Anger – Drive It Off to Some Mountain Place!

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. – Ephesians 4:31-32

Storm in the Mountains –  Albert Bierstadt, 1870.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Public domain.

Over the past couple of years, many of us have sensed an increase in bitterness, wrath, clamor, and slander all around us. It can seem like these vices are hitting us from every direction – culture, the world, news networks, social media, and sadly sometimes even from within the Church. In times of peace and quiet, it is easy not to be bitter, wrathful, clamorous, or slanderous. But what about in times that don’t seem so peaceful and quiet? What about on a bad day when someone behind you lays on their car horn immediately after the light turns green? If anger wins the day in my heart, I will return the honk twice as long!

It’s too easy to let anger win, but it is a dangerous beast. Therefore, St. John Chrysostom asked, “Why should anyone try to contain it or hold it in? Why keep the beast of anger around so as to have to watch it constantly? It is possible to banish it, to expel it and drive it off to some mountain place.” Paul also calls us to “put away” this beast of anger from us. It is not a safe pet.

Should all the world, and all the principalities and powers, compound bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander – let us be all the more on guard as God’s forgiven children. Let us ask our Lord for help to more quickly “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,” and even forgiving our enemies (Matt 5:44, Luke 6:27)!

The world, the Church, and all of us individually need more kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness – Christlikeness. Lord, help us to be more like you, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness (Jonah 4:2)!

John Laffoon
Deacon and
Minister to Youth and Families