Anger is a Fire

True community is only possible in love; do not deny that love is a verb and so damage your soul—robbing yourself and others of the beauty born in its service.  Community is not an automaton, but a living body, and the lifeblood of true community is Grace. Grace supplies the power to deliver what grace itself demands, and it demands infinitely more than the law which has no power for its meager requirements. You find your anger is full and genuine, and you feel justified in its expression. It is natural; why deny it? What’s worse, to lie or to curse? But this question deceives for to curse is both to curse and to lie. Anger shared, like love, is multiplied not satisfied. The flame that is not put out spreads from house to house. If a man were to observe his house on fire and say, “look here, it would be a lie to put this fire out for here it truly burns,” wouldn’t you think him an idiot? And what would you make of this fire when it burned the entire neighborhood and community? Do you suppose anger is any different than fire and the fruit that it bears?

—reh

James 3:5-12

5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Communication is a Miracle

My graphics professor, Guy Chase, was a very patient communicator. He was never in a hurry to explain his work. It was more fun that way. He almost always made time to listen. Every fall I feel the urge to stop by his office at Bethel University, my annual tradition. I think often of his attachment to smiley faces and coffee prepared to his specification, “about like ice cream.” I used to bring him my paintings for a second opinion. Guy was honest. Somehow he knew the internal struggle that I went through as I learned how to make certain shapes and textures. He pointed to some flowers expressed as messy circles and said, “how did you get to the point where you could make those shapes?” It was a struggle. How did he know that? I remember him saying, “communication between two people is a miracle...there is no way to really explain it.”  

“...Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”  
— Job 1:21

I think we all know something has been taken away. Have you heard the people talking? Nobody understands. Everyone is just making noise. Communication results in shared meaning, but all we share is self interest. Self interest leads to distrust, distrust to fear, fear to anger, anger to hate, and hate to death. We are dying. Do you know you’re dying? Guy Chase knew he was dying. He told me that day in his office—surrounded by smiley faces and ideas on the wall. They were good ideas. I pretended not to know already. I made him special coffee. Dale Johnson had secretly told me an hour before and made me promise I wouldn’t tell on him. He thought Guy might hide it. Dale was looking out for me. Guy said, “I have a joke to tell you.” He was smiling. I already knew the joke. “I’m dying” he said, and then he laughed. “Other people don’t think it’s funny, but I do. I feel fine, but the doctor said I could be dead in a year. I feel like I have so much to do. Is God really done with me? It doesn’t really feel like he is.” He wasn’t. Guy’s thoughtful ideas still live. There were many things we didn’t agree about. But we shared in a context—The Great Context. It was a miracle. Miracles still happen for those who share in him, but something has changed in the world. Everyone disagrees and hates each other for it. When Guy disagreed with me he smiled. So did I. I missed his funeral. I was in the hospital for the birth of my son, Gabriel. Gabriel is a patient communicator. He makes time to listen.

—reh