How not to burn with anger
Originally published as A Christian Science Perspective in The Christian Science Monitor
In our world today, one of the strongest displays of power is being calm. It’s all too easy to get fired up the moment we hear of something ugly and offensive. Choosing instead the peace and serenity that are based on knowing God’s presence at that moment has a healing effect.
Whether in the form of a slow burn or a quick, blazing flash, anger noticeably slows progress and reconciliation. Gritting your teeth and counting to ten is better than nothing, but it is unlikely to establish the genuine peace that is so needed. Much better, and much more empowering, is anchoring our thoughts in an acknowledgment of God’s active authority and goodness.
The quality of our thoughts always matters. My father taught me as a boy how to make a campfire. After we made a small fireplace out of rocks, what we needed next was some very dry tinder and small pieces of kindling. We used fallen leaves, curls of birchbark, and dry grass to light some thin sticks. Once burning, the fire would engulf larger pieces of wood until the flames were really dancing.
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