Righteous Anger

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed,
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,
- Exodus 34:6
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Dear *|FNAME|*,

“I feel so much anger welling up inside me…”  I've heard this sentiment in various ways more than a handful of times on Sunday after worship - but it wasn’t the anger itself that struck me, it was the co-occurring sense that they felt guilty for being angry but were still unrepentant.

I was never told that being angry was a bad thing, but I did grow up in the Midwestern culture that considered being angry to be rude - and being rude was socially unacceptable.  Sunday school lessons taught me to be nice and courteous.  To be angry was to be rude and confrontational if not outright belligerent.  Angry emotions were the thing that could lead to violent actions.  I was always a “good kid” who never caused problems.  When things did happen, I was praised because I didn’t make a scene or cause a fuss.  As I said before, I don’t remember ever being directly told that being angry was wrong.  But the way that people seemed to avoid angry people and praise me for my good, quiet behavior, I slowly learned that showing my anger was bad… because it was rude.

But anger is not a bad thing.
Anger is not an emotion we should banish or bury.

Anger is not inherently destructive.
Anger is not inherently irrational.
Anger has a purpose.
Anger can be protective and constructive
and I hope that you allow yourselves to feel angry.
In the verse above, God is walking by Moses and allowing Moses to glimpse God’s form in order to encourage and inspire Moses to continue leading God’s people for the journey ahead.  When Moses saw God’s backside, Moses hears a voice saying that God is, “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”  Most comments about this description of God I have read or heard discuss it in a way that puts the mercy and steadfast love as the opposite to God’s slow anger.  Described as a patient parent whose temper wears thin, God is imagined to be loving and patient until us humans push God too far and God flips the anger switch.  What if instead God’s anger stemmed from God’s steadfast love and mercy?  This description comes after the story of the Exodus where God’s anger is kindled against Pharaoh for the exploitation of the Hebrews.  Even after ten opportunities to change his behavior, Pharaoh refuses to change and is visited by God’s wrath.  In that story, God’s anger comes not from disobedient children of God but God’s steadfast and abiding love of the common people.

I don’t think that anger shouldn’t be investigated as to its origins; but neither do I think it should be banished or buried just because it is not seen as socially acceptable.  Anger at the exploitation of people is a good thing.  Anger at systems of harm is a good thing.  Anger about injustice and inequity is a good thing.  Anger about the consolidation and abuse of power is a good thing; but anger that is felt must still be dealt with before it festers and mutates into something else.

If you are feeling angry, you do not need to feel guilty or ashamed:  I encourage you to do something constructive with that anger.  Don’t let it devolve into hatred and violence. Instead, let it motivate you to lift up community, connection, and resistance.
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Blessings,
Pastor Chris