Holy anger

Today’s Gospel incident (Jn. 2: 13-25) may confuse or disturb some readers, who may ask: Was not Christ all-loving and all-forgiving? How come he manifested anger and drove away the market vendors and money changers in the way that he did? “He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, ‘Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a market place.’” (Jn. 2: 15-16). Was this enough reason for Jesus to do what he did? No. There were even deeper reasons that we must understand and appreciate.

First of all, the vendors and money changers were taking advantage of the poor and exploiting them. During those days, the Jews would buy oxen, sheep, and doves (the latter by the poor) and offer them in the temple as a sign of worship and sacrifice. It was in the name of the religion that the vendors and money changers victimized the poor. Social injustice, as well as religious injustice.

Thus, the second deeper reason is connected with no less than love. And how can anger be a manifestation of love? This is where we have to understand the findings of modern psychology in relation to the four affective polarities of the human person. (cf. E. Shostrom and D. Montgomery, Healing Love: How God Works Within the Personality).

In a mature person whose spiritual core is love, there are four affective polarities that flow out: love and anger in one continuum, and strength and weakness in another continuum. The actualization process or lifestyle involves a dynamic and rhythmic experiencing of each one of these polarities according to what is appropriate. Love can be expressed in compassion, as Jesus did when he fed the five thousand who followed him and had nothing to eat (Mt. 14: 13-21). Anger can be expressed in confrontation with caring, as Jesus did in today’s Gospel event. Weakness may be expressed in humility and vulnerability, as Jesus experienced in the Agony in the Garden. (Mt. 26: 36-55). Strength may be expressed in the form of courage, as Jesus did before Herod, Pilate, and the Sanhedrin, with a climax in his own resurrection at the end of it all.

In the words of Shostrom — Montgomery:

“The best model for understanding the actualizing life is Jesus himself….He lived from his core and was able to express the intensity of emotion required for every situation. He could be loving enough to restore and free a woman caught in the act of adultery when her accusers wanted to stone her to death. He could be angry enough to make a whip and physically drive the money changers from the temple. He could be weak enough to surrender to being put to death on a cross and buried in another man’s tomb. He could be strong enough to rise from the grave a victory over death itself.”

All of us who claim to be followers of Christ are to live and do as he did. The spiritual core in each one of us must be love, and not fear. We are to activate each one of our four affective polarities according to what is called for the by the situation. Compassionate love all the way to rightful anger; vulnerable weakness all to way to courageous strength. We are to live this both individually and collectively.

In fact, as a nation and as God’s people, we are missioned today to activate a compassionate love for the poor and a rightful anger against corruption. In this context, let us give our active support to the Coalition Against Corruption (CAC), in partnership with the Bishops -Businessmen’s Conference for Human Development and the Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas.

This is in response to R.A. 9184, otherwise known as Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) that calls for citizens’ participation in the bidding processes of the national government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations. Last February 28, 2012, an orientation meeting was called, and the following invited organizations sent their representatives: Hands On Manila; Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals; Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants; People Power Volunteers for Reform; Pnoy Pnay - People Power Volunteers for Reform; Magis Deo Marriage Encounter Community; and Movement for Good Governance/Ligaya ng Panginoon.

The CAC project aims to: 1) Ensure implementation and compliance of the procuring agency with R.A. 9184 (GPRA) and its IRR; 2) Promote genuine transparency in government procurement; and 3) Prevent or minimize corruption in public procurement.

This will involve God-inspired volunteers among our citizens. Let us courageously work and pray for the implementation of this as soon as possible.