THOUGHT for the week

When most of the world has recovered from New Year, we in A’ Ghàidhealtachd may have another go.

Old New Year is celebrated on January 12, and I’ll be singing my heart out with Oban Gaelic Choir at the An Comunn Gàidhealach ceilidh on Saturday January 12.

I enjoy the vibrant cultural identity of the Highlands and Islands, of which I am so much part on both sides of my family. In a world where so many feel rootless and disconnected, a sense of belonging is valuable.

However, the other side of belonging can manifest itself in ‘identity politics’ which tends towards the exclusion of others on account of their ethnicity, nationality, religion or sexuality. It can be argued that the current Brexit debacle has its roots in uncertainty over identity in a 21st-century world.

Christian faith asserts the value of each person, in their individuality and context. The birth of Christ was God’s ‘yes’ to being human. So as we live in the light of this reality we must deal with issues of sovereignty, Scottish and/or British identity and citizenship, independence and/or EU membership without belittling others.

Indeed, we should cherish and welcome the fascinating cornucopia of human cultural expression when it is liberating and generous. And in Christ Jesus we have the Way, the Truth, and the Life wherever we make our home.