Slight confession: I am a terrible golfer. Because I only get in a round of golf every five years or so. But I do own second hand clubs when I need to get a grip. Some of you may remember golfer Greg Norman, “The Shark.” He had a seemingly insurmountable six- stroke lead over Nick Faldo going into the final round of the 1996 Masters golf tournament. A short shot on the unforgiving ninth hole at Augusta caused something in Norman to snap. He began to hit shots into the water, missed short putts, and shot bogey golf for the rest of the round. By the time he and Faldo walked up to the 18th hole, Nick had a four-stroke lead. When it was over, mercifully, the victorious Faldo embraced Norman in a gesture of compassion. “I don’t know what to say ... I feel horrible about what happened. I’m so sorry — I just want to give you a hug.” And with that, both men began to cry. Compassion is a wonderful gift, when given or received. Quite remarkably, God treats us with great compassion. That generous compassion comes to us on the way to someone else. Sunday coming, I will be sharing a message about compassion. Compassion is one of the best responses to these challenging times. Being compassionate with ourselves and being compassionate with others. Compassion is one of the very best antidotes to Trumpism -- and all the influences that resemble Trumpism in our own world. May the compassionate of God surround you and flow through you. Reverend Jim Cairney