How have you prayed to address angry reactions, either with yourself or others?

Question of the Week previously posted on cssentinel.com | October 13, 2011

One question—many answers. Read a selection of responses from site visitors:

“Angry reactions” can seem like doing something about the injustices in the world, from little annoyances to large historical and global inhumanities. The tantrums of my early childhood were useless, except to turn my thought to effective problem-solving skills. But even then, I noticed too often a lingering anger deep within me. And yet, I felt that it was better to be angry than apathetic. Through Christian Science, I discovered that anger doesn’t have to be my starting point for prayer and/or action. I could begin with Love, and instead of just solving problems, actually expect, express, and witness permanent healing. I turned to the Ten Commandments. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Who is this God in whose image we have all been created? We are “spiritually wired” to respond lovingly by God’s grace for God’s glory and the highest good of all concerned.

Diane — Louisiana, US

Many years ago I was living in a large city. An unpleasant racial incident had occurred, and those who identified with the victim were extremely angry and upset. It was evening, and I was walking along a very busy street. I heard a lot of noise behind me and suddenly I was hemmed in on one side by a group of angry young men who were saying filthy and hateful things to me. On the other side of me a street full of rushing traffic.

I was paralyzed with fear. I tried to pray, but I was so scared that all I could think was, “man is, man is, man is.” I was trying to think about the man that God made, in his own image and likeness, as it says in the Bible, and that since God is Love itself, God’s man has to be loving.

Suddenly, without any thought of my own, I turned my head to the young man next to me, who was saying horrible things, and said very calmly, “You don’t want to talk to me like that.” He said, “No, I don’t.” And then he spoke to me very pleasantly until we came to the end of the block and I crossed the street to go home.

In that very moment and place, where anger was yelling at him and fear was telling me I was at risk, God’s love is what was the strong reality of both of us. My prayer of deep desire to see this brought a complete change of attitude to us both.

Stephanie — Istanbul, Turkey

When I found an answer to anger and not reacting to it in myself or in others, it really was a product of understanding the nature of joy. Until I discovered the value of a profound sense of joy, I was capable of getting angry and outraged over things (often because it appeared justified). But unalloyed joy deals with this because such joy needs no rationale. As Mary Baker Eddy points out, it is “self-sustained” (see Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 209). Cultivate a profound sense of joy in yourself and anger will be ruled out of your experience.

Anthony — Geneva, Switzerland

Indeed I have prayed about angry reactions, more than once I might add. In all cases prayer led me to forgiveness and a healing of the situation(s). The biggest help prayer has given is in reminding me that we are to love. When I get that idea firmly in place, I can forgive, let God handle any resolution to the problem, and I am free to love the true spiritual idea instead of wanting to destroy the object of my anger. I am blessed by forgiveness in two ways. By forgiving the other individual I lose the harmful emotion of anger which hurts me more than them, and by forgiving myself I am freed from equally harmful guilt.

Pril — Oregon, US

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