Sunday, January 07, 2007

Its hip to be angry

Spent some time blog-surfing this evening. Man, it is so easy to "waste" a few hours that way. I love seeing what people think, and how they express it. I love "meeting" new people, and some blogs are real and honest enough to let you see who that person really is. I think my blog may have started that way, but mostly now I just preach. Its honest. I try to say what I really think and feel, but I don't often talk about my day, or how my cat died. Usually, if I take time to do this, I am trying to share something I just experienced in the scriptures. I guess that's just who I am. As crazy as it sounds, I really do enjoy reading the bible, and trying to "hear" the voice of God there. Not trying to sound all "spiritual", just being real. To me, that book is like a window into another world. The Spirit uses it to help us understand what this life is all about. Who is God? Who am I? Why are things are the way they are, and what are They planning to do to fix it? There are lots of questions, but I think those are some of the biggies.

Annnyway... I ran across a blog tonight where the guy was ranting about how a pastor at his church had hurt one of his friends. This guy was mad, and was venting his anger on behalf of his wounded friend. I added this comment to his blog entry:

The church is made up of broken people. This includes those who end up in leadership. We are in a process of being perfected in love. A vital part of that process is learning humility as we love people who don't really "deserve" it. Does this excuse bad behavior on anyone's part? Of course not. But the key question for me , and you, and all the rest, is "How did we respond to being mistreated?" Did we let it work deeper brokenness and humility in our own hearts, thus enabling us to love more genuinely ourselves? Or, did we take matters into our own hands? Did we lash out in anger, even if only in the privacy of our own hearts and minds? When we respond that way, when we give in to that very natural urge, we lose. We become part of the darkness. Jesus said to turn the other cheek. Jesus said to give them our coat. Jesus said to go the second mile. He said to look for the log in our own eye before trying to remove the splinter from the eye of our "enemy".

I know you were only venting on behalf of your friend. Been there, done that. It feels good. Standing up to "the man". The problem is, it doesn't do any good. It feels good now, but it wounds your soul. "Life and death are in the power of the tongue (and pen... or keyboard)." Its hip right now to lash out at religion. It can be good to confess our wounds. But an ongoing stream of anger and bitterness neither solves the problems, nor heals your soul. If I have cancer, a good dose of morphine will make my evening tolerable. When I wake up in the morning, the pain is still there, and I am still dying. I am not condemning you or coming down on you in any way. I am only encouraging you to take your pain, and your creativity, and put them to better use. "Love your enemies... bless and curse not..."


There is a lot of anger out there at the church. There are a lot of young people who were pushed into molds to fulfill Mom and Dad's best wishes and intentions. In the zeal of their youth, these kids like to go off on the church. One blog entry after another, ranting and raving about the church, often in the most colorful of language. I understand their frustration. Many times I have to agree with their perceptions. I just pray that the Lord will raise up voices of reason and healing to allow them to process their pain, and then to move on. A never ending rant can only end up in a bitter hardened heart.

And that is a terrible waste...

2 comments:

MJ said...

People get very drunk on the freedom to express themselves. I look in the fruit bowl and see very poor yeild. I went back and looked and no-one had anything to say about my post. Because, pardon my french, I am not sure these assholes are as interested in Jesus and loving him as they are in hearing themselves speak. The word idiot taken apart means Id-self iot-machine. Self-machine. They are idiots.

Dream said...

I was curious as to how you found my blog, but I suppose this entry answers my question.

"I think my blog may have started that way, but mostly now I just preach... One blog entry after another, ranting and raving about the church, often in the most colorful of language. I understand their frustration."

I agree with a lot of that and the comment above. Sometimes I forget what's the most important because I am so intoxicated with myself... which is so difficult to admit. Pretentiousness is something I'm praying to overcome; thanks for posting that. God bless you.