by Stephen Finlan
Let us compare the attitude toward anger of Jesus, and of that kind of modern psychology which focuses on self-fulfillment without a basis in spiritual growth. This kind of psychology emphasizes the expression of emotions instead of their transformation. It would agree with the principle that “Self-control is a better human policy of behavior regulation than extreme self-denial,” (UB 977C) but would probably not agree that anger is “mean and despicable – hardly worthy of being called human, much less divine.” (UB 57D)
This pop psychology concentrates on the mind and feelings while ignoring the spirit. It would have us learn to talk about our feelings, “share” them with others but it does not condemn anger. All emotions are considered natural and good. It teaches that emotional health comes from learning how to express your emotions. This kind of thinking would have had Jesus respond to Simon Zelotes’ anger at the Romans by saying: “Good, Simon! Don’t be afraid to express your hostility. Get it all out, but don’t hurt anybody.” Had Simon gotten his anger out, you can bet he would have hurt a few Romans. Expression and action are linked.
But Jesus teaches that emotional health comes only from spiritual self-mastery: Anger is a material manifestation which represents, in a general way, the measure of the failure of the spiritual nature to gain control of the combined intellectual and physical natures. Anger indicates a lack of self-respect. Anger depletes the health, debases the mind, and handicaps the spirit teacher of man’s soul. (UB 1673B) Anger is a mental poison. (UB 1204B) And, as the old proverb says: “The fool gives vent to all his angry feelings, but the wise man subdues them…” or “controls them.” (Proverbs 29: 11)
One person, when angry at another, thinks, “how can I get even without getting into trouble?” Another thinks, “how can I express my anger without hurting anyone?” But the Jesusonian thinks, “how can I treat this person as God would treat him, despite my angry feelings?” Irreligious psychology tries to nudge people from the first question to the second, but Jesus impels one to ask the third question. The first two are self-centered, the second representing a higher ethical consciousness than the first, but still unspiritualized. The third question is spirit-centered and offers the only possibility for actually transforming the emotions. Nothing the mind attempts to do with anger is of any use if it does not consult and obey the spirit. Unless this principle is foremost, all ways of “handling” anger fall into mental entanglement and self-delusion, a self-centered instead of a God-centered emotional life. And such mind-techniques are often a way of perpetuating a problem that should be bravely faced and overcome through an inner religious experience.
It takes a religious experience (whether fully conscious or not) to overcome the anger of a bruised ego. Jesus did not teach emotional freedom through expression of whatever is on your mind, but rather transformation through spirit-identification. (UB 1609:C)
How then do we overcome anger? – by our faith and the spirit’s transformation. (UB 1609 D) Jesus said the only way to find deliverance from “outbursts of animal anger” is to let love dominate our hearts. (UB 1673 C) The indwelling spirit can actually change the underlying motives of the heart.
First, one must not base one’s self-respect on the respect bestowed by others, but rather on faith in God’s love. Once one’s self-respect is based on this faith. then one can seek God’s will and know that spiritual adjustment will follow. Recognize that your spirit is not really threatened by whatever is angering you, and that God loves and keeps you. Pray for whomever you are angry at. Believe in God’s transforming power and act as though it were already happening. Believe that God is present. This is both a lifelong process and a technique that can be applied in any specific case.
None of us is expected to be superhumanly superior to human emotions, and certainly God understands our lapses, but each of us is expected to always seek the spirit’s transforming influence. Jesus himself was subject to profound indignation when confronted with indifference or contempt of spiritual values, but never in defense of his own personal feelings. Not many of us are spiritualized enough to unfailingly recognize the difference between unselfish moral indignation and the anger born of injury to self. But all of us are capable of recognizing this difference if we allow our minds to be repeatedly illumined by the spirit.