Anger Is Playing God

Bob Jones writes, “It starts when we legislate required behavior for another. We may or may not choose to tell the other person. For example:

• When thou drivest thine automobile, thou shalt not turn to the left or to the right in front of me, except thou signalist thine intention to do so with thy turn signal.

• Thou shalt not let the sun go down on my phone call or e-mail, but thou shalt return it today, while it is still called today.

• Thou shalt love me the way I want to be loved, with thy whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.

If you break one of my statutes, I log your violation in my mental record book. I may or may not present the evidence to you, depending on my preference (after all, I can do whatever I want in my imaginary world in which I divinely reign!). In either case, I am both the star witness and the chief prosecutor against you. Moreover, I play both judge and executioner. I sound the gavel, pronounce you guilt, sentence you to whatever punishment within my power, and mete out justice.

What does repentance look like? I throw away my statute book. I drop the charges. I cover your offenses with the blanket of Christian love and erase them from my ledger. I lay down my gavel, descend my judicial ben, and remove my black robe. I refuse to punish you but instead begin to love you."

Robert D. Jones, Uprooting Anger, pg. 69