If “God is Love” we needn’t look too far to find her. She’s present in parental hugs at the school drop-off, in bawdy banter between friends, and in each lover’s touch. She inhabits every well-brewed cup of coffee, every well-poured pint, and every perfectly toasted sandwich.
Needless to say, we see her every raceday at Kelso: in the good-humoured chatter around the parade ring, in the excited anticipation on the grandstand viewing steps, and in the turn-out of the horses. Yes, God is there when you strike a bet with a bookmaker, and no (this is only my feeling) – I don’t think she disapproves in the slightest. Nor does she blanch when you order a round of drinks at the bar – she is present in every generous act that you perform (so feel free to buy me a drink at any time).
The Government talks about duty on alcohol and betting as “sin taxes”, as if drinking and gambling are sinful activities in themselves – instead of being part of a fun-loving lifestyle when enjoyed in moderation and with consideration for those around us. They are miserable and wrong.
The opposite of love, it is often said, is not hate – but indifference. Which is not an attempt to explain why God allows hateful things to happen in the World (hateful things are more likely to be human than divine in any case). Rather, it’s an observation that religious dogma is senseless without heartfelt care, that zealous adherence to rules is pointless without an understanding of how or why the rules were designed to help us all, and virtue signaling politicians are nothing but empty vessels.
Having nailed the meaning of life, God, love, politics, the Universe and everything, it’s time to get to the point of this blog: If compassion and understanding are key to the health of humanity, then we should assume that they must be pretty important ingredients in racecourse management too.
Far too important, in fact, to be left in the hands of a cynical racecourse manager like myself who would be more interested in urging you to back Star of Guiting at Musselburgh, our selection for Saturday’s Cheltenham Trials fixture. Which is why, on Ladies Day at Kelso, we invite the Borders Street Pastors to attend and assist racegoers in whatever way might be appropriate. Most commonly, it involves the handing out of flip-flops to bare-footed youngsters, and foil blankets later in the evening. But the Street Pastors talk to people too, help to locate lost keys and telephones, and hail taxis when necessary.
An entirely voluntary organisation, the Street Pastors greatly enhance the atmosphere on Ladies Day. I was therefore delighted to learn that they were arranging a commissioning service for new members of the group this very Friday, 30th January, at 7pm at Galashiels Baptist Church in Victoria Street. The service is open to all, refreshments will be provided and, you may be sure, that love will abound.