RIGTHEOUS INDIGNATION

When I first heard the phrase, ‘holy anger’, I didn’t know what to make of it. It sounded oxymoronic to me. Could there be a feeling of anger in the practice of holiness or a trace of holiness in the outburst of anger? I did not dwell much on this question until, recently, when I was reading the book of Numbers, chapter 25. On their pilgrimage to Canaan, the children of Israel got to a place called Shittim and there they committed ‘whoredom’ with the daughters Moab and also joined in Baal worship. Phinehas, Aaron’s grandson, was angered by this development. He confronted the children of Israel and even went as far as killing the specific men who committed these sins. Of course, in this new dispensation killing wouldn’t be an option but we do need people like Phinehas who would call out sin for what it is. We are told, later in the chapter, that God was pleased with Phinehas because he displayed some sort of righteous indignation.  In fact, God made a covenant of peace with him and his lineage.

Phinehas is not the only one who has stood up against the virus of sin in the Bible. Jesus himself expressed anger at money changers who turned the temple of God into a ‘house of merchandise’(John 2:13-17).  I have now realized that there is an affect of anger that is not sinful. This kind of anger is rational and is targeted at the manifestation of sin and injustice. It does not translate as physical violence neither is it an uncontrolled rage. It is a righteous anger, the kind that ensures the flourishing of righteousness. It weakens sin and the temptation to sin. Christians must be angered by sin and that anger must inspire redemptive actions.

 It is worthy to reiterate that this ‘holy anger’ is not judgemental neither is it vengeful. It can be expressed in prayers and in loving-hearted reprimands. It stems from zealousness for God and his kingdom. It points to God, not the person expressing the anger. Jesus(in John 2) chased the money changers away because the zeal of the house of God consumed him. We are also told that Phinehas’ action was motivated by his zealousness for God. Therefore, righteous anger is not vindictive or spiteful, it is, instead, loving, meek, firm and uncompromising. It inspires grace and, in the long run, turns away God’s wrath from a person or congregation. Phinehas’ anger, we are told, prevented the judgement of God on the Israelites.

The church needs people full of holy anger because of the unimaginable virus of sin that is becoming the new normal. We should all be passionate enough the raise alarm on this ‘little leaven that leaveneth the whole lump’(Gal. 5:9). We need people who will not cower or be silently complicit in the pervasive idolatry that is sweeping through our world today. We must pray to God to stir up this kind of anger in and among us because the lack of it may be indicative of spiritual weakness or laxity. If we are truly becoming like Christ, we must be angered by sin. Max Lucado writes: ‘may we never be so religious that we see the footprints of Satan and stay calm’. To conclude, Martin Luther also writes: ‘ I never work better than when I am inspired by anger, for when I am angry I can write, pray and preach well, for then my whole temperament is quickened, my understanding sharpened and all mundane vexations and temptations depart’.