From fear to anger

The upheaval on our planet right now has created rifts in relationships online, off-line, in our churches and communities. I cringe when I see unkind comments and anger directed at opposing opinions amongst friends.

We find ourselves in a crisis as the pressure builds and creates cracks of division and deep crevices of fear and hopelessness in our lives.

A crisis tends to bring out what is really inside us, and we shouldn’t be surprised by the ranting and pushing all around us. In these moments, love bows to fear as it takes control of our lives and vitriolic words pour off our keyboards onto the screen.

Death or life lies in our hands, and in every crisis there is the opportunity to make things better.

Proverbs tells us that life and death is in our tongue (Proverbs 18:21). When we speak we can bring encouragement and life to people, or we can speak with condemnation, anger and bitterness, bringing death.

This applies to the things we say and the things we write as we comment on others’ Facebook posts or tweets.

We may disagree with someone, but doesn’t mean we need to attack them personally.

We must show the same compassion and forgiveness towards others as Christ showed us. This is where it all begins and ends, and we must be real and begin to heal for the sake of our world.

It starts with truly loving ourselves the way Christ loves us, because that changes us from the inside out. Anger, bitterness and blame dissolve as we accept ourselves as wondrous creations of God, forgiven, redeemed and reborn.

When Jesus called us to love our neighbour as ourselves does this suggest if we hate ourselves, we will also hate others?

It is time to heal the rifts and repair the cracks and crevices of fear and division. Be filled with the all consuming fire of God’s deep love and acceptance and choose to walk on the solid ground of Christ’s forgiveness.

Let us keep this verse uppermost in our minds in these days.