Is there a place for anger and frustration as the Church of Christ? Is there a place for fear and doubt as a people who know God? As Pharaoh and his army were closing in on the Church of God in Exodus 14, they cried out in fear, voiced their doubts and railed in regret for having followed Moses, out of Egypt. As human beings, we can fully empathise. Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, we too have found ourselves thinking and saying and articulating our fears and regret, out of great anger and frustration. And yet, the Psalmist does not empathise. Inspired by the Spirit, Psalm 106:6-7 looked back in this moment of the history of the Church, and called it sin and rebellion. Is there no room for emotional outbursts for us as the Church? 

The key issue is this -are we reacting to our situation or responding to God within the situation? Emotions and feelings have never been a problem. Song of Songs is unashamedly passionate for love. The Psalms are filled with emotions -delight and joy; pain and suffering; doubts and fears. From Eleazar who executed sinning Israelites with the zeal of the Lord; to David’s publicly dancing without shame, emotions are a real part of what it means to be human. 

The issue has never been emotions but whether these feelings and emotions are powered by our reactions; or by a responsiveness toward God. Jesus is a key example. From the struggle of his temptations, to his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane; from his tears at the grave of Lazarus, to his anger against the commerce in the Temple, Jesus had no resemblance whatsoever to a zen Buddhist sensei, or a sagacious philosopher. He lived his life without “holding back” his emotions. But how did he do it? The NT says -he lived life IN the flesh, but according to the Spirit (1Tim 3:16, 1 Peter 4:1-2). 

Since the example of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit -human beings have this new possibility -to live our life in the flesh, not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit (Galatians 2:20, 5:16-17, Romans 8:9).Or to put it succinctly, are we reacting to our situations or responding to the Spirit within our situations. 

To walk by the Spirit, we must cultivate quietness of heart and mind. Be still and know that He is God. In this way, we will truly be able to live passionately and with emotional integrity -to ourselves, with God and with one another.

Stay Strong. Stay United.