Why Are You Angry?

In the tragic story of Cain and his brother Abel, Cain ends up letting his anger run free and he kills his own sibling. Before the destruction, God speaks to Cain and asks a simple question that would have changed everything had Cain actually answered it:

“Why are you angry?” - Genesis 4:6

Often we read over questions like that and assume they are meant to accuse or blame or illicit guilt - because that’s how they are so often used today. But take a moment and reflect on the question as coming out of curiosity and as an invitation to connect with yourself, others, and God.

What if that’s a real question? What if God really wanted Cain, and by extension, us, to get curious about our anger. Anger is an emotion, and “just like any emotion it can give you important information, but it doesn’t always have the the full story. It needs to be brought into relationship with self reflection, prayer, and critical thought… “ (Allison Cook). Sometimes our anger is healthy, for example, when a boundary has been broken; often times it’s unhealthy and is merely a cover up for scarier emotions like powerlessness or sadness.

So as God asks you today, “Why are you angry?” take it as an opportunity to open the hood, so to speak, and see what’s really going on inside of you. Perhaps there’s a way to reconnect with your own heart in this moment and to initiate towards others and/or God in the process.