Mediation and St Andrew

Whatever you think about today's one-day strike of public sector employees in the UK, you'll probably agree that a useful person in a dispute is a good mediator - who brings people together, gets to know the issues and those involved well enough to help them find common ground, listen to one another and  negotiate. 


Today is St Andrew's Day. The apostle Andrew, one of the first disciples Jesus chose, is remembered for bringing people together. Specifically, the gospels record that Andrew

• told his brother Peter about Jesus (John 1: 35 - 42)
• brought a boy with a few loaves and fishes to Jesus (John 6: 1 - 15)
• told Jesus about foreigners wanting to meet Jesus (John 12: 20 - 26)

Andrew didn't do anything extraordinary, just what all Christians are called to do. He passed on to others what he had seen, heard and experienced of Jesus. He brought people to Jesus and he told Jesus about people who wanted to meet him. In the end, tradition has it that it cost Andrew his life, crucified, far from his Galilean home, on an X-shaped cross.

For the relationship of Andrew the Apostle with Scotland see here.

Happy St Andrew's Day!

Image of Saltire: Creative Commons: from St Andrew's Day post on mediaresearch.wordpress.com