ANGER AND FORGIVENESS

One of the most esteemed and honored paintings in the world is The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. It is a marvel of grace and beauty, peace and calmness.

While da Vinci was in the process of painting it, one of his friends came to visit him. As they were talking, da Vinci became angry with him. As they continued arguing, he completely lost his temper and lashed out at his guest with bitter words.

After the man left his studio, he returned to his canvas to paint the face of Christ. Try as he would, he could not bring himself to continue his work on this part of the painting. His madness made him so miserable that he had to stop what he was doing.

Finally, after putting down his brushes, he searched out the man he had quarreled with to ask for his forgiveness. The man accepted his apology and da Vinci returned to his easel and completed painting the face of our Lord.

Anger is one of our most destructive emotions. It not only reveals a weakness in us but a true lack of our faith in God to solve our problems. When we act in anger, it is because we want to control others, usually to the point of harming them in one way or another. God made all of us different, and when we disagree with another person, it’s not who is right or wrong, but God wanting us to look at what is going on and see if there is something we can learn from one another.

Prayer:  Lord, we need to be patient with others whom You love as much as You do each of us. When we disagree, give us the patience to be kind and think carefully. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Scripture For Today:    Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper – it only leads to harm. Psalm 37:8