Jesus and Yoda on Anger; Kick Your Ass, They Would

They should write a book called "The Wisdom of Yoda." He was a pretty smart, 900-year-old, alien, Jedi warrior puppet, if you ask me. When it came to anger, he knew when to lose it and when to use it. Wanting to rid the universe of evil and make life safe for all species, justified, it is.

I am a Star Wars fan and have seen all six films at least twice. There are always nuances I find. Aniken Skywalker was anger shamed and turned into self-interest and obsession. The Jedi and rebels used anger as a sword against injustice. As I have said before, anger is nothing more than an emotion. How we use it and direct it is what makes the difference between toxicity and energy.

I have to wonder at those who fall prostrate at the feet of the celebrity, pop psychologists and never question their broad sweeping statements. Just as they have managed to make a perfectly good word like "victim" a bad thing, now anger is in their gun sights. So, how do they explain the righteous indignation of Jesus Christ as he laid about himself with a whip to drive the money-lenders out of the temple? "Whoops! Looks like the Son of Man lost His grip there?" Golly, what WAS He thinking?  Could it be that he was trying to right a wrong?

Musing Mother has an excellent blog. today, about this issue where she cites a very pertinent paragraph in Bradshaw's "Healing The Shame That Binds You."  I loved this part of the quote because it echoes what I have found to be true in my life.

 "Anger like sexuality is a preserving emotional energy. Anger is the self-preserving feeling. Our anger is an energy by which we protect ourselves. Our anger is our strength."

I can remember when I was afraid of my own anger. Just as I feared my sexuality as being "not nice," I also labored under the misconception that a real lady never became angry. It wasn't until I entered treatment for my eating disorder that I discovered that I had been sitting on a volcano of anger for most of my life. Stifling it was what was toxic and what had led me to abuse my body with binging and purging. Moreover, the things I was angry about were justified. What a concept!

I no longer apologize for my righteous indignation and that is what it is...righteous. And I reserve a special portion of that indignation for Internet Bullies parading about as some kind of absolute expert on adoption loss, mothers' and adoptees' right and whether or not there was an EMS. I also get a bit miffed at the anti-mom contingent who take upon themselves the mantle of head, high hand-slapper. They need to watch it because increased self-esteem and good counseling have given me the strength to slap back.

So, to speak in the learned manner of my little, green, light-saber-wielding hero, "Mad as Hell, I am, and take it anymore, I won't!"

And, as Jesus observed, "I can't believe these people are selling their crap in church!"