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My last log entry recorded an episode of personal 'road rage' that caught me by surprise and, even now, calls me to ponder the place (if any) of anger in my life. Is anger of any kind always wrong? Are there times and circumstances when anger is justifiable? Is there such a thing as 'righteous anger'?
I need to begin this exploration by first looking to my role model for life - Jesus Christ. Was anger ever expressed by Him? Well, obviously, the answer is "Yes".
He certainly was angry when He went into the Temple and tipped over the tables of the money-changers and those who sold the sacrificial doves and drove them all out of the Temple precincts - with a whip, no less! (Matt.21)
He certainly was angry and deeply distressed when He encountered the stubborn hearts of those religious types who tried to deny the healing power of God to the man with the shriveled hand. (Mark 3).
He certainly was angry when He saw how the disciples tried to deny the children His presence and His touch of blessing. (Mark 10)
But I note that the anger of Jesus was always a response when He encountered wrong being done to others, not when that wrong was being done to Him. When He was the object or victim of evil, He did not try to defend Himself (Matt.27) I'm sure that there must be expressions of anger that are acceptable and appropriate but does what I experienced and expressed last week come under either of those categories?
It would be all too easy to defend and justify my anger on the basis that Jesus got angry and that makes it OK for me to "lose my cool". Yet surely the question of motivation is a major factor in this assessment. Why did I get angry with that other driver?
Was it because his stupid actions put the lives of my wife, daughter and grandchildren at great risk of injury - even death?
Was it because he showed utter disdain for the rules of the road and got away with it? (Where are the Highway Patrol when you need them?!!)
Was it because he had no sense of courteous driving which I took personally? Then again, was it because he somehow out-maneuvered me in the "driving ability stakes" and got the front spot.
Was I offended that stupid, discourteous driving was somehow rewarded. At this point, I find myself wondering what I would have felt if I had been a few cars further back so that I was an observer of this highway drama instead of a participant. Would I have felt the same degree of anger (or any anger at all) towards this other driver?
I don't want to get locked into an internal 'inquisition' here but I do need to learn and grow in self-awareness through life's experience.
I want to go further in this exploration in my next log entry.
