Their columnist on public transport, Dr. B. Ching, had a dig because the founder of Stagecoach, Ann Gloag, gave £50,000 to a church (Protestant I assume) she "attends when at her castle near Inverness."
Dr. Ching (most of these people are well known professionals writing about their speciality) suggests it was mean of her to give 50K and not the full 300K needed given her "windfall payout from Stagecoach last year had been more than £37m..."
Am I the only one to think this smacks of bitterness, dare I say sour grapes? Whatever next? Berating people wearing clothes that total over £200 for putting £1 in a charity collection tin?
Ann Gloag put her neck on the line back in the day (1999/2000?) when she put her name and money to a huge public campaign in Scotland against the repeal of Section 28 which would see homosexuality promoted to school children.
The campaign was very powerful and showed most Scots were in favour of the law being retained. The usually "left wing" leaning Catholics of the Central Belt with their powerful local Labour links joined Protestants and Evangelicals to defend family values and a real, popular, grass roots campaign took off.
It would have been easy for Ann Gloag to keep her head down, keep her money to herself and live a comfortable life. But (unlike many rich people) she put her money where her mouth was, and moreover fought publicly for the Common Good.
If she chooses to give £50K to a church she attends (on hols or regularly) then I say good on her. Let's celebrate generosity rather than 'suck on a lemon' and act all prissy about it, like Dr. B. Ching.
If his real problem is the profits of Stagecoach or the Protestantism (or the family values) of Ann Gloag - then say so! Don't pussyfoot around and cast aspersions in her direction suggesting she is mean for giving a church (albeit not Catholic!) £50K.
Credit where credit is due. We all know about the Widow's Mite versus the rich man's gift, but we should also be careful not to be sucked into envy and petty politics when one person just does a good deed, perchance as a genuine act of Charity (albeit mistakingly to a heretical group). I wonder if Dr. B. Ching has a log he needs to look around?
In the light of The Passion of Our Lord, the writings of 'the wise' can all too often come across as foolish (and luckily for me, vice versa!)
From 1 Corinthians Chapter 1:
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”[a]
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
