I'm going to keep plugging away at forgiveness. Today, though I am taking a bit of a sidetrack to think about anger at institutions. And whether it is possible to forgive institutions, and beyond that if we can - should we?
I heard a speaker once say that whenever he hears someone say "I'm so angry at: ...GM,.... the church, ....the government....etc," that he would always say, "No you're not, your angry at a person." On one level I get what he is saying. There will often be, for me, a face that represents an institution if, I feel angry or frustrated with an institution. But, on a different level, I think he is way off. It seems to me that I at times do feel actual anger toward institutions, a company or school etc... It is certainly fair to ask whether or not the anger is helpful, but that is not what interests me here. Here I am simply after what seems to me to be a fact that I actually do experience real frustration towards what at times seem to be absolutely faceless, and heartless organizations/institutions. I have no problem labeling the level that frustration reaches at times as anger. It seems to me that institutions do cause real harm, and I am convinced (see institutions as emergent entities), that institutions have a life of their own - so I would say it is only natural that we be angry at them.
So, I would argue that we can in fact get angry at institutions. I would also say that our anger at institutions can actually fuel, prophetic kingdom movements. I think Dr. King was angry at the institution of Jim Crow - the instituting of the motto separate but equal. It strikes me that Jesus was angry at the institution of the Sabbath, and the institution of the Temple. (Again if the Sabbath, or the Temple are mere abstractions, or simply given facts about the world it makes little sense to be angry, that would be like being angry that a day on earth is around 24 hours, or that in the Northern Hemisphere or days during winter are shorter than our nights). Jeremiah, talked about his desire to not speak against the institutions of the monarchy and the priesthood, but that the word he didn't want to speak became like fire in his bones.
For today, I will end with this. It seems to me anger at institutions can be fuel for an actual kingdom fire, and we have to be willing to let the fire be kindled by the Holy Spirit.
I heard a speaker once say that whenever he hears someone say "I'm so angry at: ...GM,.... the church, ....the government....etc," that he would always say, "No you're not, your angry at a person." On one level I get what he is saying. There will often be, for me, a face that represents an institution if, I feel angry or frustrated with an institution. But, on a different level, I think he is way off. It seems to me that I at times do feel actual anger toward institutions, a company or school etc... It is certainly fair to ask whether or not the anger is helpful, but that is not what interests me here. Here I am simply after what seems to me to be a fact that I actually do experience real frustration towards what at times seem to be absolutely faceless, and heartless organizations/institutions. I have no problem labeling the level that frustration reaches at times as anger. It seems to me that institutions do cause real harm, and I am convinced (see institutions as emergent entities), that institutions have a life of their own - so I would say it is only natural that we be angry at them.
So, I would argue that we can in fact get angry at institutions. I would also say that our anger at institutions can actually fuel, prophetic kingdom movements. I think Dr. King was angry at the institution of Jim Crow - the instituting of the motto separate but equal. It strikes me that Jesus was angry at the institution of the Sabbath, and the institution of the Temple. (Again if the Sabbath, or the Temple are mere abstractions, or simply given facts about the world it makes little sense to be angry, that would be like being angry that a day on earth is around 24 hours, or that in the Northern Hemisphere or days during winter are shorter than our nights). Jeremiah, talked about his desire to not speak against the institutions of the monarchy and the priesthood, but that the word he didn't want to speak became like fire in his bones.
For today, I will end with this. It seems to me anger at institutions can be fuel for an actual kingdom fire, and we have to be willing to let the fire be kindled by the Holy Spirit.
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