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Hate, anger, rage … is it ever okay to harbor these sentiments? Yes, against injustice at least.
Anger is ordinarily not a good thing, but righteous anger is important; it is required for action. Feeling angry in the face of injustice is necessary. Even Jesus got angry over how the temple of God was being abused.
Injustice makes my blood boil. It enrages me. It makes me want to scream, to do something. It’s harder still when you experience, witness, or hear about acts of injustice and feel powerless.
- Racism
- Gender inequality
- Violence against women
- Child abuse
- Religious persecution
- Poverty
- Health disparities
- Environmental abuse
- Animal cruelty…
We are reminded in Proverbs 21:13 that “whoever shuts their ears to the cry of the poor will also cry out and not be answered.” How scary is that? Doing nothing has its consequences.
So today, I want to start giving a voice to those who don’t have a voice. A friend recently told me that writing letters against injustice is very powerful and cathartic. It articulates a problem and calls for action. Is this effective you ask? Amnesty International certainly thinks so: they take up human rights issues through letter writing.
The promise we have is that when justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous, but terror to evildoers (Proverbs 21:15). We don’t have to feel discouraged or powerless in the face of injustice. Our actions count for something. They facilitate change.
How do you fight injustice?
Uwana 
Reminds me of Ps 69:9 “Zeal (which translates as ‘provoked to anger’) for your house consumes me, and the curses of those who curse you fall on me.”
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Powerful words right there. What do they mean to you?
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If we are created in the image of God, then anger against injustice is a God-like quality, and the closer we come to being like God, the more we will demonstrate it, not in our own power necessarily, for, as it says elsewhere, vengeance does not belong to us, but in working to right wrongs and bring the kingdom until it comes with Christ to be established fully and forever.
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I agree I agree I agree. There are some things that should not be tolerated. Not to bring up India once again, but the Delhi and other rapes all over the news infuriate me. I was talking with another blogger friend of mine just today. He was talking about finding the beauty in everything—even in bad. I completely agree, but I think it’s okay to cry with God, too, and to hate the things He hates. This is why Proverbs calls us to Wisdom and tells us to despise Foolishness. God loves wisdom… And yes, God does love fools, but you can love a person but not love their actions.
Great thoughts!
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Hey Jessica. This post was definitely inspired my the continued gang rapes in India. And as you so rightly stated, it’s not about hating or excommunicating people. It’s about changing systems that allow injustice to persist where it shouldn’t. Ultimately we’re are to reflect God’s love and compassion. Understanding his ways and adopting his values is what brings about change in our lives. As always, thanks for your great insight!
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I agree with your call to action! You go girl. let em have it! lol but I have a hard time agreeing with the “righteous” anger part….mostly because I am SO FAR from righteous myself, I cannot even contemplate it. I used to say that all the time, “I am righteously pissed off” about this or that…but then I realized one day, I have no right to say that. I am no better than they are, because is my gossip any less sinful than murder or torture? Is my disdain for my Mother’s antiquated ways any less honoring than praise??? Is my anger at my children any less sinful than abortion?? I think sometimes we get caught up in the injustice covering our world, yet we are still supposed to love first…and standing up to making change is great…really, tho, Jesus pointed out “one sin is no less sinful than another” or something like that..I can’t remember which verse, so, yes, get angry, get motivated, but please don’t get self-righteous about it. None of us qualify for that!!! well, maybe you, but definetly not me! 🙂
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You raise some great points about righteous anger. And trust me, I in no way consider myself better than anyone…I live by grace on a daily basis! I was trying to highlight that we should hate injustice and what it represents and stands for. I was extremely impacted by the brutality of the Delhi gang rapes and countless other acts of injustice that continue to occur on a daily basis. I get angered by the systems that perpetuate these mindsets and behaviors. For me righteous anger is not about elevating myself, because like you correctly stated—sin is sin. It’s about standing up and speaking out against injustice within our sphere of influence. Righteous anger should reflect God’s love and his heart. It should be obedient to the law of the land. It’s not about condemning people, it’s about fighting the principles and systems that perpetuate societal inequality.
Great insight! You definitely made me think 🙂
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like I said, You go get em!!! with a kind and loving heart…. and if you need any help with emails….send me the address…i’ll pass em around, and we’ll hammer em with the internet!!! get viral on em!!! lol
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