Yesterday a friend was angry about something I had done. It probably isn’t a rare occurrence for me or for any of us. I felt that I was justified in my actions and my friend’s anger was unjustified. I could have argued about this, but I didn’t see any benefit of this, so I tried to let it go.

It seems like hanging on to anger is a big problem in many ways right now. I see people hanging on to anger and spreading it on social media. It seems to drive much of the political discourse in America right now.

Yesterday, I was talking with a pain specialist who suggested that much of the problem with opioids these days is they are being prescribed for pain which would better be treated by other approaches like stress reduction and anger management.

We see this play out on the geopolitical scale as well; terrorists striking out in anger at some perceived injustice and others seeking to strike back ever harder out of even greater anger. Where does it all end?

Good Friday.

Jesus Christ, taking all the hatred and anger on the cross.

I am bound to do things that will anger friends in the future. I am bound to get angry myself in the future. Yet I believe all that hatred and anger has been addressed in the cross. I need to let the anger go and seek to show the love God has for each of us to those that are angry with me or that I am angry at.