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, getting angry is a likely reaction we 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 tend to go overboard, and our anger can 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, and can plunge us into a subtle form of pride, vanity, arrogance and self-righteousness.

We can feel that we have all the truth and fairness in our side, but all that can still be held outside of charity. Let’s remember that charity is the fullness of knowledge, truth, justice. Where there is no charity, the charity of God, all other virtues can be only apparent. They can look and feel like virtues, but in reality are not.

While we can try to reflect God’s anger in our own brand of anger over some issues, we should be most careful, because, with our wounded condition, we easily fall into hatred and other forms of lack of charity.

Anger is one of our God-given emotions, locked into our nature as persons, with its legitimate use. But precisely because of our precarious human condition, we have to be wary of it. Anger is also considered one of the capital sins, along with pride, envy, greed, lust, gluttony, sloth, that can beget many other sins.

If 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 marketplace. Christ’s anger is righteous anger, done always in charity and 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 the slow to anger calms a dispute.” (15,18)

We have to learn how to hold our horses, especially when provoked or incited. We must lengthen our patience, our capacity to suffer. We must broaden our mind so we can 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 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 must turn those moments when tempted to get angry to deepen our love for others out of our love for God.