Managing Anger
Tragedy has a way of surfacing deep seeded pain. Today, I am gathering the pieces of my broken heart and laying them before the Lord. There are a multitude of valid reasons to grieve, but for me, I am saddened by our collective impulse to transform tragedy into political leverage. It is repugnant to celebrate death in any circumstance. Exploiting tragedy tends to happen immediately after any horrific event occurs. Sadly, whether it be the assassination of Charlie Kirk or Melissa Hortman, violence can find a home in any angered heart. Anger does not have partisan loyalty.
In the Church, we must name the humanity present in all of God’s children, no matter our level of disagreement. We must never abandon our commitment to love as Christ loves. Love, however, is often not easy. There are no shortcuts to peace. Violence begets only more violence. I appreciate that Lamb of God’s mission statement calls us to be “intentionally challenging.” This means that we believe that disagreement is healthy and can allow for deeper relationships. We are called to be peacemakers, but at the same time, we do not check our opinions at the door.
To be honest, I am frightened by the recklessness of media and how easy it is for influencers to transform our sadness into anger. It is so much easier to be angry than it is to be hopeful. Although we want to be informed, we must understand that the machine profits from our anger. This is true for every media outlet. My advice is to keep tabs on your internal temperature. I wonder if it’s possible to simply be heartbroken amid tragedy.
As the headlines change, the anger remains. It is important to understand that anger does not go away on its own. Anger that is ignored tends to fester. Anger builds and compounds overtime. The rightful question is not, “are you angry?” The real question is… “what are you doing with your anger?” Are you scapegoating and blaming others? Are you numbing it? Are you running away from it? Anger does not go away without intentionally releasing it, it’s like a pressure valve. Anger can be released in healthy and unhealthy ways.
To be clear, the goal is not to never be angry, that is impossible. The goal is to become familiar with our anger so that we can deal with it. Vengeance is never a Christ-filled response. It is also not Christ-like to retreat into a superficial kind of both-sides-ism. The position of Jesus is not ambiguous. Christ sides with the vulnerable and powerless, always.
As Christians, we must refuse to turn tragedy into a political weapon. Our Christianity is not a tool. Our faith can never be manipulated in a way that blesses violence. We grieve to heal our wounds, not to gain power. Anger has no place in the Gospel. Jesus had every justification to be angry toward those who betrayed and crucified him. Anger was not his response.
With the Spirit of Christ working in our heart, may we unclench our fists, put down our weapons, and soften the sting of our words. May we take seriously Jesus’ command to “love our enemies.” May we fight for justice while maintaining the image of God found in all of us. God will work out our anger. God will build. God will restore.
With Hope,
Pastor Lucas
Photo by Maxime Gilbert