We are at our best when we do our good

Just now in America anger is getting a bad press. Leaders are pleading with people to set aside their anger and find peace with neighbors. This is bad advice and, if taken, will result in an increase in the abundance of misplaced, destructive anger, and injury to the innocent. We need to embrace our anger and use it wisely.

There are at least three dominant human emotions, fear, love and anger. Many books have been written about each of them. Just now anger is front and center. It seems everyone is angry about something. Anger is a basic emotion that is necessary for human survival. I consider anger to be a God given gift. Every human being needs a healthy anger system. I have been accused at times of being overly angry. My typical response is something like this. If I were not angry about injustice, I should be embarrassed. My Christian understandings do not allow me to sit idly by when injustice grabs my attention. Love of neighbor demands that I take real responsibility for my neighbor’s well-being. I admit that my commitment to a Christian ethic is the foundation of my thinking. I try to take my signals from Jesus, the humble prophet from Nazareth. Jesus was a thoroughly involved person. He loved, he sorrowed, he was angry and he feared for the well-being of the people with whom he lived. For someone to advise him to sit on his anger and to “just be quiet” would have been as foolish as I can imagine. He spoke out, he marched in protest and led public protest. He was non-violent but he did not sit idly by.

What is anger? Anger is a response to injustice. Anger produces energy that is to be used to confront injustice. This special energy may be generated when an injustice is experienced by one’s self or when someone else is being treated unjustly. Without the fuel of anger, injustice triumphs. When anger is properly used, justice and peace can be restored.

In the Christian, Israelite, Muslim traditions, the human story starts with a common myth. In that myth, human beings are formed in the image of God and are declared good. For believers in these three traditions, that story establishes the value of every human being. No one is left out. Every human being is worthy of a meaningful life. True, unfortunate things have happened to human beings and their potential has been badly damaged, but their value has never been lost. Every time a human being is damaged or denied his/her potential, God sorrows and is angry. And so also should we be sorrowful and should be angry at the damaging of our fellow human beings.

In the Bible version of human history, human beings often treat one another very badly and there is a lot of anger generated. There has never been a shortage of anger energy, and that reality continues in our world today. To tell anger to “go away” is foolishness. The anger has been generated, and demands to be used. If not used, anger will take on a life of its own and becomes detached from reality. Anger will harm and destroy if human beings do not embrace it, discipline it and use it. The great question for humanity is “what shall we do with the anger that has been generated by the world’s injustices?” Anger energy can be used positively or it can become very destructive.

One of the great arguments of the Bible is about what we do with our anger. Do we use it for retaliation and destruction of enemies? Do we use it to punish and penalize? Or do we use that energy to restore enemies and make friends with them

with grace, forgiveness and kindness.

God set the standard. When he found the world without form and void (useless and chaotic), he set out on a series of creative acts that restored goodness. God is about restoration, healing, doing good and making whole. He does not seek the destruction or harm of evil doers. His passion is restoration!

Jesus taught against retaliation. The standard of “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was widely endorsed and practiced. Jesus denounced the use of such a practice. The use of anger injury is never to be used destructively, but rather used to restore, heal and recreate.

Paul was the first and dominant ethicist of the Christian church. According to Paul, we are to repay no person evil for evil. Paul’s standard for Christian Faith was to turn anger into deeds of kindness for offenders. Paul urged that we repay evil with good. He urged that we love enemies and do good for those who would injure us.

Many people are now angry about the injustices they have suffered at the hands of the rich and the powerful. The legitimacy of their complaint is real and extensive. No amount of destruction, punishment, penalty, or restitution will heal our collective wounds. The doing of good for all our neighbors is the only answer. The power to correct injustices is our collective energy that flows from our anger. Punishment and penalty has never worked. Love, kindness and the doing of good await our collective embrace.

The End

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