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Spiritual Quote
Prayer is the seed of gentleness and the absence of anger.
*Abba Nilus, Desert Father
Today's Scripture
26 When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day.27 Do not give the devil a way to defeat you.
*Ephesians 4.26-27 (NCV)
Wisdom Story
I knew about their longstanding argument, but I had never heard them go on at it like this before. There in the trees in front of my house the crows and the blue jays were quarreling again. Their war of words and wings had escalated beyond anything I had ever seen.
Then I noticed something I hadn't expected-a pair of huge brown wings making a retreat to a nearby branch. That wasn't a crow! So the commotion wasn't the usual spat between the crows and the blue jays. They had found a common enemy-an owl. Their dislike for each other was lost in a conflict of greater proportions, so they combined forces to meet the threat.
*Martin R. De Haan II. Our Daily Bread. July-August 1998.
Comments
Devil means, literally, adversary, opponent. "Devil" represents all within us that is contrary to fullness of life, harmony, and peace.
Anger offers an opening for the arising of varied energies that become divisive and detracting both to oneself and relationships. Anger in itself is not bad. Prolonged anger is the key problem, for with the prolonging increases all the varied emotional tones and their consequent actions linked with anger: impatience, criticalness, slander, resentment, envy, ...
When angry, we need to be honest. Present the anger in prayer and request for grace to release it; take whatever other action is needed to address the problem. There are varied ways to work to transform anger prayerfully.
Yes, we all have an inward foe, and this includes the unresolved passions that pull us away from life, harmony, and grace. By being honest about our anger, we can prayerfully explore its source and nurture harmony within and without. This honesty is most difficult with the underlying, subtle anger that can reside just below the level of everyday awareness. This is the anger that often underlies the sudden outbursts of anger.
Likewise, within relationships we can focus together on the common foe. We can do this by admitting that we all have inward attachments and emotions that through prayer and other spiritual means we can share in healing regarding. Then, the Fruit of the Spirit comes more to characterize the relationships we are committed to.
Spiritual Exercise
1. What are your thoughts about the opening quote of Abba Nilus?
2. Prayerfully deal with any anger you may have toward anyone, any group, or yourself. Be thoroughly honest with yourself and gentle, likewise.
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*Brian K. Wilcox lives with his wife, Rocio, their two dogs, St. Francis and Bandit Ty, and their fish, Hope, in Southwest Florida. Brian is vowed at Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. His passion is living a contemplative life and inspiring others to experience a deeper, increasingly-fulfilling relationship with the Christ. He advocates for a spiritually-focused Christianity and the renewal of the focus on the Church toward prioritizing seeking to meet the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons and empathic relating with diverse spiritual traditions.
For replies and biographical information, and submission to "The Light Shines" daily devotionals ~ a ministry of Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL, see next page:
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