Anger In Mere Christianity By C. S. Lewis

To blow up, lose it, boil over. Anger is a sin that so affects our lives that often we can’t bear to name it. In his chapter on anger, Guinness points out both the areas it may be lurking in our lives and what our response to this vice should be. Guinness does this by showing us how the little things reveal our true character and our need to follow the second greatest commandment wholeheartedly.

When we are not what the world considers an “angry person” we often fall prey to the notion that our struggle with this vice is either non-existent or minuscule. However, the slight agitations in our lives allow the vice of anger to steadily grow unnoticed. The ancient historian Plutarch writes, “[S]ometimes a matter of less moment, an expression or

In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis writes, “Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive…” (Guinness, pg. 2-56). This truth reveals that while we love others to show love towards us, we are not always willing to reciprocate. Lewis further explores the idea of loving you neighbor as yourself saying, “Now that I come to think of it, I have not exactly got a feeling of fondness or affection for myself, and I do not even always enjoy my own society. So apparently ‘Love your neighbor’ does not mean ‘feel fond of him’ or ‘find him attractive’” (Guinness, pg. 2-56). Lewis touches on the trap we most often fall into, the trap that causes us to believe that we need to manufacture feelings toward a person who we could not feel such things for. Even though I know this truth I often find myself wondering, much like Lewis, how I can separate my view of the sin from my view of the sinner. I think this problem is greatly compounded within modern society that is founded on relative truths. The most prominent example that comes to mind involves the LBGT community. If I speak out, based on my belief in the Bible, against the actions of this group I am labeled a ‘homophobe.’ However, I am nothing of the sort. I am not irrationally afraid of individuals who identify as homosexual, on the contrary, I have