So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19,20)
Do you know someone who is always ready with a quick comeback? No matter what is said, these folks just seem to have it right there at the tip of their tongues. Often witty, sometimes sarcastic, and generally taking folks by surprise. It’s pretty amazing when you meet someone who can do this well. I really don’t think, however, that most of the time it’s how we are supposed to react to someone.
James gives us the suggestion that we stop and think before we talk: to reason out the best reply, to slow it down and make it calmer.
One of the things I learned early on in my career was how to answer a question put forth to me in court. Before I answered any question, especially a yes/no question, so as not to allow myself into being badgered into a quick reply, my mentor told me to take one deep breath quietly in as I took 3 seconds to think it through and then answered slowly, in a quiet unruffled voice. Don’t let it get away from you.
I recently took part in a “peaceful protest” supporting our city and county police. Our local ministerial association and police chaplains met together to pray for our police and our sheriff and our first responders. It was all going well until some other folks showed up who had an ax to grind about things that had nothing to do with what we were doing, but they wanted to grab their fifteen minutes of notoriety. Carrying signs, parking haphazardly, doing a lot of chanting, they were dismayed when we didn’t react as they wanted. What they wanted was to have a fight, something to draw attention, get it in the papers. What we wanted was to hand out cold water, let the folks in blue recognize we appreciated them as a community, and bring attention to the fact our local men and women are pretty great people. The angry folks fussed and fumed and in general were ignored.
During a lull in between the shift change for the first responders, one of the pastors walked over to the protestors and asked if they had a leader, a person we could talk to so we could have a better understanding of what they represented and what was the change they were seeking. That attention seemed to bring them all back to life.
“We don’t need a leader,” one yelled at the pastor. “We have freedom of speech!”
“Yes,” agreed the pastor. “But you also have to be able to get your message across for this to do any good. So, what are your main problems? Why are you so angry?”
“We want change!” they started the chant up again.
“What change are you looking for?” asked the pastor, not raising his voice at all. “Has anyone here actually been a victim of anything?”
They just increased their chanting, and the pastor came back to where we were standing. “They don’t even know why they’re fighting,” he said sadly. “They aren’t going to get anything they want because they don’t know what they want. They’re blowing off steam, that’s all. Do we have enough water bottles to finish the shift?” And he walked away and ignored them, as did the rest of us. And we completed our rounds of handing out water, handing out prayers, handing out friendship.
Who made the best impression?
James tells us that we need to be quick to hear, but slow to get angry. We are to be concerned; we are to listen; we are not to take the attitude of anger. We are representing Christ. We are not representing ourselves. Our anger, our hatred, has no place in the body of Christ. Getting angry and spewing hate does not show anyone the righteous love of God. We are to be always willing to listen, to hear, but not to be flammable in our relationships. Your anger does not work with God’s work.
Does this mean we should just roll over and let injustice stay? Of course not. However, James shows us that there is a better way to make our point.
Instead of anger and destruction, make righteous changes: help the poor, find someone a job, teach them to budget, show them the way out of poverty, give school clothes to kids who need it. Help someone with their algebra homework, read to lonely old folks, feed people good food. Be kind, think of others. If we must protest, let it be with love, with peace, and taking advantage of all the ways we have within the legal system to get things done: petition the court, write letters to and visit the congresspeople, do constructive things.
Tearing down what someone else has built up through their own hard work is counter-productive to our own neighborhoods. Build up, don’t tear down.