Are You As Angry As I Am?

This past weekend I saw two things that made me pretty angry.

First, in a Supreme Court case, Chiles v. Salazar, a therapist has challenged Colorado's ban on providing minors with what is known as "conversion therapy." ​FIRE provides a helpful overview of the case.​ It's a high-stakes case that could shape how every state regulates psychological care.

Must Chiles abandon her most sacred beliefs to be a counselor in Colorado? Alternatively, should Colorado ensure that any licensed counselor will provide a safe and affirming environment for minors to develop in their sexuality?

Who should the state protect from harm?

I pick this example precisely because it is a polarizing one.

FIRE and others argue that if the ban stands, then states are empowered to regulate the content of therapy sessions. As a result, other states could ban gender-affirming therapy. Hypothetically, we could end up with a patchwork of state laws, where progressive therapy is illegal in some states, and conservative therapy is illegal in others.

Over and over again, we are told we must mobilize to prevent our cultural enemies from having power. But what follows?

Well, imagine this being done to you. You are sincerely motivated to help your clients, you have earned the credentials, passed the certification requirements, opened a business, and found people who want your help with their sexuality. You own a home, your kids are in school, this is your place.

But due to state regulation, your business is now illegal.

Wouldn't it feel like the people in power are, metaphorically, dropping poop on you?

And that brings me to the second thing that made me angry: the viral White House video that depicts President Trump as a King, flying a fighter jet over the #NoKings protests, and dropping poop on the protestors.

In short, it was degenerate, childish, foolish, and unbecoming of the Presidency.

But for many who felt that immense cultural, economic, and legal pressure was squashing them, silencing them, and keeping them from practicing their most sacred beliefs?

Well, from this perspective, I think it seemed ridiculous to see people get upset over an AI video.

Again, I intentionally picked a polarizing example.

If you're feeling emotional about this (and I'm probably offending everyone who is reading this in one way or another!), then take a moment to reflect:

People exist who believe and do things that you cannot stand. They are intolerable.

Over and over again, they keep offending you and everyone you know.

And it is getting worse.

So what will you do about it?

We can vote. We can make it illegal for them to operate businesses. We can honk when we read their bumper stickers.

Worst case? Some have gone to extreme measures: assassination.

But consider how the Apostle Paul teaches the church in Rome to handle these matters:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Give careful thought to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, 'Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,' says the Lord. But

If your enemy is hungry, feed him.

If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.

For in so doing

you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.

Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good (Romans 12:17-21).

Does this seem like a realistic way to live? Do not repay anyone evil for evil? Carefully think through how to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes? Live at peace with everyone? When my enemy is hungry and thirsty, make sure he has something to eat and drink?

The only thing I'm sure of is that I can't do this.

But why?

Because I want to make sure that justice is served. I want to see our culture, and our politicians, do what is right. And I know those yearnings are also from God.

Whenever we read the news and get outraged, we're tempted to ask people: are you as angry as I am?

What I think we're trying to say is, do you care about human decency? Does truth and justice matter to you?

Increasingly, I'm not sure that we do. Is it possible that what we care about is our side winning, and the other side losing?

But what if we believed that God will establish justice?

What if we had one friend who would help us love our enemies—and pull us back from the fight?

We aren't going to break through these struggles on our own. We need God's help to find someone we can rightly trust to help us love our enemies. I invite you to share this post with a friend and find a time to meet up to discuss it together.

Here are some questions to get you and your friend started:

ASK: 1. When was the last time the news made you angry? Journal about why you felt so upset. When you meet up, share what you realized with your friend.

2. When was the last time you felt 'your side' was losing power. How did that feel?

DISCUSS:

1. Read Romans 12:17-21 with a friend. Where do you feel hope, and what commands make you feel hopeless?

2. How do we maximally obey both the requirement to act justly, love faithfulness, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8) and the command to leave room for God's wrath?

3. Have you ever experienced an enemy treating you with surprising kindness? What did that feel like?

DO: 1. Tell your friend about one kind of person that you cannot stand. Think about someone who consistently makes you angry. Ask them to help you think of one act of kindness you could show someone from this group.

2. Write down a prayer that makes Romans 12:17-21 personal. Replace generic descriptions with the specific details of who, when, where, and how.

3. Set up a time to meet again, in a week or two, to discuss this post again, share your struggles, and talk about ways God helped you to love your enemy.

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Credit: Photo from Klara Kulikova on Unsplash