“Be ye angry, and sin not” ~ Ephesians 4:26

These days, it’s hard to find ways to be happy. Everyone is yelling. Folks are angry for all sorts of reasons. Our masks fog up our glasses. Every day the optimists say, “tomorrow will be better.” But tomorrow seems farther and farther away. Let’s face it, we’re in a rough patch.

It seems to me the whole world has gone crazy. I understand anger directed at an unjustified killing of an unarmed man. I will partner with those who will stand up against violence to advocate for peace. However, society has moved beyond the rational, perhaps justifiable targets for righteous anger.

The scripture teaches if we must be angry, do not sin. We have good reason to be angry at injustice and senseless violence; but do not sin. What does this mean?

One of the Fruit of the Spirit is temperance; also known as self-control. Often preachers and Bible teachers use temperance to mean sobriety or the avoidance of intoxicating substances. True—when someone is drunk, they are not in control of their words, actions, or thoughts. To a greater degree, we are not very temperate when we are raging with anger. How often have we said something in the heat of anger and regret it for days afterward? If only we had enough self-control.

It is right to be angry at the appearance of evil. Jesus saw the injustice of the merchants and moneychangers in the Temple. Seeing how they were exploiting the faithful and poor, Jesus was enraged. These evil men complicated the faithfulness of worshipers for their own benefit. Jesus was right to be angry.

Christians have a right to be angry when others use Christian faith as a disguise for their selfish and sinful schemes. We should be angry when someone harms another claiming their action to be in the name of God. Faithful followers need to make room for holy anger when it is for the purpose of righteousness and justice. Be angry for good reason, but do not sin.

When we sin, we diminish the glory of God that is in our nature. We become less like God’s crowning achievement and become sub-human. Our sinful ways make us less like God and more like wild animals.

Like many of you, I have watched the video clips of protestors and rioters, and thought, these people even look like animals. Faces contorted. Bearing clenched teeth. Eye narrowed. Like wolves chasing prey. Everyone is shouting, but no one is listening. Broken glass. Spray painted walls. A pile of burning pallets. It’s a warzone. Where is God’s presence amid these scenes? It looks like hell on earth.

When we chose to live with rage, we agree to allow our anger to boil over onto innocent bystanders. When angry people feel they are not being heard, they grow louder and drown out the other voices, or more likely to hide their fear. Look big, sound big. Maybe someone will listen. That is worldly wisdom, and it doesn’t work.

Spirit lead believers know sound and furry get us nowhere. Demonstrations and riots are not found in a Christian’s toolkit. We must work to bring justice, one situation at a time. We stand up, speak up, and work for righteous and just causes to the Glory of God and the benefit of humanity. Under what circumstances will your congregation members feel emboldened to demonstrate righteous, controlled anger to be the prophetic voice in today’s world?

I’m afraid this is the nature of the nation, and I don’t see an end any time soon. Depending on the outcome of the November election, we may even see this unrest intensify significantly. Pastors and leaders have worked tirelessly to respond to the demands of COVID-19, now we are in for a much greater struggle. I’m not sure if this is the end of the world, but it might be.