Anger

I feel anger in varying degrees.  I have myself, kids, a spouse, parents, friends, teachers, drivers on the street, abandoners of shopping carts, people who don’t park between the lines, criminals who harm others, leaders who swindle and cheat . . . a myriad of folks with whom I am in relationship.  As humans in community we validly feel wrath.  People may wrong us, treat us unjustly, and perpetrate antagonisms that we cannot control.  And we feel anger. 

The Collins English Dictionary 10^th edition 2009 defines anger as both noun and a verb. 
1.  (noun) a feeling of great annoyance or antagonism as the result of some real or supposed grievance; rage; wrath.
2.  (verb) to make angry; enrage

The entry for anger at dictionary.com had a source, the Bible Dictionary, I had not seen with any other words I have researched there.  Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary defined anger as “the emotion of instant displeasure on account of something evil that presents itself to our view.  In itself it is an original susceptibility of our nature, just as love is, and is not necessarily sinful.  It may, however, become sinful when causeless, or excessive, or protracted (Matt. 5:22; Eph. 4:26; Col 3:8).  As ascribed to God, it merely denotes his displeasure with sin and with sinners (Ps. 7:11)”

Fascinating!  Anger ranks mention in a Bible dictionary.  As I read the entry I felt harmony with the words – anger is as natural as love.  We don’t need to punish ourselves for feeling angry.  We should be angry at greed, at people who act inappropriately toward others, try to deceive or harm, disrespect us, or act abusively.  Anger can motivate us toward positive change.  It is the possibility that anger becomes excessive or drawn out that makes trouble.  If anger morphs into self-righteousness or hate it becomes toxic, not toward the offenders but toward our own selves. 

We can acknowledge anger and then let it dissipate.  Dissipation is a challenge that takes time, self reflection and sometimes separation from a person or situation.  Letting wrath dissolve is not saying the wrongdoing was okay, it’s just letting it pass.  Some anger dissolves faster than others.  I’m usually done being angry with my kids by bedtime.  Other anger is still healing. 

Most of my anger is minor.  Some of it has helped me teach others how to treat me better.  But I’m pondering times of big anger.  What happens if anger becomes all I feel?  Interferes with my ability to have positive feelings?  It can be excruciating to feel wronged.  Often there is no apology to start the process of anger resolution.  Sometimes perpetrators go unpunished.  What then?  I can choose not to like it, not deem it acceptable and then endeavor (albeit with difficulty) not to let anger keep me stuck in destructive fury.