March 29

March 29: Outrage

Today (Monday of Holy Week) is the day in the liturgical calendar when the people of God remember anger. The anger Jesus had over how the temple square had been turned into a money making enterprise.

In His anger, Jesus showed up, and made a right mess of things. He made and used a whip. He overturned tables. And sent piled up currency flying in all directions.

Jesus (the same One who many want to limit to being "meek and mild") expressed His anger. He shocked his followers and His enemies alike. Because He was angry over what offended His heavenly Father. His was truly a righteous anger.

Funny how we've mixed that all up. We now live in an age where we are overly stimulated with bad news, and everybody is angry. And our anger in response to a perceived personal affront is somehow confused with, and even overtakes anger over things that make God angry.

While today's latest snowfall is pretty, I'm angry it's still snowing. I am angry that my desk lamp deciding to die this morning. I'm angry I've gained weight, and have lost both metabolism and motivation.

Our entire culture, including the Church, is addicted to outrage. Anger expressed on social media is now almost considered a virtue. Almost like outrage is the new, acceptable addition to the fruits of the spirit.

It's too common for us now to read someone's outrage post, and then be threatened with, "Who's with me? Who will repost my post? Can you say you love Jesus, and not repost my post?"

Outrage and expressed anger from others seem now to be the only thing that gets our attention. Like a sledgehammer. Yet we all know, if we take even a minute to think about it, anger is toxic. Toxicity to our souls. Chronic anger does not make us more like Jesus.

And here I find myself on the Monday before Easter Sunday. While I can easily be tempted to contribute to our outrage culture, this week confronts me with a conundrum.

How can I nurse outrage when I pause to reflect on the joy of the gospel? How can I not put aside my perceived personal affronts and fried emotions, and instead consider what Jesus did to save my soul?

James 1:20 tells me, "for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God." If that is true, and it is, then I am not righteous, and have not been so for quite some time.

The good news of Jesus tells us that we have been made righteous. Righteous in the eyes of the Father. His anger, His outrage toward us has been satisfied. Satisfied in and by Jesus taking our place, and enduring the punishment we otherwise deserve.

For Christians, our souls have been saved, redeemed. And since the warning is clear, our redemption includes salvation from the inevitability of outrage.

We are now a counter-cultural minority who can be free from the dominant culture of outrage we find ourselves living in.