Have you ever been angry? Sometimes I get angry. Did you ever notice that most of the time we get angry over stupid little things? Let me tell you why I get angry most often. It usually has to do with me being in a hurry. Like when the lights in Centralia aren't timed right...or when I always get in the slowest line possible at Wal-Mart...or when I'm on a 2-lane highway and I can't pass the person in front of me. I don't think I'm alone. But why are we like this? The easy answer is that we're in a hurry. But is there something deeper? The root of it may be that we are too prideful, too self-infatuated. After all, why doesn't everyone know that we're in a hurry, anyway?
But there may be another reason. What got me thinking about this was a Nooma by Rob Bell, entitled "Store". He theorizes that we get angry at other beings because we are looking for a fight...and we are looking for a fight because we are not in a fight currently that is worth anything. Let me explain...
Humans are inherently moral. Don't believe me? Ask 10 people if they thought (seriously) that Hitler was doing good or evil. Show someone a picture of a Nazi death camp inmate and aske them if that is humane. Humans were meant to fight for each other, we were meant to fight injustices and grevious wrongs. Take a look at when Jesus got the most angry in the Bible. It was when there was a gross injustice being imposed upon the common person. It was when life wasn't as it should have been.
We're supposed to be angry that a large portion of the earth lives in poverty. We're supposed to be angry that in Cambodia 12 year-old girls are sold as sex-slaves. We're supposed to be angry that in America some people die of a treatable disease because they don't have health insurance and can't afford the treatment.
But instead I get mad when someone cuts me off. Or I get mad when I burn the eggs in the morning. Was life supposed to be lived this way? Isn't there a greater fight that I could be a part of? Why do I work at a church and yet miss the real fight?
You see, we all have passions. As Rob Bell points out, maybe instead of just looking at what we love when identifying our passions, maybe we should also look at what makes us angry. Truly angry. Righteously angry. I'm not talking about Centralia drivers. I'm talking about when a young black teen in the inner-city gets shot because a stray bullet hit him. I'm talking about babies being found on top of the dumpsters outside of Tower City. I'm talking about a scared 13-year old girl who doesn't want to abort her baby but it looks like her life is ruined.
I think I agree with Rob. If we were in the fight we were meant to be in, it might be harder to get angry that it took us 10 minutes to get our Dairy Queen and not 2. What are we channeling our anger towards?
I pray that you and I can be people who channel our anger towards making the world a better place for the people around us.
3 comments:
2 thoughts.
I can't remember if it's Gordon McDonald or John Ortberg, but they talk about a spiritual exersize is fighting hurry. The need to slow down. They suggest things like . . . purposefully getting in the longest line and being happy that you get to slow down. interesting . . .
and number 2 . . . John Eldridge write about original glory. In contrast to original sin, he argues that the human initial state was sinless, in the image of God, and then fell. That's why women long to be beautiful, and men long to be heros.
2 things you made me think of.
Thank you, honey for encouraging me today to slow down and enjoy every moment...even if it's painful. I've learned that when I choose the longer line or not ride so close to the car in front of me that is going 15 mph. I have more peace and it helps me sharpen up on my patience.
Awesome blog Chris. Eye opening. Just this past Sunday, I got angry with the burner on the stove going out while I was trying to cook dinner......should it happen again (and you know its going to) I will remember your blog.
Thank you for the thoughts!!!!
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