Our culture has a bias against anger. As a child we are told not to get angry. As we grow, the message is that nothing good comes out of getting angry, so learn to control yourself. We even have anger management courses. The problem is that anger is a natural impulse. Not everyone experiences anger from the same circumstances but anger, itself, is part of our human nature.
Anger is a natural part of being a compassionate person. Anger is a very normal part of the practice of ministry. I would go further and suggest that recognizing when we are angry, and owning that anger, are a healthy part of ministry. The problem is how we direct the energy generated by our anger. If we direct it towards another person in a hostile fashion, that person can be hurt. If we turn the energy from our anger inward, it can easily result in depression or other forms of poor health. Yet properly directed, I would suggest that a healthy anger can be a major form of stress relief.
The Apostle Paul, building on Psalm 4:6, admonishes believers “Be angry but do not let the sun go down on our anger.” (Ephesians 4:26) It is in the psalms that we learn how to give expression to our anger in a healthy fashion. There is a reason that there are more psalms of lament than any other form of psalm. It is also significant in the organization of the psalms, and in the basic framework of individual psalms of lament, that a clear, uncensored expression of lament releases a person to a full expression of praise.
In future blogs I will be developing the thesis that lament and laughter are two major antidotes to stress. That may seem to be a large leap now, but stick with me.
