Foolish Anger

Westminster Presbyterian Church- Mark Bradshaw-Miller

March 15th - Third Sunday in Lent

"Foolish Anger" I Corinthians 1:18-25; John 2:13-22

What were the lessons you learned about anger as a child? What I remember was that anger was something to fear. The lesson I remember, whether it was intentional or not, that anger was something that we should do our best to hide or to cover up. However, the real truth is that covered or hidden anger never really stays that way. It shows up in passive-aggressive actions or sarcasm or even through rage. We now know that denying anger can lead to heath concerns and it can show up in the most unexpected places and times. One thing that is clear is that anger denied will rear its head. In fact, as a testimony to the power of anger it is now believed that anger denied can be manifested as depression.

Because of its power and a genuine misunderstanding on how to deal with this powerful emotion we ought not to deal with such things with a cavalier attitude. However, I believe being able to share and express anger in constructive ways is at the heart of the gospel lesson. The first lesson is that anger is a clear sign that we care deeply about something or someone. We do not share our anger with perfect strangers, unless it is during rush hour traffic. When Jesus turns over the tables in the temple, sharing his anger for all to see, it is because he cares so deeply about the temple and the people who seek God within it. In the sharing of his anger, Jesus gives his followers a lesson in one way to share anger.

Back in the fall I heard an interview on the Diane Rehm show with Maya Angelou. It was an hour full of wisdom for living. But what I remember about the interview was a phoned in question from a father who was in his forties. This father shared his frustration and anger about the way in which our nation’s leaders had acted in a various ways ranging from the Iraq War, to the secret prisons, and a general disregard of the rule of law. After letting the father speak Ms. Angelou said to the father that his anger was not wrong but not what he should be passing on to his children. She even named that his anger was rooted in his deep love for his child. It was, she said, from the place of love that he should act in seeking to make the world a better place. It was not that Ms. Angelou said she never got angry herself. Instead, she made it clear that when she gets angry, she gets to work. Letting anger fester unaddressed is unhealthy. But channeling the anger to make a difference in the world can be the start of a revolution based on love.

The structure of the temple was built upon the foundation of sacrifice. In the life of the faithful, sacrifice was the way of faithfulness. By the time of Jesus comes on the scene, this system had become rife with corruption. In order to fulfill ritual requirements religious pilgrims were at the mercy of the market which was anything but free. Instead, extreme prices were taken from those least able to afford it. Instead of the temple running the marketplace, the marketplace was controlling the temple. When the bottom line became the focus of the faithful, Jesus could no longer remain silent. Jesus’ attack was not directed toward people but to the practice. The whip is not used upon people but the system. Jesus did not name names but did not back down when attacked by the religious leadership. Out of this encounter the disciples remember that this encounter was not simply Jesus having a bad day but because of Jesus zeal for God’s mission. Jesus acts not in anger alone but out of love for God’s people.

There is a lot to be angry about these days. The rising tide of populism has certainly gotten the attention of people in powerful places. You can tell there is a bit of fear over this because of the incessant use of the world populist as a negative word in a number of news sources. The anger has been fueled by the unapologetic self-indulgent use of government money by corporations. All the while people are losing their jobs, their livelihoods, and their homes. The response to this crisis continues to be that the market cannot bear the weight of helping people, only banks and corporations. Like the bumper sticker says: “If you are not angry, you are not paying attention.”

If you are not familiar with the satirist John Stewart you are missing out on the work of, as Bill Moyers has put it, a modern day Mark Twain. This past week Stewart tapped into the current rage and turned his gift for comedy and commentary upon CNBC’s financial man Jim Cramer. I will not recap the week long exchange. Instead, this encounter allowed, for lack of a better image, the court jester to point out that much of what passed for financial advice and news on the NBC networks was suspect at best, and criminal at worst. Will anything change? It is hard to say, but this comedian who is now being attacked and told to stick with comedy, was willing to use his gifts to make a difference. So what does this mean for those of us in the church?

I do not believe that we ought to piggy back upon the work of a comedian. Instead, we need to get in touch with anger, in our lives and in society. And when we stop hiding that anger or redirecting it in unhealthy ways we will find a flicker of love waiting to be identified. If there is nothing to get angry about then there really is no love. So when we find ourselves confronted of anger let us ask what part of love is feeding this anger. And when we get in touch with the depth of love, it is from that place we are called to act. Like a father working for a better world for his child, and like Jesus turning over anything which stands between those who hunger for God and God’s love, we are called into action out of love. When we do indeed connect our anger with the roots of its love, it is only then that we are acting from the same zeal which Jesus shared for the entire world. So let us not fear anger. Let us face it head on and use it to start a revolution based on the love of God in Jesus Christ. Amen? Amen.