Coffee With Sister Vassa: 'BE ANGRY AND DO NOT SIN'

Coffee With Sister Vassa

“BE ANGRY AND DO NOT SIN”

 

“Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. ‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” (Eph 4: 25-27)

On the one hand, the Apostle says: “Be angry, and do not sin,” (quoting the Septuagint-version of Ps 4: 5). But then he tells us to keep this anger short, and “not let the sun go down on” it. So, anger, which is not the same thing as hostility, is something we can engage productively, albeit briefly. Why, and how?

Anger is not a sin per se, but rather a God-given kind of spark, attributed also to the Lord (e.g., Mk 3: 5). It is not to be abused to ignite (self-) destructive hostility, say, in the direct form of an act of violence or revenge, or in the indirect forms of sarcasm, gossip, or passive obstructiveness. It should rather be a signal to ourselves and others, which, when conveyed and read properly, can be the impetus for productive discernment and discussion of the cause of it. And by “productive” I mean, the kind of conversation that is truthful and specific to the actual cause of our anger, “putting away lying,” as the Apostle says above, which can effect the removal of the true cause of our anger. 

If I notice myself getting angry today, let me first recognize and accept this anger. Then let me explore, in honesty and humility, and “putting away lying,” the underlying reasons for my anger. Was my angry outburst, perhaps, masking some kind of fear, like the fear of having lost control or being powerless over a situation, by lending me some sense of power and control? Let me let God into this picture, if this is the case with me, and re-embrace faith in Him, as in the One in control. Lord, You know what You’re doing with all of us, in Your mercy and grace. Let me do the next right thing today, to address any “signals” of anger productively, in Your truth, so that I don’t nurture them into quietly-destructive, little bonfires of resentment in my heart, or “give place to the devil” there. Let me do what I need to do; say what I need to say, and move on. “Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.”

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From the early centuries of the Church's life, some of the great "masters" of the spiritual life - often the Desert Fathers - understood anger as a passion that needed to be "educated" rather than "eradicated." Meaning, can the energy behind anger be redirected toward our own sinfulness, to use one example? Or in reaction to the injustice of the world? We remember that the Lord's anger was directed at those who were making his Father's house a "den of thieves." Sister Vassa is offering her usual insightful advice of looking inward at ourselves, rather than outward at others. And that is always a challenge.

 

LENTEN MEDITATION - Day XVIII — Anger and Remembrance of Wrongs

 

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

Anger is the result of people’s failure to do or say what we wish, or of things that do not go the way we prefer. Rather than adapt to circumstances by way of the practice of patience, we often succumb to the sin of anger. Paramount in the equation of anger is the “remembrance of wrongs.” …

...The pervasiveness of this sin warrants special mention. We live in an age where, though we have less and less direct contact with others, we seem so easily tempted by thoughts, feelings, fantasies, and injuries believed caused by our neighbor.

Whenever we become obsessed by some past event in which we perceive that we have been wronged, we give the devil ample opportunity to lead us toward greater temptation. We forget that our warfare is not with each other! We are to engage in spiritual warfare against the Enemy of our salvation and his willing hosts, the demons. When we remember wrongs, we fall prey to the Father of Lies and engage in combat against our fellow brothers and sisters.

—Fr Joseph David Huneycutt, Defeating Sin

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As far back as the fourth c. Evagrius of Pontus (+399), the great "desert psychologist," came up with a list of the "passionate thoughts" (logismoi) that can tempt and trouble the human mind and heart. One of those "thoughts" was anger. Later, St. Gregory the Great (+604) devised the more familiar list of the "seven deadly sins," and his list also included anger. To this day, we continue to analyze the effects of anger on the human mind. Fr. Joseph above offers some good insights into this "passionate thought," that are worthy of our reflection.

 

Amma Syncletica - On Anger

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

GREAT LENT - Day Five

"It is good not to get angry, but if this should happen, St. Paul does not allow you a whole day for this passion, for he says: 'Do not let the sun go down on your anger.' (Eph. 4:26) Will you wait til all your time is ended? Why hate the one who has grieved you? It is not this person who has done the wrong, but the evil one."

Amma Syncletica (+460)
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Anger, according the saints, is a "passion." Meaning we lose control of this impulse, but are rather controlled by it. It is hard to think straight or to pray when you are angry. I would imagine that this is a common experience. The Apostle Paul is exhorting us to limit the extent to which this passion rules our life. Be done with it at the end of the day. Be forgiving as our heavenly Father is forgiving, seems to be what the apostle is teaching. As to the last sentence from Amma Syncletica, I highly doubt that she is saying "blame the devil" for your reckless impulses. As I highly doubt she is relieving us of our personal responsibility when we unleash our anger on someone - including our loved ones. 

My sense is that she is alerting us to the ever present reality of temptation, the source of which is ultimately the "evil one." The Apostle Peter teaches us: "Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring line, seeking some one to devour." ((I Pet. 5:8) I rather think that it is easier to control of food and drink intake - fasting - than it is to control our anger. Great Lent is a season of reconciliation.