Why Sunday is still sacred on Lewis and Harris
Getty ImagesIslanders on the Isle of Lewis spent their Sunday in a way the rest of Scotland – and the UK – has not seen for decades.
Swimming pools and sports centers are closed, and most businesses are closed.
As elsewhere in the Western Isles, there is no public transport on Sundays.
Lewes and neighboring Harris have a strong Christian tradition, with the Church of Scotland and the Free Church predominating.
According to the latest census dataThe Church of Scotland (35.3%) is the most common religious group in the Western Isles.
But controversy arose as Tesco in Stornoway opened for seven daysLewis brought this traditional way of life into the spotlight. Today’s First Sunday opening marks a historic change.
faithfully observe Sabbathor the Lord’s Day, is deeply embedded in the culture of Lewis and Harris.
According to the Ten Commandments of the Bible, the Sabbath is a spiritual time of worship and rest, work and recreation.
In the past, islanders would not hang their laundry outside as a sign of respect for the Sabbath, and sometimes some churchgoers even chained up children’s swings to ensure peace and quiet.
Dr James Englinton, Senior Lecturer in Reformed Theology at the University of Edinburgh, has family from Lewes.
He said the chain swing has become a metaphor used by people who don’t understand the island’s culture.
Dr Enrington added: “It’s very much a reflection of that culture, it’s the kind of thing that makes Sabbath sound very gloomy, disappointing and strange.
“Lewis is a living example of the local culture that practices a day’s rest as a community.
“In mainland Scotland people think it’s weird, but in mainland Europe it’s a normal thing.”
The Rev. Hector Morrison of Lewis, president of UHI Highlands Seminary, said one of the reasons the Sunday tradition of Lewis and Harris endures is the evangelical revival.
During these events, the community felt committed to a very devout Christian approach.
Pastor Morrison said that at least until the 1970s, parts of Lewis and Harris experienced revivals every 10-15 years.
He has fond memories of growing up in Lewes and said the Sabbath was never dull.
The former minister added: “I believe Sunday remains special to the people of Lewis and Harris, not primarily because it is so deeply embedded in the culture of the island, but as long as the gospel itself is present in these islands The islands still have an important and powerful role.
“Every new generation that loves the Lord will want to keep the Lord’s commandments.”
Other religions in the Western Islands include Catholicism, especially in the southern islands such as Barra, and there are A mosque in Stornoway.
For Lewis and Harris, Sunday has changed significantly over the past 20 years.
The hotel’s restaurant is open, as well as a petrol station and a shop open on Sundays.
The island’s first commercial flight begins operations October 2002.
About 60 activists gathered to greet the plane as it landed in Stornoway.
They stood silently in protest and handed out leaflets saying that traveling on the Sabbath was a sin that would damage one’s soul and life on the island.
Among the passengers on the first flight was a young oil industry worker.
he told the bbc At the time, the Sunday flight offered him an opportunity to balance working away from home with spending quality time with his family back home.
Getty ImagesSeven years later, the first ferry – the Western Isles’ lifeline mode of transport – Sunday sailing from Stornoway to mainland Scotland.
As cars boarded the ship, a small group prayed and sang psalms, but hundreds of others stood and applauded to show support for the voyage.
Among the protesters was the Rev Angus Smith, a Free Church minister who was born in Govan.
In 1965 he led a demonstration against Skye’s Sunday ferry and was taken away by police as he sat in a car waiting to board.
Then 2018the screening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi marks the first time a cinema has been open in Lewis on a Sunday. There was a small protest outside.
Islanders have mixed opinions when it comes to Tesco.
Lizzie Aucott-Hall said: “There are so many other shops in town open on Sundays, why not Tesco?
“I would understand if this place was closed down, but that’s not the case.
“If I can go buy a pint of beer, I should be able to buy a pint of milk.”
But Ruth Pickard did not approve of the move.
She told BBC News: “I’m totally against it. We moved here from Yorkshire 34 years ago and one of the attractions was the peace, quiet and lifestyle.
“What you can’t buy six days a week, I don’t know what you need on Sunday.”
Donald Lamont, a BBC correspondent in Lewes, said the debate was not simple.
he told BBC Radio’s Good Morning Scotland: “It’s not as straightforward as religious versus non-religious. It’s more subtle than that.
“A lot of people expressed sadness, a lot of people were ambivalent, and some people were happy about the news.”
