HOW TO HOLD OUR ANGER WITH WISDOM

IN UNITY, WE HONOR JESUS AS THE WAY SHOWER. In The Revealing Word: A Dictionary of Metaphysical Terms, Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore expressed that Jesus “came to awaken us to the possibilities of his own nature.” He noted that Jesus “had an insight into those things that are ever mysteries to those immersed in the sense consciousness,” including “judgments based on outer appearances” that “produce discordant thoughts, jealousies, and a host of limiting beliefs.” Fillmore further stated that Jesus was the “representative of a thoroughly organized plan to help humanity into a higher realization of God and its relationship to Him.”So what about that time in the temple when Jesus lost his cool? Was that part of the “thoroughly organized plan” or “a higher realization of God”?

- OGUN HOLDER

It was Passover, and tens of thousands of Jews had traveled to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the temple. Those who didn’t bring their own livestock could buy from merchants. There were also money changers who exchanged Greek and Roman money for local Jewish currency at unfavorable rates to the customers. None of this sat well with Jesus, who decided to evict the merchants and money changers from the temple by flipping over their tables and accusing them of turning a house of prayer into a “den of thieves.” In the Gospel of John, he made a “whip of cords” to help move them along. Rage-crafting anyone?

To ignore Spirit’s call to action won’t end well— we’ll be out of alignment with ourselves, possibly stoking more anger, and we will be stuck in a self-defeating loop.

To recap: the “Prince of Peace” violently disrupted predatory commerce.

In Unity we interpret the Bible metaphysically, not literally. According to Herbert Hunt’s A Study of the New Testament, Fillmore interprets this story as “a symbol of cleansing our consciousness. Just as Jesus swept the traders and money changers from the temple courts, so must we sweep from our consciousness all thoughts and conditions that are not in harmony with the divine plan.” Fillmore didn’t speak about anger’s role in the sweeping, but since Jesus—the one we’re invited to emulate—was fueled by anger it must play some part.