“We should not be ashamed of anger. It’s a very good and a very powerful thing that motivates us. But what we need to be ashamed of is the way we abuse it.”
—Mahatma Ghandi
Yesterday, I happened upon one of those parody songs that have been proliferating on social media since the start of the pandemic. It was created after the events at the Capitol last Wednesday. One particular line caught my attention. It said, “It’s been two days since the coup, and EVERYONE is angry.” It struck me as true—there are so many difficult issues with which we are grappling as individuals, families, communities and countries, and there are no easy answers for any of them. In these circumstances, anger is inevitable.
Anger is an emotion. It is perfectly natural, and perfectly unavoidable, that we will feel it. However, it is important that we take time to examine our anger, to understand its root causes because both repressing and explosively expressing anger can be harmful to ourselves and to others. Often, our anger masks other emotions: fear, hurt or frustration. Anger triggers physiological responses that can be harmful both physically and psychologically.
Anger, even righteous anger, is worthy of spiritual examination as well. With appropriate reflection, it can be a motivating force for good. “Anger can actually be an expression of compassion, a willingness to uphold boundaries that are sacred, or stand up for someone who is being oppressed,” writes Julie Peters in The Spirituality of Anger.
In searching for a way to pray about and examine my own anger, I came upon a reflection by Joyce Rupp, Meditation Eighty-five: A Heart Broken Open. An excerpt is shared below. May each of us find a way to spend some time examining our own anger, looking for ways to respond that lead our hearts to spill open in compassion and empathy rather than to build brick walls of protection.
“When painful experiences happen, there’s always a choice in how to respond. Some people choose to slam their heart’s door shut, tightly containing bitterness, self-orientation, blame, and caustic anger. Others let their hearts break open, becoming a fountain of empathy and compassion with ever-growing love spilling out.
Our hurting world presents us with similar options, whether the distressing events we experience are related to Covid-19, racism, food insecurity, political strife, or the great divide between the haves and have nots. How we respond will decide whether our hearts build a brick wall around them or if they widen to give actual credence to the maxim that ‘we are all in this together.’ May we choose each day to have expansive hearts.
Great Ocean of Love, help us turn the tide toward global compassion.
Move through minds and hearts caught in the choking seaweeds of
indifference and selfishness. Wash out to sea discrimination and systemic
racism, ignorance, hatred and bigotry. Let all of this dissolve in your vast
waters of transforming love. Your indwelling presence is much stronger
than the moon’s energy urging the sea back and forth. Inspire us to use
our energy to overcome what causes division and inequality among
humankind. Let us not lose heart.”—Joyce Rupp, Meditation Eighty-five: A Heart Broken Open
—Jenifer Hanson, Prairiewoods director