scruples

Broxburn is not that far from Edinburgh. But it feels like a different world!

I was out there tonight. The annual awards ceremony for those boys from Boys Brigade Battalions across the 'eastern lowlands' who'd gained their Queen's Badge.

The Queen's Badge is the highest award you can get in the Boys Brigade. It's on a par with the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. So those who've gained it have earned it. Well and truly earned it - there's a lot of hard work involved for the boys, a huge amount of time, and prolonged and sustained commitment is always required.

We had a couple of boys being given their award, along with, it must have been, 30 or 40 others. I try to be there for occasions like this - though it's not in the past been possible all of the time. It's a big and significant occasion.

Jonny Smith (top) and Steven Swan receiving their Queen's Badge award from John Swinney, MSP

The event was being held in one of the Broxburn churches. And the guest of honour was John Swinney, MSP. He's a leading light with the SNP, of course, and a minister with the Scottish Government. It transpired in the course of the evening that he had also attained his Queen's Badge a few years back. Well, almost 30 years back now!

That's the sort of profile that this occasion warrants. It's a huge achievement on the part of the boys and the stature of the man they had to give them their awards is very much indicative of just how big the whole occasion is.

It was a great evening. Good songs. A clear word from the chaplain, who took some words the founder of the Boys Brigade had once himself declared - "Half-heartedness is no use" - and urged the boys to be whole-hearted in their own consideration of the claims of Jesus Christ. And a great sense of occasion.

It ended with the singing of the National Anthem. These things invariably do.

And that set me thinking, too. I've been having to think quite a bit this past week about the whole broad subject of 'scruples'. Respecting the scruples of others and not, by our actions, occasioning needless offence.

John Swinney was positioned out front, of course, being part of the 'platform party'. And with his SNP convictions he didn't (and presumably wouldn't) sing the National Anthem at all.

It's not on his part a lack of respect. It's to do with conviction.

But it was a very public, spotlight-on-the-guy, non-singing of the Anthem. It left me wondering.

I know that the National Anthem is generally sung at occasions like this. But I wondered if they might have simply dropped the thing tonight, knowing that by singing it they were putting the man they'd invited along as their guest of honour in an awkward - and publicly awkward - position.

Might a respect for the scruples of others have led them to drop, just this once, this particular part of the evening?

I wonder how good we always are at respecting the convictions of others.

I mean, it's not as though the singing of the National Anthem at the end of a service like that is a non-negotiable article of faith. There are good reasons why it's done. But it's not like we hopelessly compromise our very integrity by not singing it in certain circumstances.

It seemed slightly odd that we closed the occasion with something which plainly ran right against the convictions of the guest of honour. Something which surely everyone knew in advance he couldn't and wouldn't participate in.

"Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food (or 'hymn'?) is unclean in itself.

But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.

If your brother is distressed because of what you eat (read 'sing'), you are no longer acting in love. ..."

(Romans 14.13-15)

What do you think?