Wednesday, November 30, 2011
St Andrew’s Day
As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon
and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I
will make you fish for people." And
immediately they left their nets and followed him.
- Mark 1:16-18
Today, 30 November, is Scotland’s national day: Saint
Andrew’s Day. Interestingly, Andrew is also
the patron Saint of the last country we lived in – Greece (Russia, Romania,
and Ukraine also claim him as their patron
saint). This year however, 30 November
will more likely be remembered for the mass public sector strike than any Scottish
cultural celebrations.
I might be missing something speaking as a non-Scot, but
generally the day passes without me noticing; sometimes I’m vaguely aware of
some cultural event or art show going on.
There was a move by the Scottish government to put more emphasis on 30
November as a national celebration of Scottish culture, but I know this was viewed cynically by some as part of the Scottish nationalist agenda. It has also become a day to take a stand
against racism in Scotland, on which there has been some political unity. I suppose this is a fitting celebration of St
Andrew’s connection to Scotland. The monastery
that was established in his name by foreigners -- Greek monks -- who brought so much benefit to Scotland. The
town that grew up in Fife around this monastery became a centre of learning and
culture, the heritage of which remains evident today. The town even bears the name of one of Jesus’ first
disciples: now the world famous university town St Andrew’s. The case can be made that Scotland is indebted to immigration and the strangers who settled here for it's rich national heritage (theory being that knowledge of this might mitigate the fear of the other).
Yet I wonder if a celebration of Scottish culture and
making a stand against racism (as good and important as these things are) takes
in the whole picture of what St Andrew’s day could commemorate, especially for those
who count themselves as followers of Christ.
Having read a bit more about St Andrew, as Christians, what else does the
Saltire symbolise? My thoughts immediately
move to the cost of discipleship.
Here is an informative little video about St Andrew. While the tradition is probably a mixture of
myth and reality, it’s interesting nonetheless:
1 comments :
Post a Comment
For those really interested, some good stuff on St Andrew and the Scottish holiday here: http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/scotlandsculture/standrewsday/index.asp
