The Faces of Rage

What do you do when you don't get something you need, want, or hope for? Throw a temper tantrum? Withdraw and sulk? Buck and smile politely? Feel guilty that your Christian life is not "victorious"? Engage frantically in an activity that will make you forget? Snarl about what a hopeless messed-up world we live in? These seemingly diverse responses all have the same parent: rage. And rage has many faces. In some of us it's fire-breathing and explosive. In others it appears harmless, docile, or only mildly disruptive. In all of us, it keeps the potent emotions connected with our losses and disappointments at arm's length. And it helps us gain control over our lives so we'll never have to feel vulnerable to loss again. The Faces of Rage looks at why rage is "as ordinary as the common cold," even among Christians. It explores how rage blooms in the deep soil of unresolved loss, rendering its victims unavailable for the best relationships and unable to experience authentic feelings or rich personal growth. And it points the way toward healing by revealing God as the true protector of souls-stronger than our homemade walls of emotional and spiritual resistance and gentle enough to walk us through grief toward resolution and peace.