Thought for Today
Psalm 6:1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath.
Hosea 7:16 They turn to that which does not profit; they have become like a defective bow; their officials shall fall by the sword because of the rage of their tongue. So much for their babbling in the land of Egypt.
James 1:19 You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.
“The term ‘rage bait’ has been recognized as the Oxford Word of the Year for 2025. It refers to online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage, often by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive, typically aimed at increasing traffic or engagement on a specific platform.” (www.bing.com)
I heard the announcement on the morning newscast about the “Word of the Year for 2025,” and 2 thoughts immediately came to mind. First, the Oxford folks need to look in the OED for the words ‘singular’ and ‘plural,’ and maybe read the definitions for ‘word’ and ‘phrase.’ I do expect more careful use of words and more specificity from Oxford.
More troubling for me, however, is the entire concept of ‘rage baiting.’ I do not doubt the existence of the phenomenon. I have seen enough examples of what can only be deliberately provocative speeches, social media postings and even overt public actions intended to “elicit anger or outrage.” Anger and rage-filled thoughts, words and actions have become ubiquitous in human society recently. The trend even seems to me to be increasing. Why?
Certainly there is a place for rage in our world. The poet Dylan Thomas captured that idea very well in the poem Do not go gentle into that good night. As I have grown older, I especially appreciate the opening stanza, “Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
The rage I see and hear so often, on television or in social media is not rage “against the dying of the light.” More often the vitriol and misogyny we encounter today is itself representative of “the dying of the light.”
In politics or in social discourse, deliberately trying to be provocative, deliberately trying to produce frustration and anger is not representative of the most admirable aspects of our society. It is the direct opposite. Particularly here in the U.S.A. our foundational documents reach to soaring heights of both language and ideal. Every citizen should regularly read and ponder our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. It would not do any of us harm to read The Federalist Papers or any of the other writings of our Founding Fathers.
As a Christian, I am even more concerned about rage baiting than as a mere citizen of a single country. The concept of rage baiting seems to me to be as anti-Christian as anything I can conceive. More than satanism, more than communism, more than any other religion, rage baiting tears at the very heart of Christianity. Christian belief and practice should stem from “Micah 6:8 . . . do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” and “Luke 10:27 . . . love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
I cannot find any hint of justice, kindness, humility or love in rage baiting. I do see, hear and read frequent examples of such baiting. While I find it a sad commentary on society that rage baiting is so prevalent it can be recognized as the Oxford Word of the Year for 2025, I am thankful for all the counter-examples I see, hear and read all about me in our world.
Is there a place for rage in Christianity? Obviously, in a world where children anywhere or any time go to bed hungry there is a place for rage, for raging against the dying of the light. In a world where hate, prejudice and injustice are commonplace, there is a place for rage, for raging against the dying of the light.
Christians should remember John’s words about Jesus, “1:4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Christians need to keep that light shining.
Stay safe, do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God, trust God,
Pastor Ray