Grace United Church of Christ

Pastor’s Corner—June 2008

“The Rant”

As a pastor, I encounter many angry people.  Some are angry because they believe that the country has lost its moral focus and is drifting toward decadence.  They believe that God must be very angry at this.  For this reason they see themselves as angry in unison with God.  They often think that their rage is God’s wrath.  Others are angry because they see the innocent suffer.  They do not understand how God could allow injustice to happen.  They are angry at God.  A third group of folks are hurt by the cruelty of others towards them.  They cannot wait for the day when God pays the evildoer back for what they have done.  They are also very impatient that God has not acted sooner.  They see themselves as angry in unison with God, at the sins of others, and at God for not satisfying their desire for revenge.  Although none of these folks would agree in the source of their anger, they have something in common.  They each believe that life should have been different.  They picture in their mind an ideal way that the world should be.  Since it does not match their expectations, they are hurt and angry.

The early followers of Jesus should have been angry.  God sent Jesus to share God’s love and to teach us how to live this life of kindness and Jesus’ enemies put him to death.  The disciples had every right to be angry at the world and angry at God.  It was not supposed to turn out the way it did.  Instead, we discover that Jesus’ followers are happy, hopeful, and harmonious.  They love God, life, and one another.  How could they such an attitude?  They truly believed in resurrection.  Not only did they believe that God raised Jesus from death to life, they also believed that God can bring new life in the midst of our old existence.

Most people are angry because they want to look at the world, see it all working the way that they want, and other people believing the same way they do.  When the world does not act well behaved, they become hopeless and despairing.  In contrast, Christians ignore the way that the world behaves.  They realize that human beings, whether as individuals or societies or governments sin.  We believe with God that in spite of our bad behavior, God can redeem us.  We can learn.  We have the potential to work for the good.

Stop complaining!  Stop with the anger!  It only makes you feel miserable.  Instead, put Christ’s love to work in your heart.  Do good where you are.  Pray for your enemies and even those that you think that God does not like.  I doubt very much if God wastes much time in anger.  Instead, God constantly seeks to redeem, rebuild, and remake us into God’s image.

Of course, there are individual Christians, preachers, and even whole churches who are dedicated to their rage.  They mistake their anger for righteousness and certainty.  Whatever the source of your anger, you will find some group of people who wants to rant in the same way that tempts you.  Raging makes people fell self-righteous, superior to others, and allows them to blame all their problems on someone else.  In the process, it also poisons their soul and happiness.  Each of us must chose whether we want to be happy and helpful or angry and miserable.  Jesus wants you to choose love!