FAITH: Your Anger is a Trusted Friend

In the Mark Gospel, the author reports an encounter of Jesus on a Sabbath at a synagogue meeting. A man, who had a withered hand had come to the meeting. Apparently Pharisees were in charge of the meeting. Jesus had developed a reputation as a healer. Critics of Jesus were watching to see if Jesus would heal the man. Healing was seen as work and was forbidden by synagogue rules on a Sabbath day. His critics watched him to garner evidence against Jesus as a law breaker. Jesus reached out and healed the man’s hand. The author’s comment is simple and plain. Jesus looked upon them with anger.

This was a welcomed story for me. The story tells me that it is necessary and appropriate at times to be angry. I have been angry all my life. However, my anger was a source of guilt. My religiously devout parents told me not to be angry. That made no difference, I was still angry. Fortunately, I found a different message in the Bible. The writer of Ephesians brought me relief from my guilt. The Ephesians message was to the point. “Be angry, but sin not.” Being devout in my own faith, I continued my search. The Bible tells a great story. God does indeed become quite angry when things are not done right. But God is gracious, disciplines anger, and is quick to forgive. God is steadfast in his love. God’s anger is never to destroy, but to correct and restore. The ball ends up in my court; I must understand when to be angry to correct and to restore. I need to hold grace nearby.

When in my late forties, another piece of the puzzle dropped into place for me. I wanted to be a better person. I spent six months talking to a very good psychiatrist. Her understanding goes like this. When I was a small child, I was apparently punished for something I did not do. I had been angry ever since. I stuffed the anger and resentment and the anger became an unresolved emotional core. I became a very good football player. I played four years of high quality small college football. I enjoyed the collisions. At times I misplaced my anger on innocent people. I at times “blew up” inappropriately. I became a social activist and could not tolerate injustice. I championed equality for women in the life of the church. I facilitated the building of housing for illegal Mexicans and people with special needs. I walked picket lines with union strikers. I demanded and worked for racial equality. I gave hospitality to a gay man dying of AIDS. I was a pioneer advocating for full acceptance of gay people in the life of our churches. Twice I carried justice issues to the Alaska State Supreme Court and minorities won their rights both times.

Currently I oppose the building of a wall on our southern border, I advocate for permanent citizenship for “dreamers,” and I despise the wealth gap between the rich and the poor. Unrelenting love of neighbor is the better way forward for all of us.

My understanding of anger is that it is a gift from God that is generated in real life situations. Without it, racism, war, poverty and injustice of every kind run rampant. Anger is energy intended to counter the power of evil. I look upon anger as a special friend. Anger energizes and empowers. When anger is used wisely, the innocent are protected, the sick are healed, the naked are clothed, the hungry are fed, and the lonely are visited and embraced.

But what about love? My conclusion is that love and anger should be best friends. Anger energizes love, and love motivates right use of anger energy. One huge problem that we face is the diluting of love in our current society. A typical American does not recognize true love when standing face to face with its potential. Saying “I love you” has become a way to smile without any commitment to action. Disciplined anger takes away that possibility. There is a cluster of words that define what it means to be Godly. Love, peace, patience, kindness, and justice all qualify. I am arguing that another word be included in our understanding of Godliness. Add the phrase “disciplined anger” to the list. Adding disciplined anger to love, peace, patience, kindness and justice will make your life much more productive in the name of Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth.

I leave you with some of my favorite anger quotes from the Bible. Be angry, but do not sin; be slow to anger, and abound with steadfast love; do not allow the sun to set on your anger; and he (Jesus) looked upon them with anger.

The great prophets of the Old Testament were angry men who knew how to speak truth and righteousness to power. Martin Luther King Jr. was a master of the art. Jesus from Nazareth did it best. Now it is our turn. Disciplined anger can be a very good friend.

The End

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer, Alaska. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.