Separate lives

My computer clock allows me to inhabit three different time zones, something which has become necessary since our children went to live in Australia and the US. When I glance at the time it is as though the three families are living in a single coordinated triangular relationship. I can place myself in their situation, according to the time of day, and be with each one of them in the moment. This gives a sense of continuity and context to those other moments when we are all awake at the same time and can touch base verbally, and sometimes visually as well. But the line is often fuzzy, and time short, so that we must ‘find’ one another very quickly when we do manage to connect.

Finding one another is crucial to understanding. It is about keeping the line clear. We don’t always give enough time or effort to really ‘finding’ those who matter to us when we are with them all the time. Perhaps this is also true of nations. Nations can take proximity and a longstanding relationship for granted, and unexamined longstanding relationships are bound to ‘break up’ sooner or later.

This is what I find difficult about the idea of Scotland breaking up from the rest of the United Kingdom, the sense of impending rupture and dislocation which will entail the loss of that commonality of spirit which makes for friendship and which holds families together.  It is the same as the ‘bond of the spirit’ which holds us together within the Trinitarian life and love of God. A ‘yes’ vote for separation could mean that we are at risk of losing each other in ways which will be irreversible, because separation also makes for the deepening of distrust. Without trust nothing can heal or be made new. Going our separate ways, becoming dislocated, will not heal the harm we have done to one another in our shared history. Neither will the vague concept of affirming Scotland’s national identity.

If you are Scottish and have always lived in England your identity will be layered, but not compromised. It would be pointless to try to affirm it politically because it will have been formed from within more than one culture context. Being a triple national myself, I don’t see my identity as located in any one nationality. My identity has to do with being part of a much bigger picture, being part of its life and of the life of all the elements which make that picture what it is.

 As nations, we are part of each other and of the mystery of creation, whoever we are and wherever our roots are. The real challenge lies in staying focused on the work of painting the bigger picture. This means working together, picking up on the past, learning from it and using what we have learned to make a new creation.  The bigger picture is an ongoing new creation which we make together with the Master artist who alone can heal and work all things to the good for those who love him.

If the debates leading up to this referendum have taught us anything, they ought to have taught us that we need to heal together, whatever the outcome of the vote on Thursday, although it is hard to see this happening if the ‘yes’ vote prevails, given the fissiparous and all pervading nature of the breakup that such a vote would entail. Administrative problems at every level should give pause for thought, at the very least.

Whatever our nationality, many of us will grieve, should the ‘yes’ vote win, not because Scotland wins political, fiscal or monetary independence but because of the separation and loss which such an untimely and shallow victory would bring. Separation always brings loss, whereas autonomy with interdependence makes for vital and creative relationships. Such relationships depend on trust in the political system itself and, most importantly, in those who are accountable to us in that system. The wise and judicious devolution of power and accountability is the first step towards re-building the kind of trust needed for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland to work together for a better future. It might yet be just possible.