On anger

WITH all the toxic environment we are having these days,

especially in the area of politics, and most especially when some

political characters recklessly comment on religious topics, to get

angry is a very likely reaction we all can have.

            We just have to be wary of our anger because as St. James

already warned us in his letter, “man’s anger does not bring about the

righteousness of God.” (1,20) We always tend to go overboard, and our

anger can already go beyond the scope of charity and righteousness.

            Let’s never forget that we have a wounded condition here

in our earthly life. We may appear strong and clearly endowed with

powerful talents and resources, but all these good things can blind

and intoxicate us also and can plunge us into a very subtle form of

pride, vanity, arrogance and self-righteousness.

            We can feel that we have all the truth and fairness in our

side, but just the same all that can still be held outside of charity.

And let’s remember that charity is the fullness of knowledge, truth,

justice. Where there is no charity, the charity of God, all the other

virtues can at best be only apparent. They can look and feel like

virtues, but in reality are not.

            While we can try to reflect God’s anger on certain

occasions in our own brand of anger over some issues, we should be

most careful, because with our wounded condition, we can easily fall

into hatred and other forms of lack of charity.

            Yes, anger is one of our God-given emotions, locked into

our nature as persons. It has its legitimate use. But precisely

because of our precarious human condition here on earth, we have to be

wary of it. In fact, anger is also considered one of the capital sins,

along with pride, envy, greed, lust, gluttony, sloth, that can beget

many other sins.

            If ever we have to be angry, let’s try our best to be

angry in the spirit of Christ who showed anger over the self-righteous

Pharisees and scribes, and over those who turned the temple into a

market place. Christ’s anger is what is called righteous anger, one

that is done always in charity and in the truth, and not just due to

opinions and biases. It’s an anger that is meant to correct, purify,

heal.

            Besides, Christ’s anger is only momentary. It does not

last long. As a psalm would put it, “his anger lasts only a moment,

but his favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but

rejoicing comes in the morning.” (30,5) He is slow to anger, and quick

to forgive.

            Again, St. James tells us that “everyone should be quick

to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” (1,19) And a

proverb warns us that “a hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but a the

slow to anger calms a dispute.” (15,18)

            We really have to learn how to hold our horses, especially

when we feel provoked or incited. We have to lengthen our patience,

our capacity to suffer. We have to broaden our mind so we can we can

quickly and easily capture the more important things in a given issue

rather than react immediately to things that are only incidental to

that issue.

            It’s always good to have a pro-active attitude in this

regard, that is, that we always think well of everyone even if there

are differences among us. We should not wait for everyone to prove

that they deserve our good consideration. We give it at the start, and

keep it all the way, in spite of some conflicts.

            We have to turn those moments when we are tempted to get

angry to deepen our love for others out of our love for God.