A few weeks ago I asked someone for help with something and was refused. I was surprised how hurt I felt, but rather than let a negative feeling fester, I decided to look at how others deal with hurt, beginning of course with the Lord Jesus. It proved a salutary exercise. The Jesus of the Gospels was never afraid to show how he felt about things, but he did not allow his feelings to be the whole story. He was angry enough to drive the money-lenders out of the Temple; sad enough to weep at the death of his friend, Lazarus; patient enough to tease the Samaritan woman into giving him a drink when he was thirsty; astute enough to outwit Pilate when asked some tricky questions. He could be exasperated by the obtuseness of his disciples; and we can probably imagine his feelings when his family came looking for him "convinced he was out of his mind". But there was never any trace of personal bitterness or hostility, never any desire to "hit back" at people or "get even", never any tendency to ridicule or make others look small. He was capable of forgetting himself and looking beyond to the need of the other. In recent years, the "victim statement" has become a commonplace of reporting on crime and disasters. Heaven knows, someone who has lost a family member to murder or suffered terrible injuries must have to struggle with deeply negative emotions, but sometimes the victim statements leave one feeling oppressed by a sense of negativity multiplied, evil begetting further evil. I find it interesting that statements full of hatred and loathing are soon forgotten, but is there anyone who will ever forget the heroic forgiveness of Gordon Wilson in the aftermath of Enniskillen? We are not at the mercy of our moods. We can be moral people and make the world a better place for our being part of it.