"Of the Seven Deadly Sins, anger is possibly the most fun. To lick your wounds, to smack your lips over grievances long past, to roll over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come, to savor to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back–in many ways it is a feast fit for a king."The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you."
―Frederick Buechner, Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), 2.
Proverbs 6:16-19
These "seven deadly sins," as they were coined, are outlined by Solomon.
These "seven deadly sins," as they were coined, are outlined by Solomon.
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
These are six things our great and awesome God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, hates. In the next phrase, The seventh, "one who sows discord among brothers," reaches the level of abomination. God hates sin. That ought to make me fear His discipline and bow down to worship Him in holy humility.
The six, and seven, things are:
1. haughty eyes
2. a lying tongue
3. hands that shed innocent blood
4. a heart that devises wicked plans
5. feet that make haste to run to evil
6. a false witness who breathes out lies
7. one who sows discord among brothers
Memorizing this text through our church Awana program several years ago, we noted these things run from head to toe. They run from our eyes to our tongue three times, to our hands and finally to our heart.
Feast anger
The exact word "anger," doesn't appear. Angry behaviors run right through virtually it all. The haughty eyes are prideful and can lead to angry responses to others. A lying tongue is angry. Hands shedding innocent blood are angry. Hearts devising wicked plans. Angry. Feet running to evil. Angry. False witness lying mentioned twice in 17 and 19. Initiating anger. Sowing discord among family and friends is anger boiling over.
Feast anger
The exact word "anger," doesn't appear. Angry behaviors run right through virtually it all. The haughty eyes are prideful and can lead to angry responses to others. A lying tongue is angry. Hands shedding innocent blood are angry. Hearts devising wicked plans. Angry. Feet running to evil. Angry. False witness lying mentioned twice in 17 and 19. Initiating anger. Sowing discord among family and friends is anger boiling over.
Domestic violence and no contact orders are really common among the male inmates, their families, in relationships among themselves where I serve as a chaplain at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent through PFC.
Feast experiences
I watched anger in my schools growing up and right through my Masters level work. I saw it in the middle schools where I worked as a special ed teacher among certain students, other teachers, and administrators.
I experienced anger among youth teams I played on, later reported on as a newspaper sports reporter, and those I later I coached. In one season in particular, I acted out.
I experienced wrath and anger in the churches I have attended. Some are very angry in churches. I was angry especially in one of the churches where I was the pastor. People I thought were caring stirred up trouble to cause divisions among their friends.
There was anger flashing in my home growing up and with our own home. I grew up in a great, caring family with loving parents and a brother and sister.
When I think it is everybody else, sometimes the Lord wakes me up in the middle of the night. It was me. He reminded me of events. I experienced anger in other people who hurt me. I was angry toward others so I hurt them. That is the definition of dysfunction. Hurting people hurt people. God hates these things. They are abominations, He said.
Feast turned
Buechner said," In many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you."
Anger "licks it's wounds." The angry person wants to feel sorry for himself.
Anger "smacks its lips over grievances past." The angry person keeps remembering and rolling over what happened. The grievance was from a long time ago.
Anger revels in "rolling over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come." The angry person rehearses with other people what might never happen. The more the future confrontation is considered, bitterness grows. The confrontation has not even happened. Anger may easily escalates into confrontation with listeners who are not involved.
"Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled..." ~Hebrews 12:12-15
Anger "savors to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back." This is a twisted pleasure. Savoring something at a great holiday meal means we appreciate the smell, taste or feeling of a particular dish. The angry man or woman works over pain they are experiencing and what they are dishing out.
Feast experiences
I watched anger in my schools growing up and right through my Masters level work. I saw it in the middle schools where I worked as a special ed teacher among certain students, other teachers, and administrators.
I experienced anger among youth teams I played on, later reported on as a newspaper sports reporter, and those I later I coached. In one season in particular, I acted out.
I experienced wrath and anger in the churches I have attended. Some are very angry in churches. I was angry especially in one of the churches where I was the pastor. People I thought were caring stirred up trouble to cause divisions among their friends.
There was anger flashing in my home growing up and with our own home. I grew up in a great, caring family with loving parents and a brother and sister.
When I think it is everybody else, sometimes the Lord wakes me up in the middle of the night. It was me. He reminded me of events. I experienced anger in other people who hurt me. I was angry toward others so I hurt them. That is the definition of dysfunction. Hurting people hurt people. God hates these things. They are abominations, He said.
Feast turned
Buechner said," In many ways it is a feast fit for a king. The chief drawback is that what you are wolfing down is yourself. The skeleton at the feast is you."
Anger "licks it's wounds." The angry person wants to feel sorry for himself.
Anger "smacks its lips over grievances past." The angry person keeps remembering and rolling over what happened. The grievance was from a long time ago.
Anger revels in "rolling over your tongue the prospect of bitter confrontations still to come." The angry person rehearses with other people what might never happen. The more the future confrontation is considered, bitterness grows. The confrontation has not even happened. Anger may easily escalates into confrontation with listeners who are not involved.
"Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled..." ~Hebrews 12:12-15
Anger "savors to the last toothsome morsel both the pain you are given and the pain you are giving back." This is a twisted pleasure. Savoring something at a great holiday meal means we appreciate the smell, taste or feeling of a particular dish. The angry man or woman works over pain they are experiencing and what they are dishing out.
No comments:
Post a Comment