We exist in a world of anger.  To be human is to feel anger and to often express it.  Yet I believe anger, as most people would concur, is the opposite of peace.  We claim that God, Divinity, is peace and to know God is to be at peace. 

I think of God as Spirit and the material world about us as temporal, the opposite of Spirit.  In ancient Buddhism, misery and anger is universal, as a summary of the first noble truth.  The reason of this misery and anger is our attachments to that which is mortal and ephemeral.  The attainment of peace then becomes the practice of awareness of our anger with the return to the practice of detachment.  Quite an assignment.

I find a simple, fast way to return to the natural, Spirit awareness of peace is to simply realize, or become aware, of our anger and frustration states, which are many, and then accept the realization, the fact, that is is not our Original, God Self state.  Our God Self, Our Christ Center, can be defined as a state of peace, love and joy.  As we indentify with mortality and seek many things and experiences to satisfy our fear of “death by boredom,” our misery tends to only increase.  What do we do?  Become aware and forgive ourselves.  Don’t try to fix things either, which Tony de Mello used to say is our western propensity.  Rather, just be aware of our “sin,” our missing the mark, and the return to peace will return more quickly.

A lesson in the Course says that “Salvation is my only function here,” which is a way of saying that living in peace and love is my only purpose here during my journey through time and space.  Salvation and forgiveness of my anger in forgetting, then become my way to stay somewhat centered in peace.  When an occasion occurs when I feel disappointment, anger and rage, I can learn to catch myself and say, “God’s will is Love, and so this is not God’s Will.”  And leave it at that.

Of course, during each day we return over and over again to this reminder, “Whoops, this is not God’s will” or “There I go again!”  We can learn to let it go and even see ourselves with some humor.  And the sense of disconnect from love will pass so much more quickly than mulling, beating up ourselves for our “sins.”

So today, attempt to be aware of your times of anger, frustration, and outbursts of curse and rage.  Then say, “Oh, I missed my Self again but that’s okay.  That’s not who I am.  That’s not God’s Will, since God’s Will is peace.”   Remember, we all “sin” and fall short of God’s Glory, but the way back is simple; forgiveness and re-entry into the House of Peace.

Blessings on our living today in peace.