Anger Love?

ANGER LOVE?

First Corinthians 13 is hailed as the greatest chapter on love. Paul, the writer, if he had been married and had children and one of them had strayed, what would the chapter on love look like? I am convinced that he would have added anger. He knew about anger (Ephesians 4:26), but not the kind a father has for a child he loves. This kind of love gets very angry if it is disobeyed or violated.

My father was angry with me more times than I can remember; however, his forgiveness was far greater. While in my teens, I ran away three times because I did not understand my father’s love. From mother I would learn how angry father was at himself that he had not been able to display that love to me without anger. I too have been angry with my children and grandchildren because I love them and will do my utmost to protect them. I am not talking about provoking my children (Colossians 3:21), but myself for not being a better father. It is because of me that they are in this world and woe unto me if I stop being angry with them if they stray.

Our culture is suffering from the “lack of anger” in our love for our offspring. We have overwhelming statistics of fathers that have no notion of what love without anger means. Fathering a child is not worth mentioning, if that father does not stand by his child for as long as he or that child lives. Dumping children on their mothers, strangers, and agencies does not speak well of a father’s love. The occasional gift or present of a father to a deserted child is no more than washing his hands of his responsibility. Such a father or a parent must learn to be angry of the lack of love he has for his children.

Unfortunately, the lack of angering love is also hurting our country, our faith and our social relationships. Politics is much in need of being angry with those that destroy what we love, our freedom. When a handful of individuals impose their ways on a majority and the majority is not angered then that love for what is right has died. There ought to be a difference between speaking of love and dying for it (John 15:13).

Fathers beware before we congratulate ourselves. When have we angered love? We are angry when children die on us; however, are we angry when they do things that will cause their death?