Angry Words

With the union argument going on in Madison, Wisconsin, there has been quite a bit of angry language and threats mostly coming from the pro-union side of the table. After the shooting in Arizona, there was much talk by those same folks about civility in the public arena. Why are they not listening to the words coming out of their own mouths? 


This morning I was reading in James 1 and came to these verses:
Know this my beloved brethren, let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, show no anger, for the anger of man does not work the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20) And just a few verses later: If any one thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this man's religion is vain. (James 1:26) I think it is pretty clear that a Christian listens first and then speaks but always with a controlled tongue.


Times may come soon when anger will pour out of people who have been living on the government when the government finally acknowledges that it is out of money, out of credit and in huge debt. And many organizers will encourage the people to be angry, to get angry and to take their anger out on others who seem to be better off. There is nothing like entitlement to make people feel that they have a "right" to be taken care of in the way they would like. Poverty in this country is for the most part hardly the poverty of other countries. People can do more for themselves than they have been in the habit of doing. There are many resources here and in the past there were good folks here who looked out for one another. Those who have lived without worry will now have to worry. They will have to work more to take care of themselves and their families but that is a good thing, not a bad thing. Together, sharing of our own free will, we will make it.


The first reaction to change is anger. But American's must get over that anger quickly. It isn't going to help and it will most certainly hurt if it goes unchecked. We are going to find out if the America that was brought into existence by the founders is still the America of today. I do hope so.