Concerning Anger by Father Ian Maher

Concerning Anger

by Father Ian Maher

Not all of Jesus’ teaching is easy to hear, not least because he so often challenges us about how we live out our daily lives. Sometimes his deliberate exaggerations of a point serve to drive the message home and confronting us with how we might best deal with the matter of anger. Now I think it is important to say that anger itself is an emotion that is not necessarily a negative force. For example, it can be a motivation to confront and challenge injustice, the fuel for getting things done. Jesus himself knew anger when he overturned the tables of the Temple money-changers who were exploiting the poor. He also spoke out forcibly and with anger against the hypocrisy of some of the religious leaders whom he encountered.

Anger is not a sin. We know this because Jesus was the sinless one. As with temptation, anger is something that we all experience at various times in life, and therefore it is worth reflecting on how we deal with it. As I mentioned, if it is a catalyst to help bring about positive change, such anger is a positive force. Anger about the state of the planet and the climate crisis may be the reason for getting involved with environmental concerns; anger about the fact of so many people sleeping rough could be an encouragement to become involved in local homelessness initiatives; anger about the mistreatment of asylum seekers and refugees might be the prompt to campaign on their behalf. Those are just some examples of anger directed positively. The flip side of anger, however, can be hugely destructive in our relationships and to our personal wellbeing. This happens when it gets out of proportion and takes on a life of its own. In his teachings, Jesus over-emphasises the danger of anger and how easily it can get out of control. He speaks of judgement if we allow our anger to diminish the humanity of another person, disparaging them with insulting words.

If we are not careful, the flame of what might well be a righteous anger in response to someone’s behaviour can turn into a raging and all-consuming fire, damaging all concerned. Jesus reminds us of the importance to not lose sight of the need to always be on the lookout for reconciliation; to let go of our anger once we have recognised it and not allow it to take hold in us like a cancer. Never letting the sun go down on our anger might not always be possible, but it is certainly a good aspiration. So, perhaps, a message to take away from this article is that anger can be a force that helps bring about positive change if it is generated in response to injustice; it can also be a devastating force that can quickly get out of hand, harming those around us as well as ourselves, if we allow it to continue unchecked.

May we reflect on how we acknowledge, face up to, and manage the anger that life sometimes sparks in us.

I am a priest and minor canon at Sheffield Cathedral. My last post prior to retirement from stipendiary ministry was as the Multifaith Chaplaincy Co-ordinator and Anglican Chaplain at Sheffield Hallam University, where I worked for 12 years.

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