Resilience and Anger
Metabolising anger through the cross of Jesus is at the heart of resilience
Rather than think about people as ‘angry people’ or not, consider this. The flesh – or we might say, the ‘self’ - responds angrily when it is snubbed in some way. But not uniformly. Some people, for sure, are the bull in the china shop; charging furiously around when angry about something. There’s something straightforward and simple about this, however terrifying and intimidating. But consider this: cynicism is often simply burnt-out anger. It’s the fire at midnight; no visible flame but dangerously hot. Ideals and hopes were burnt in the past, and what is left is the anger. Smouldering without end. Or, thirdly, passive aggression. We might call this smoke without obvious fire. But, of course, there is no smoke without fire. Passive aggression is a form of anger; a form which tries to maintain an appearance of orderliness and maturity. But which spreads hurt and confusion. Whereas the bull in a china shop is blatant but awful, passive aggression is convoluted and perplexing; like pulling on a thread with no idea what’s on the other end. And fourthly, depression. Some psychiatrists actually call depression ‘frozen anger’. Perhaps it’s where all three eventually converge. It’s in many ways a form of honest presentation of the loss of hope which anger represents.
Realise that, while we might love to talk about ‘righteous anger’; anger rarely is. Biblically it would appear that anger is righteous when a) it is about an issue of right and wrong; b) the anger is confined and directed solely and exactly towards the source of injustice (not overspilling into anyone at the dinner table); c) is accompanied by genuine grief. Our big issue is that we get angry, and then try to find a righteous cover for that anger. This partly explains why certain ‘issues’ attract followings of Christians who seem to be so angry.
Psalm 4, which talks of ‘anger’ - at least, in the English translations which follow the LXX – has it in the context of processing it silently and individually on your own bed. Paul develops this further in Ephesians 4 to insist that the sun does not go down on our anger. What therefore is chiefly in mind is not so much a face to face reconciliation; and, often that’s not the real source of our anger. Rather, it’s the repentance and faith, the bringing of the the wound and disappointment to the cross of our Lord Jesus. This is done in our hearts. Unseen. This is the lifeblood of daily resilience; resilience flowing out of the life of Jesus himself. Literally, ‘quake’ or ‘be agitated’ or ‘quiver’, says Psalm 4 – and do not sin.
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