Have you ever noticed that we, as humans, are compelled to be outraged? Given the choice between good news and bad news, we will choose bad news nine times out of ten. Why is this? Do we not want to be happy?
It’s not so much about being happy, but being outraged by other people makes us feel better about ourselves. It’s like scratching an itch. But some itches get itchier the more we scratch them.
We instinctively know some things about God: he exists, and he must be just. Without an objective standard of goodness, there’s no justification for outrage. And we want to be on the right side of the line. We also know something about ourselves: we are unjust. Outrage is one way of dealing with this.
To be clear, there are times when a person, especially a Christian, is called upon to judge. It typically has something to do with our vocation (or “station in life”). Parents must judge the behavior of their children, but not necessarily the children of others. When serving on a jury, it is our vocation to judge a defendant according to the evidence provided, but it is not the vocation of every private citizen. In a congregation, it may be necessary for a pastor, deacons, or elders to judge the conduct of a member in order to call them to repentance, but it is not the vocation of every member to do so, unless a person persistently refuses to repent.
Sometimes we witness or hear about something, and our consciences quickly identify it as unjust. Our consciences are not always correct. But when our consciences are rightly informed by the Word of God, we may identify something as right or wrong. But whether or not we should act on it or voice our judgment to another person depends on our station in life.
All of that is to acknowledge that there are places where Christians can or should judge, but it is limited. So how should we react when it is not our vocation to judge or intervene? In all circumstances we should pray. We should pray that God would restrain evil. We should pray that he would correct errors. Above all, we should pray that the Holy Spirit would bring people to repentance and faith in Christ.
Outrage is something else. Outrage does not pray for repentance. It does not pray for reconciliation. It does not forgive. Outrage wants vengeance.
In its essence, outrage is a form of self-justification. If I can be justifiably outraged by the unrighteousness of someone else, then I must be among the righteous. Somewhere in our hearts, we all feel the truth that we are unrighteous and subject to the wrath of God. We don’t want this to be true, so we search for ways to disprove it. If we can identify something else as truly outrageous, we feel that by condemning another person, we will draw a line between us and them that delineates good from bad. If we can justifiably place another person on the other side, then we must be on the good side of the line and, therefore, right with God. We do not feel outrage because we are good and someone else is bad. We feel outrage because we are bad, and we want to prove that we are not.
So what should we do? My intent is not to make you outraged by those who are outraged or those who are trying to make you outraged. That would be hypocritical. The point is not to identify the outrage in others, but to identify it in ourselves, so that we can confess it for what it is—self-righteousness—and receive the forgiveness of Christ.
When we hear of evil in the world, the first, second, and third response of Christians is to pray. We have the true God, who knows all the evil in the world far better than we do. And he is capable of acting far better than we are. Pray for peace and justice. And we do not need to define for God what these things are. Pray for repentance. And repent. When you see evil in the world, remember that the same kind of evil lives in your heart. Confess it, and trust in the forgiveness of Christ.
The peace of Christ be with you all,
Pastor Dan Antal