“In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be ashamed. In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; incline your ear to me and save me. Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe; you are my crag and my stronghold.”
- Psalm 71:1-3
In our “12 steps are for Everyone” class we have been reading “Drop the Rock” about removing character defects through working the 12 steps of AA. A recent discussion was on anger. Anger is a complex thing. While anger is a legitimate emotion and should not be denied or repressed, the authors explain that what … “makes anger so dangerous is that it burns without consuming. It feeds on itself until it overwhelms all emotions. Anger is poison… We say things, feel things, and do things way out of proportion.” I can relate to that.
We are living in a challenging time; it is OK to feel scared, angry or want to blame. But I also know and have experienced that anger stems from fear. If I can drill down to find out and identify the fear, I have a better chance of dealing with the real underlying issue, the root cause. Prayer and meditation, writing, talking to a trusted friend, taking time to consciously breath or take a walk outside are some of the ways to deal with anger. Such actions may not eliminate our fear and anger, but we can pause, reduce it and replace it with something better so we don’t hurt ourselves or others as often. Progress not perfection.
All of us know that love is also contagious. We need each other. One of the most loving things we can do right now is not spread germs to the most vulnerable. Today we can think of others; be of service; call someone, send a message, spread some positivity, hope and optimism that a brighter tomorrow is around the corner.
Loving God, Help is to act out of love rather than fear or anger. May our faith in you be greater than our fear. Give us patience and tolerance during these times and remove those aspects of anger and fear that separate us from you and get in the way of our usefulness to others. You are indeed our strong rock, our castle to keep us safe. Amen.
