I'm... I'm... I'm... angry!

25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26"In your anger do not sin"[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. -Ephesians 4:25-27

Now, I know this is a strange verse to be reading around Christmas time, but it's a good message and still very much needed. Perhaps especially now... when emotions are running high with unexpected blizzards and last minute shopping. Last night, we watched the cute movie "Enchanted," which my friend Ricardo in Brazil would call "agua com azucar"... sugar water. A sweet light little movie, but the enchanted princess transplanted in New York City is able to experience 'anger' for the first time. In fact, she has a hard time putting a name to her emotion... finally able to say, "I'm... I'm... I'm... just so... angry! I'm angry!" Giggling a little after the fact, relieved to be able to say it.

Sometimes it's hard for us as Christians to put a name to this emotion, but it isn't really founded. Ephesians reminds us that while we may be angry, the important thing is to remember "in your anger, do not sin."

In fact, the writer of the ODB suggests that, "Sometimes anger appropriately calls our attention to an injustice that needs to be addressed, and we are spurred to righteous action." However, this is not the case most of the time. Instead, our anger is often "selfishly ignited by the violation of our expectations, rights, and privileges." Instead, we need to know how to make our anger constructive, speaking truthfully to our neighbors for the building up of the body.

I have to say that I have a hard time with one part of this verse: do not let the sun go down on your anger. Sometimes I feel like I need time before I can really talk things out. Perhaps what is easier for me is to talk to my neighbor and reassure them of my love and forgiveness before the sun goes down, but then to really resolve things in the morning.