Anger: A Theory (Part 2)

(Disclaimer: This is the second part in an overall post. Please read Part 1 to have a better understanding of this post)

Remember my analysis of the Jedi and the Sith in my last post? Let's unpack that further...
Half way in the film, Anakin (while he's still more or less a good guy) confronts the Chancellor with regard to the Dark Side. From this an interesting dialogue happens between the two. It is here that the fundamental tenets of the Sith are revealed:
Chancellor: What are you going to do, kill me?
Anakin: I would very much like to!
Chancellor: I know. I can feel your anger. It gives you focus. Makes you strong!
Anakin instead elects to turn the Chancellor over to the Jedi Council, rather than slash the Chancellor down.
Listening to the tone in Anakin's voice reveals that he is in some sort of "two-worlds" scenario. He is angry, as the Chancellor confirms, yet Anakin wishes not to cut down the Chancellor in cold blood (contrast that with Count Dooku).

Here's what I discovered with anger - or any negative emotion you experience at any one time. When you are angry, your body undergoes a sort of change; a transformation. See if you can relate to any of the following changes:
- Your senses are heightened; you attain focus
- Adrenalin kicks in; you become faster
- You have an unexplainable amount of energy, and somehow you need to apply it somewhere; you become resilient
- Your heart rate has increased dramatically (probably as a result of the adrenalin)
- You feel your entire muscular structure expand; you feel stronger
Now, all these sound like good things. I sure wouldn't mind being faster or stronger, and have all the energy in the world. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Well...not really. Bear in mind that what I have listed are products of anger, and if you really want to have all these 'enhancements', then you have to get yourself incredibly crabby!
But also spare a thought as to what else you get when you become angry. The first is the most obvious: you're angry! But there's more:
- You see the world through the eyes of nothing but hate
- Your mind makes you believe in everything as being bad/wrong
- Your mind also wants you to justify your anger e.g. revenge
- With your expanded muscles, you really want to deck something, or someone
- With no positive (or any) outlet for all this energy, it is stored up, which only builds your anger up within you
- Anger also leads to stress, pain, suffering, and even to heart problems (even death!)

While the first list sounded pretty alright, it is certainly not worth the cost or sacrifice. Noone wants to spend time with a person of hatred or anger, and as a result...you'll become a loner.
Going back to Star Wars again, it is here that the fundamental difference between Jedi and Sith is laid bare. The Jedi are taught to attain those positive things through the measure of self-control! Sith, on the other hand, don't have time to learn the hard lessons of control, and thus choose the "quick and easy path" through anger, because anger instantly grants them those abilities. Whereas Jedi have to train for years on end, to the Sith, maybe a week. Maybe less.

If you are a Christian reading this, did you notice a few changes when you came to know Jesus? Did you find that - over the course of time - you became less and less angry with everything? Did you find yourself learning and exercising self-control? As followers of the coolest ever God to have walked this earth, we are called to become agents of His message, but also His love. This is going to mean sacrifice. Yes, this is going to mean that anger is going to have to be confronted in your life (if it hasn't already been resolved). I write this post as a man who has dealt with an anger problem. I once chose the "quick and easy path" of embracing anger, because it indeed made me feel stronger. But over time, I came to know that Jesus had a different agenda in mind for me. And anger wasn't going to be part of His plan.
I'll end this post with this: Do you want to embrace anger and become strong? Or do you want to embrace Christ and become invincible?