How we should be ready to forgive, to extend to others what we long for from them, and more importantly what we long for from God. Jesus warns that an unforgiving nature in us can expect no forgiveness from him on the Day of Judgment (see Matthew 18:21-35).

Maybe it has always been thus—the crowd baying in the arena for more gore, more death. The angry revolutionary mob laying hands on whomever and administering ‘justice’ with the zeal of victors rather than the just. People taking picnics to hangings to enjoy the day out at someone else’s expense.

The ranting mob on social media has taken their place—purveyors of right and wrong, acting as judge, jury and executioner. Irish horse trainer Gordon Elliott certainly felt it recently.

A picture from 2019 surfaced of him sitting astride a horse which had dropped dead of a heart attack on his training ground. Granted, not the most appropriate of postures, but it certainly wasn’t the pose the big game ‘hunters’ celebrating the demise of a beautiful creature.

In his own words he explained,

“The photo in question was taken some time ago and occurred after a horse had died of an apparent heart attack on the gallops. I appreciate that an initial viewing of this photo suggests it is a callous and staged photo but nothing could be further from the truth… I was standing over the horse waiting to help with the removal of the body, in the course of which, to my memory I received a call and, without thinking,  I sat down to take it.”

And in that moment someone snapped a photo.

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