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Reading recently through some of the news, I came across a few articles that highlighted the increase in anger and violence during this Covid 19 crisis. Due to the fact that through this pandemic our very lives have been turned upside down, people are becoming increasingly angry, bitter and quicker to lash out at others. Of course there are other factors involved in this as well, including the deep racial tensions that are gripping both the US and Canada. But it is this present health crisis that caught my attention specifically. In an article entitled “Why Coronavirus is Making Us Angry and What to do About It”, author Sarah Sloane notes that, “Today, we are living in what experts call an “anger incubator,” a space where infuriating factors meet, meld, and spiral”. 

How do we deal with this frightening situation? We start with identifying the problem from a biblical perspective. Space does not allow me to adequately flesh this out but what we have here is the natural, albeit extreme at times, expression of sinful hearts. The writer of Proverbs touches a nerve when he lints out that, “An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins” (Proverbs 29:22). We are experiencing much of this biblical truth and I am not certain we have seen the worst or the last of it. That being said, what is at the heart of this behaviour, this anger? Can we simply blame politicians and society in general? Is there maybe something else at the heart of it? 

Ultimately what we have here is an escalation of rebellious humanity’s hatred towards God. In Psalm 2:1-6 we see the biblical truth behind this; Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, “Let us break their chains and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain. ” What people refuse to acknowledge is that there is a God and they are subject to him, whether they like to or not. Because of their refusal to bow the knee before him and serve him only they “conspire” against him - not directly but indirectly through violence and anger. The way out of this mess, without being overly simplistic, is a return to our Creator God and obey him. At many points the scriptures remind us of this. In fact this is how the writer finishes Psalm 2; Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 2:10-12) Let us be praying that godly wisdom will prevail, peace will come and the Lord glorified.