God is still at work in Scotland - even amid the trans debate

“Human endeavours sink, when they are not seconded by God. Economical and political affairs fall to the earth, when they are not upheld by Heaven”.

So wrote the English Puritan, William Greenhill, in his seventeenth century commentary on the prophecy of Ezekiel. These sentiments also carry significant weight north of the border, four centuries on, as we take a moment to ponder the Scottish political landscape during these early weeks of 2023.

The dismal events at Holyrood in the days leading up to Christmas are now well documented, when MSPs sat well into the night to ensure the Scottish Government’s discredited Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill was passed come what may. This remember, is the Bill that removes the medical requirement of ‘gender dysphoria’ for those wishing to acquire a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), and thereby changing their legal sex. In other words, it permits a system of de-facto self-identification, even for those as young as sixteen.

It is therefore built upon the wholly false and deeply harmful premise that our male and female identity are fluid concepts rather than precious, God ordained realities. It would be no exaggeration to say that the passage of the Bill represented the darkest of times for the Scottish Parliament in its comparatively short history.

And yet, as recent events have shown us, the Scottish Government’s attempts to ‘put a lid’ upon this hugely controversial piece of legislation before the year end have been blown apart. The UK Government’s undeniably contentious decision to block the Bill by refusing to submit for Royal Assent has (whether one approves of the move or not) had the twin effect of stopping the Bill in its tracks and thrusting it once again into the public consciousness.

This has been followed by the deeply unsavoury events surrounding the issue of a trans prisoner, who had committed rape, being housed in H.M. Cornton Vale, a women-only prison. This led not only to widespread public anger but has also shown the inherent contradiction of the ‘self-identification’ mantra that lies at the heart of the Gender Recognition Reform Bill. That the inevitable consequences of the radical gender ideology behind the Bill has been exposed in this way is surely a further answer to prayer.

How then do we assess the situation from a biblical perspective? In Psalm 33:10 we read that: “The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples.” (ESV) And so, it seems, has come to pass. There is much still to lament over in these dark times, where truth is sacrificed on the altar of ideology.

Even so, God is surely at work in ways we cannot wholly discern. In light of the events we see unfolding before us, may God’s people across Scotland and beyond redouble our prayers for the public square, that the pure light of His kingdom would shine in Scotland once again.