnerable in society. This report seeks to set out the difference we can make to all aspects of governing, to make Scotland a more just, more thriving, dynamic and diverse nation than it already is.
Jeremiah in the Bible recounts instructions God gave to His people while they were suffering in exile in Babylon. He commanded them to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you” (Jeremiah 29:7). This was a radical and unexpected call. God’s people had been victimised, persecuted and scattered, and yet they were called to radical love and commitment to those who had oppressed them. This is the heart of the gospel – radical love that changes relationships and cultures.
