The place of anger in our lives is a complex one. Though admittedly it is one of the "deadly sins", to evince anger shows at least that one cares about the world. In this respect it is preferable to a spineless indifference that refuses to get involved in any controversial issue. It was the emotion of anger that set to rights many social injustices of the past; at present, conservationist groups flare up in fury when the earth is polluted by waste material, or its atmosphere is endangered by gases emitted from factories, or there is wanton destruction of tropical rain forests. Likewise those involved in the intricate matter of "animal rights" sometimes vent their spleen on those who wear clothes made from the skins of mammals, or who are involved in scientific research that condones vivisection: attacks on laboratories may crown their activities. While one may sympathize with the concern shown in these activities, the destructive potential of the anger is disturbing in its venom and very dangerous in its effects.

The effects of unchecked anger damage not only the object of the attack but also the larger community which assesses the result from a distance. Soon many people become alienated from the cause that has inflamed the enthusiasts, who can then very easily be dismissed as emotionally disturbed trouble-makers, projecting their own inadequacies on to professionally successful people whose lives are decidedly more productive than their own. Furthermore, there is an uncomfortable amount of truth in this psychological assessment. It is evident that, while there is a place for anger in everyday life when necessary change is thwarted by selfish private interests, such an emotional reaction must be kept under careful control. The same principle holds in private affairs when injustice is being implemented, and only a vigorous reaction can put a stop to the matter.

Therefore, when one has been confronted in one's daily life by a source of discord that evokes anger, it is a good thing to examine the matter calmly in the light of cool reason. The evening is an especially good time for this exercise, since we are more relaxed then after a meal and in the agreeable surroundings of our home. Of course, if the problem is a domestic one this picture of off-work ease is irrelevant, but even here the atmosphere of rest can be of help. If we can pray in the silence of contemplation, a calm will descend on us, and Jesus' amazing injunction to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matt. 5.43-4) will become not only real but also practicable. This is because the love of God is given a chance to flow to us, and through us to all the world. We will be renewed by that love, at the same time by our very presence and the prayer that pours from us, giving it to those around us. We will be given the discernment to see how much of the trouble is due to our own inadequacy and how much to the wrong-headedness of other people; in most instances both are well represented.

Then we can proceed with calm determination to put matters right. Our restrained demeanour is much more likely to win us supporters, should these be necessary, than would violent outbursts of temper and outpourings of abuse on all those who were less certain than ourselves. In the end the wisdom of experience shows us that most problems, whether personal, communal, national or international, are settled by reconciliation in which the rights of all the parties are respected. Then each may grow a little nearer to the image of a mature person, as witnessed by the great ones of the spirit. This is something more than mere compromise, which is at most a stopgap remedy. Compromise keeps enemies at bay, but eventually they have to undergo significant inner changes in order to work constructively together.

Give me, Lord, the self-control to harness my emotions for the good of others; and if anger is appropriate, may it be restrained and short-lived as a consequence of a drawing together of all the parties by the spirit of love.