Just Anger

Can anger be just and unjust?

Unjust anger cannot be justified,  for anger tips the scale to one's ruin.  Those who are patient stay calm until the right moment,  and then cheerfulness comes back to them.  They hold back their words until the right moment;  then the lips of many tell of their good sense. In the treasuries of wisdom are wise sayings, but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.  If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will lavish her upon you.  For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and discipline, fidelity and humility are his delight. - Ecclesiasticus 1:22-27

I love the book of Sirach or Ecclesiasticus.  It is so human.

It makes me think twice about things I wrestle with yet try not to give much thought to, like what is just and unjust when it comes to being angry with someone or some situation.

Unjust anger cannot be justified.

In other words, one can not turn unjust anger into just anger, because anger leads to ruin.  So, it makes me wonder if there is any anger that is just.

The key to avoiding anger seems to be patience, according to Sirach.  If we wait it out, we can hold on and remain calm until the anger passes and we go back to being cheerful.

But what is the point of that, we might ask?  Isn't it better to let the anger out, so pressure doesn't build up, and hostilities don't fester?

That is the difference between us and our Creator.  God has so much more patience than we do.  He has time and He uses it to wait us out.

Eventually, we will break down and cry for Him, and He will be there.

But we are not so good with each other or with God.  We want it now.

So, if there is such a thing as just anger, anger that is justified by nature, who can judge what it is?

We think we know, and we use that as an excuse for our actions.  We can do hateful things because our anger is justified, but what if we just wait?

We might see things differently in the light of the next moment.  And we can avoid unjust anger.

More to come...