Laughter and Lament: The Radical Freedom of Joy and SorrowChikamu

Life is Hard and Then You Get Angry

Lament without anger isn’t lament; it’s just whining. Honest anger is healthy and healing. Paul said that we should be angry, but not let the sun go down on our anger. And then he demonstrated that teaching by expressing some very strong and angry words about those who were perverting the gospel, “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:9). A good many of the psalms of lament contain a strong element of anger as do the imprecatory psalms. And everybody knows how angry Jesus was when he kicked the money changers out of the temple. At the end of his book, the writer of Lamentations speaks, quite properly, to a sovereign God. If you don’t see the anger in his words (however muted), you haven’t read it right: “But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures in all generations. Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?” (Lamentations 5:19–20). In other words, “It’s your fault, and I’m angry.” And, of course, Scripture speaks quite often of the “wrath of God.” So, given that we are created in the image of God, there are times when our wrath is appropriate, too.

Honest anger is a preventative medication and a cure for denial. It’s a necessary ingredient to our response to terrible things like sexual abuse, broken, hurtful relationships, and cases of great injustice. But it’s not just personal, it’s also bigger than that. Injustice anywhere should be a cause of sadness, but it is also a legitimate cause for anger. There is a tendency for some Christians to look at the world through rose-colored glasses. And that Pollyanna syndrome can kill off honest lament.

Anger points to our identification with what it means to be human. Frankly, I don’t know anything that reflects our inability to “remain pure” more than anger. That’s because anger is often unplanned, embarrassing, and surprising. Anger can be a gift. It is a reminder that real people get angry with both legitimate and illegitimate anger. And freedom comes after genuine repentance.

Anger can also be motivating. So, don’t waste your anger. Statements like, “This isn’t right,” or “I’m not going to take it anymore,” or “I’m going to stand against this injustice,” or “I’m going to say something,” or “I’m going to love the unlovely,” or “I can’t do everything, but I can do something!” are all a part of the motivational power of lament and anger.