by CAMERON BROOKS AND BILL HEANEY
A Church of Scotland minister has urged MSPs to look to two Scottish track legends for inspiration as the Scottish Parliament returns to business after the summer recess.
Rev Dr Graeme Wilson said they stood on the “starting line” of a new session and would do well to harness the endurance abilities of Josh Kerr, who recently set a new world record for running a mile, and Commonwealth Games 10,000m gold medallist Lachie Stewart.
The minister of Bearsden Cross Church delivered Time for Reflection in the Parliament debating chamber this afternoon.
“You stand on the starting line of a new legislative session, and you too are called to run with endurance, the race set before you – to serve the people of Scotland – your great cloud of witnesses,” he said.
“There will be hurdles and obstacles along the way, and the temptations of shortcuts and quick fixes, but the common good of our country requires something more.
“Going the full distance.”
Dr Wilson said he was cheering in front of the television on 18 July this year as Josh Kerr broke the One Mile World Record that had stood for 27 years.
“He famously won the gold medal in the 10,000m on the opening day of the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, beating the world record holder, Ron Clark of Australia, into second place in front of a vocal and passionate Meadowbank crowd.”
“In preparing for Lachie’s funeral, I had the privilege of having access to his unpublished memories of that race and of that day.
“He wrote: ‘With two laps to go, I realised I could win this but, never having beaten Clark before, I decided to sit in and make sure somewhere on the last lap.
The late, great Lachie Stewart of Vale of Leven Athletic Club
“I made my move just before we hit the final straight and passed Clark with about 80 yards to go.
“Clark told me later that he was amazed at the speed that I passed him at, and I had a big grin thinking, My God, I’ve done it.
“For the next week, I was the king of Edinburgh, and when I went back to work on Sauchiehall Street (in Glasgow), people would shout great run or congratulations.”
Dr Wilson told MSPs the author of the Letter to the Hebrews writes, ‘with this great cloud of witnesses around us, we must run with endurance the race that is set before us.’
“So be like Josh, be like Lachie, and run with endurance the race set before you,” he said.
“For the prize of a more just and equitable Scotland is the finishing line we all strive for.”
The Church of Scotland believes that the Good News of Jesus Christ is relevant within the spheres of politics and decision-making.
It regularly prays for those in positions of political authority, recognising the often-difficult decisions they have to make on behalf of the public.