Righteous Anger | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Righteous Anger | Previous Challenge Entry
By Jennifer Woodley
04/06/18
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Butch inched his way along the timber railing towards the scattered biscuit crumbs. Tentatively, with a sideways glance at Loretta, he began to nibble the sweet shortbread. But with a loud protest from the lorikeet, he was violently swept aside and Loretta began to gorge voraciously on the breakfast biscuit. With a battering of wings and a raucous screech, the feisty female lorikeet sent the defeated butcherbird packing to source out a meal elsewhere. Not satisfied with a feeder full of seed, Loretta selfishly defended another meal as well. I laughed loudly, watching her hop back and forth between the choice pickings, protesting to any bird within her reach. But it was really no laughing matter.

Lorikeets are the most socially inept birds in our yard. They are intolerant of every other species, including their own kind. Though highly affectionate to their mate, whom they partner with for life, they are rude, aggressive and downright bossy with every other feathered fowl. They have a bad attitude the moment another bird enters their territory and are easily angered. Their hostility wins them no friends.

There is a place for anger. However, it is not the puny, self-centered anger that diminishes our character as evident in the lorikeets on our front verandah. Only righteous anger is justifiable. In Exodus 32 we find Moses, after descending from Mount Sinai, overwhelmed by the blatant idolatry and revelry of the Israelites. Moses burned with anger and threw the tablets containing the commandments onto the ground. The broken fragments symbolized the broken faith in the hearts of God’s people. No matter how angry Moses was, God was even angrier. He wanted to kill all the people, intoxicated by the deceptive liquor of greed and power.

Anger at sin is a sign of spiritual vitality. It is a sign that we are stirred by the injustices and offenses that grieve God. This is the only permissible anger. Where does our anger come from? Consider the motive behind our heated responses. Can God join us in our anger? If not, like Loretta, we may be annoyed at something that is just as small as ourselves.

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