“Be Angry”  reflections on Ephesians 4:25-26.

“Put away falsehood and speak the truth.” What an appropriate text for our day and time.

We are bombarded daily with conflicting reports, what is the truth about the stimulus package, whose taxes will increase, what is the truth about health care reform, about global warming, about Freddie and Fannie, who is to blame for this or that failure, which country is our friend or foe, and it goes on and on.

Who can we trust to give a straight and truthful answer? The politicians? Who will not bend the truth for political reasons? The media? Who will give us truthful answers without hidden motives?  The bloggers?

Who will tell the truth from their pulpits? The preachers who are not afraid to lose their jobs? Not afraid to lose members?  Will we tell our parishioners what they want to hear?
                    

“Put away falsehood”, put away fear, put away hidden agendas, put away deception. Who will speak the truth so that people can make up their own minds?

 

“Be angry but do not sin.” This speaks to the kind of anger that Jesus displayed in the temple. The common people were required to offer sacrifices in the temple and they were required to buy them from the temple’s “vendors.” The vendors were charging outrageous prices. When Jesus arrived, he started turning over the tables, stuff flying everywhere. He was angry that the poor were being taken advantage of by the so called religious leaders.  The poor had no choice but to pay the outrageous prices. 

“Be angry but do not sin”… refers to a righteous anger, being mad enough to do something about the injustice. Who will be angry enough to right a wrong? Who will be angry enough to get off their duff and change it?

Be angry, but do not sin. Be angry about injustice, unfairness. Be angry when people make inappropriate jokes. Be angry when the media unfairly attacks women candidates and gives the men a free ride. Be angry when a candidate’s minor children are verbally attacked. Be angry when a child has no safe place to sleep. Be angry when man cannot secure a job that provides health care for his family. Be angry about injustice!

Another kind of anger is a quicker, emotional anger. I get angry when a careless driver narrowly misses my car or when my spouse leaves the mail all over the kitchen table. I get angry when my son forgets to take out the garbage, or my daughter is constantly texting, or the neighbor’s dog takes a dump in my nicely manicured lawn. It is this kind of anger, expressed over things that irritate us, little things that might inconvenience us or are not to our liking, that we are not to let simmer. Do not let the sun go down on those little things that do not matter in the long run. Do not build up resentment over little inconveniences that aren’t going to matter in 10 years.

Be angry about injustice, falsehood, lies, deception, greed and wrongdoing.

Do not let the sun go down on the little things that bug you about the people you love, about the people you work with everyday or who live next door.  Forgive easily and they’ll forgive you.