Raaaaaaaaaaaarghhh: "Managing Our Anger" (J John: Week 5)

Are you angry?
Are you "temperamental": 50% temper; 50% mental?

The opening video demonstrated how violence starts in the heart/mind... with one vegan declaring "I can't even kill an animal, why would I kill someone!" I did wonder if anyone would admit to wanting to murder on camera, although one got close... depending on how far he was pushed/how drunk he was... to which J John added, difficult fights break out amongst those who both think they are right, and neither agrees to back down!

Interview/Sketch

The interview was with Michael Campbell, formerly a boxer, and an activist in the 'troubles' in Northern Ireland, with a great hatred of the English... now the Town Centre Chaplain for Watford, and a member of the Street Angels patrol... crime has dropped by 35% in Watford since this started 3 years ago.

Not a huge fan of the sketches (apologies to those who probably spend much time thinking of the content)... which this week focused on an argument between husband/wife over possession of the TV remote control!

DO NOT MURDER
The sixth commandment is simple... murder is a serious crime which once committed cannot be undone, and appears in many different terminologies (e.g. manslaughter, serial killing, etc.) in the newspapers on a daily basis. The term "Road Rage" made it into the Oxford English Dictionary in 1997, and of course there are associated terms such as 'Air Rage'. 42% of those in the UK workforce noted that they have been yelled at at work, with many reduced to tears.

Is culture to blame?
Violence is pumped into our culture by the megatons... e.g. films such as Die Hard are not constructive models of anger management! We can also break this commandment through passive action - e.g. if we see someone freezing/hungry and do not help them out, we may be letting them freeze/starve to death.

Abortion

J John tackled the tricky subject of abortion: "Abortion is wrong even if it is a right", arguing that the Bible clearly states that life is valuable from the moment of conception. He prayed for those who may still be struggling with grief/guilt/fear over having had an abortion - as 40 million do every year globally.

Does it have to get physical?
It's not just about inflicting physical pain, but actions and attitudes can cause harm, e.g. grudges, resentment and prejudice, etc. Our language is full of venom: e.g. "Drop Dead", and "If looks could kill". J John argues that there is a thin line between violence of feeling and violence of action, and its often with those that we care most about that we get the most angry with/hurt the most.

What Kind of Anger do you Have? (or a mix?)

The Maniac: Do you explode? "Temper is the one thing you can not get rid of by losing"; "People who fly into a rage usually make a bad landing"; "Those who blow a fuse may be in the dark"; "be flexible and you won't get bent out of shape".

The Mute: Do you silently steam, whilst pretending to feel no anger? Those who hold anger tend to bury it alive, and the body feels its effects (e.g. heart attacks, digestive problems, etc.)

The Manipulator: Retailiates with underhand techniques, using sarcasm and hurtful humour.

Principles to Survive

1. I need to admit my anger (if we don't talk about it, we'll take it out on others; there is justifiable anger - the Bible is full of stories of God/Jesus expressing anger, and we need to seek to do the same - express it non-destructively)
   
2. I need to deal with my anger immediately ("You can't shake hands with a clenched fist" "Those who fight fire with fire end up with the ashes". Don't give a piece of your mind (you may not be able to afford to lose it), but seek to be a peacemaker. It takes more inner strength to forgive than retaliate... let God give justice).
   
3. I need to understand anger (Anger usually covers a hurt, which covers an expectation, which covers a need... need to uncover these).
4. I need to stop and think before I speak (If you speak when you're angry, you'll probably make the best speech you wish you'd never made)
5. I need to ask God to fill me with his Holy Spirit (seek self-control, asking God to influence thoughts, words and actions; society tries to reform people, Jesus can transform)

Don't let your anger get out of control!

Wearing the Cross

Jesus stretched out his arms to embrace us all... God allowed his Son to be murdered for all - including those who have murdered others.

On seeing a girl at the checkout wearing a cross on a chain, J John said "Oh, you're a Christian then", on looking at her surprise, he entered into a conversation, asking if she'd think it was weird if she'd seen someone wearing a pair of earrings with a gas chamber as one earring, and the electric chair as the other... both are symbols of execution. She looked disgusted, but he emphasised that that is what the Cross means - but that Jesus wore it on his back, not around his neck. He asked her to think about what it really meant, she said "it looked nice", and he said "nice was the last thing it was" - it was painful, humiliating, and that was done for us.

Before inviting people forward as usual, J John talked about the Archbishop of Milan, who as a child had been dared by his friends to go into the Confessional and shock the priest. Doing so with relish, the priest directed him outside, to look up to the Crucifix on the building, to shake his fist and say "I don't care". In front of his friends, as he started to do so, he realised what the death of Christ truly meant, and broke down in tears, before transforming his life.

See more on Just10 Winchester, 5 more weeks to go!