Hot and Bothered

With the scorching temperatures that we have had the past few days, it occurred to me that it is common to equate heat with anger.  We sometimes say that when someone is mad that he or she got a little "hot under the collar."  On other occasions when something makes us angry we might say, "that makes made blood boil."  There are other examples of course but I believe I've made my point.

This leads us to a larger discussion of anger.  What roll does anger play in the life of the Christian?  Is it proper for a Christian to become angry?  If so, what type of things should anger a Christian?  How should Christ's followers deal with the anger they feel?

In the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible the word "anger" appears over 300 times.  Most of those references come from the Old Testament and often speak of the anger of God.  In addition the word "angry" appears in the same version of scripture approximately 100 times again with most of those references being in the Old Testament and again they speak of God being angry. Often times  references to God's anger and God being angry are found in the orations of the Old Testament prophets, who, more often than not, seem to be quite angry themselves.  

In as much the scriptures affirm that God can be angered, it would then be wise to ask "What  angers God?"  While others might offer different observations it seems to me that three basic things anger God in the Old Testament, injustice, disobedience and idolatry.  I would offer that nothing has changed.  God is still angered by the injustice that is present in our world,  by actions that run counter to his will and by humanities insistence on giving priority to things in life besides God.

However,  no discussion of God's anger is complete without mentioning the fact that when God's anger is brought to light in the scriptures, a pronouncement concerning God's mercy and redemption follows soon after.

In as much as we see that God can be angered we are then moved to look at our own anger.  To answer the previously asked questions, yes, it is perfectly acceptable for a Christian to become angry. Jesus himself modeled anger when he drove the money changers and the sellers of sacrificial animals from the Temple at Passover.  

Christians should become angry at injustice.  Christians should become angry when people are exploited.  Christians should become angry when our brothers and sisters are sometimes treated as second class citizens.  If these things do not make us angry then our moral compass is severely misaligned.

Those things said, anger, particularly anger in our interpersonal relationships can be destructive.  For this reason anger on an interpersonal level is something that must be resolved according to the teachings of scripture.  

Jesus says in Matthew 5:21-22a “You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and ‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment."  In other words, Jesus is teaching us that a festering attituded of anger within us can lead us to into destructive behavior.

Paul synthesizes the role of anger in the life of the Christians when he writes, "So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil." (Ephesians 4:25-27 NRSV) In essence, Paul reminds us that yes anger has a place in the life of Christian but at the same time we must not lot anger consume us because if we do then we open our selves to evil.

In the end we should ask ourselves, "What angers me and why?"  It is in seeing what angers us that we learn much about ourselves.  In the end, we should all be angry sometimes; howver, we must never let anger become a way of life.