Walk in Love

If you walk into our local hospital these days, you’ll be greeted by a large poster that says: Aggressive behavior will not be tolerated. This includes: Physical abuse. Verbal Harassment. Abusive or foul language. Threats. Damaging system property.” 

At a hospital! – a place for healing. More and more we see signs like this in restaurants and airports. This has not always been the case. In fact, in 25 years of visiting hospitals as a pastor, it is only in the last three years since Covid, that I’ve seen anything like this. 

There is a lot of anger and resentment in the world around us right now.  And very little of it is serving a greater cause. I see very little of it making any kind of difference. More often than not, it does more harm than good, especially to ourselves.

It is true, for some people, anger is what drives them through life. In fact, some people believe it gives them an edge. But that anger often comes from an inner woundedness or pain that has not been dealt with. And what you see, more often than not, is that many of those same people have left a slue of ruined relationships in their wake. 

In Ephesians, chapter 4, the Apostle Paul writes: “Be angry, but do not sin.” Then he adds, “Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, as Christ loved us…”

As it is written in the book of James (1:19), may we be the kind oof people who are quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. May we be the kind of people who do not add to the anger and hostility of the world around us, or to the anger and hostility of the world within us.

Let us pray:  God of Grace, we thank you for your love for us, and your love for the world around us.  We don’t have to look far to see tremendous need. We pray today for healing for ourselves and for others. When anger arises within us, help us to pause, and give us the wisdom to respond with grace.  May we ever reflect your love in all we do, and in all we say. In Jesus’ name, Amen.