Lionel,

Can I suggest a more important final question - Where are we Pharasaic in our well-intentioned observances, and where would Jesus get angry with us?

Put another way - what impediments do we assemble to limit workings of the Holy Spirit in our own lives and the communities we live in?

This question gets to the heart of our relationship with God, and what ‘Logs’ need to be extracted from our own eyes before we pick ‘splinters’ from the eyes of others.

Cheers.

When I look at Jesus, particularly in Matthew and Marks Gospels, it is the keeping of people from receiving God’s Grace which angers Jesus the most.  “You whitewashed tombs” he calls the Pharisees.  I had reason to look at a Christian website prior to the last Federal Election, where a number of Christian principles were set out for challenging politicians to take the Christian perspective during the election campaign.  I saw no reference to grace in the list and I contacted the writers of the list to ask them to reconsider the list in the light of the need for God’s grace to be foremost in any Christian principles.  The response was disappointing.  The writers were intent on imposing only some Christian standards on the campaigning candidates, without challenging greed, corruption, the poor treatment of refugees and the disadvantaged, but concentrating on a lot on personal moral issues of sexuality and so on.  The response to my second round of concerns were “do you want sin to abound?” Of course not, but the point was missed, just as the Pharisees missed it with Jesus in Mark 2 - the answer to our moral failure is God’s Grace in the Lord Jesus. Yes it made me angry as well as a little sad, Lindsay Dunstan, Wollongong.

Lionel first a point of correction! I am sure Leonie ALWAYS “puts things well”.  Your comments made me think!! At my age that is something!!

A point of view that makes me angry is one which says that it is not the responsibility,privilege and joy of the local church to provide,as a part of its budget financial assistance to: 

1.  Mission enterprises,especially overseas in countries which ,compared to us,have so little in either human or material resources with which to build the church.

2. The “persecuted church” overseas, which continues to suffer unimaginable distress,deprivation,discrimination and devastation.  and

3. to provide the Word of God to Christians and seekers overseas who either cannot obtain a Bible as they are not available or because they cannot afford to purchase a copy.

I am told that this issue is a matter solely for the individual not for a church.
Am I justified in being angry?

To Steve Dumas,

An interesting question you pose about being angry with our own sin.

My response is that being angry about my broken human condition is not a helpful place to be - particularly as a motivator to developing a lived spirituality.

An approach I have found useful to reflect on my own brokeness can be summed up as ‘reflective sensitivity’ and ‘honest thoughfulness and action’.  On a personal level, desire for renewal and awakening from ‘sin’ has more to do with growth than punitive judgements.

This more reflective approach to our vulnerable and broken condition I believe to be foundational to inner healing and grace-filled renewal.  Anger can be a barren and destructive place, and can ultimately become adversely addictive.

Cheers.