WHAT’S   YOUR  TAKE 

ON  ANGER?

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this Tuesday of the Third Week of Easter is, “What’s Your Take On Anger.”

I got that  question and issue to think about from today’s first reading. [Cf. Acts 7: 51 to 8: 1a]

The crowd gets infuriated when Stephen tells them off.

He says, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit, you are just like your ancestors.”

Hearing this they throw him out of town and begin to stone him to death.

HOW MANY TIMES IN OUR LIFE HAVE WE SEEN THAT SCENE

How many times have we seen that same scene?

Saul - who becomes Paul - saw it and wow did he take a lot out of it, but it took him time.

My earliest  memory of anger was as a little boy walking along 4^th Avenue in Brooklyn. We were going  by a gas station and two mechanics are screaming at each other - and one guy throws a metal tire wrench - the solid one piece ones - in the shape of a plus sign or a cross - at the other guy and misses him.  I can still hear the clang of that sound on macadam or cement all these years - and my shoulders still jerk back and up when I remember that moment.

Little kids hear anger and screaming and it effects and affects them.

I never could get affect and effect correct - and cheat and say, “It’s often both.”

We have all seen couples, parents, kids, angry, screaming and yelling at each other.

What’s your take on anger?

What are your memories of anger?

What are the angry scenes - on stage - in the auditorium of your mind and memory?

TYPES OF ANGER

We don’t have to define anger or look the word up in the dictionary. We know what anger is.

But I think it’s smart to think of types of anger.

There’s good anger and there’s bad anger.

Everyone who comes to church has heard that Jesus got angry at the money changers in the temple - and threw a tantrum at the crowd.

So sometimes anger is good and justified. We should get angry at those who abuse children - or anyone.

Do you get angry at those who dump on the earth or empty out  their car garbage onto the parking lot or gas station floor - especially when there’s a big plastic can a few feet away.  A couple of times I’ve said, “Hey you just dropped this.”  It could  be a McDonald’s  wrapper of a Burger King big chocolate shake cup.   If they don’t go back and pick it up - that means I have to do that.”

I remember reading about a sociological study and experiment in New Orleans or Nashville or somewhere. During the night for a week - including a weekend -  they cleaned a street totally and then measured and weighed the amount of wrappers and garbage that night. Then then they planted garbage on the street and measured the amount that night. Lesson: clean streets, parks, rest rooms, stay cleaner, the cleaner they are.

I dislike - have a calm low degree of anger - when I’m at a ballgame and everyone just dumps all their garbage on the ground - under their seats - or when I see the dugout by the 7^th inning.

What bothers you? What bugs you? What annoys you? What angers you? What does your anger list look like?

So there’s good anger and bad anger and so so anger.

There’s also revelatory anger. That’s anger that tells the person who is angry their values. If you get angry at dumpers and slobs - that should tell you that you like neat. 

For example, some people get angry at talkers in church - before and after mass.  Other people think it’s great to see neighbors and friends greeting each other in church before and after Mass. 

For example, some people go crazy with mismanagement - stupidity - like at the post office - when three counter people are just standing there off to the side talking and laughing and the line is 15 deep - and finally someone of the 3 finish a story and go over to their spot on the counter and yell, “Next!” Good management, good service, flow in a parking lot, etc. etc. etc. are at stake here.  Then there was the heart specialist in California - who said to his heart patients.  When you go into a bank, always pick the longest line. When you’re 2^nd in line - get off - and go to the back of the longest line. While standing there try to recall the names of everyone in your high school graduating class. I’ve tried that. I’ve tried that. It works.  But I don’t have an E-ZPass and I always pick the longest toll booth.

CONCLUSION

Some people get angry at long sermons - they gotta get to work - or they know that someone could say the same thing in 10 words or less.

For example: “Hey turkey, don’t you realize, you’re   getting angry too much.: That’s 10 words.

For example, “In the end, Stephen forgives.” That’ 5 words.