Restraining our outrage

ANGER and outrage certainly have a place in our life. They

are natural reactions to events and situations that are truly

horrible. But we have to be most careful with them. They should not be

allowed to last long, and much less to dominate us for good.

  

            Christ himself showed anger when he discovered that the

temple area was turned into a market place. (cfr. Mt 21,12-13) But he

no doubt was a man of peace and meekness. He is referred as the Prince

of Peace (cfr.Is 9,6) and he taught that we be like him since he is

“meek and humble of heart.” (cfr. Mt 11,29)

  

            St. Paul told us to be wary of anger and outrage. “Be

angry, yet do not sin. Do not let the sun set upon your anger, and do

not give the devil a foothold.” (Eph 4,26-27)

  

            It is worthwhile to note the close connection between

getting angry and falling into the devil’s trap. We should therefore

be controlling of our anger and outrage. And that’s because anger and

outrage can easily turn into hatred which is already a sin.

  

            We have to remember that no matter how bad things are,

those who commit them or are involved in them are still our brothers

and sisters, are still children of God whom we have to love the way

God loves all of us, friend or foe.

  

            Yes, we have to hate the sin, but we should always love

the sinner, and help him to change his ways. That’s what real love is.

It is willing to suffer for the person who needs to be helped, to be

converted, to put in the right direction.

  

            Our problem is that we do not like to go through the

bother of helping sinners change their ways. We only want things or

situations that are comfortable, convenient, favorable to us. But that

is not what Christ has taught us.

  

            Christ told us not to follow the law of Talion—“eye for an

eye, tooth for a tooth.” Instead, he commanded us to love even our

enemies. In fact, we went on to say that we “bless them that curse

you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which

despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Mt 5,44)

   

            We will surely find this commandment hard if not

impossible to do, given our human condition. But with God’s grace, we

can. We just have to learn to adapt our ways to Christ’s ways.

  

            St. Peter, in his first letter, reiterated the same point.

“When they heaped abuses on him (Christ),” he said, “he did not

retaliate. When he suffered, he made no threats, but entrusted himself

to him who judges justly.” (2,23)

  

            Then St. Peter gave the reason for this behavior of

Christ: “He himself (Christ) bore our sins in his body on the tree, so

that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. ‘By his stripes

you are healed’…” (2,24)

  

            We have to be quick to assume this frame of mind when we

are offended by someone or something, or when we are made to suffer.

We have to be quick to unite our suffering to the suffering of Christ

so that our suffering would cease to be simply a negative thing, but

one that would have tremendous purifying and redemptive power.

  

            Yes, such attitude and behavior would appear like

stupidity according to human standards, but that is not so in God’s

eyes. Like St. Paul, we should just consider ourselves fools for

Christ, weak and dishonored for him. “When we are cursed, we bless.

When we are persecuted, we endure it. When slandered, we answer

kindly. We have become the scum of the earth.” (1 Cor 4,10-13)

  

            But remember that St. Paul also said: “The foolishness of

God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger

than man’s strength.” (1 Cor 1,25)