Sermon On Wrath

Pope Benedict XVI once remarked: “The wrath of God is a way of saying that I have been living in a way that is contrary to the love that is God. Anyone who begins to live and grow away from God, who lives away from what is good, is turning his life toward wrath.” Romans 12:19 confirms: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Wrath is a powerful emotional state of mind and body. Some consider it poisonous not only to the body but also to the brain. It is usually instigated as a direct result of provocation, hurt, or even fear and has often been associated with the “Fight or flight” response. Psalm 37:8 reminds us “Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.”

Wrath is defined as strong vengeful anger and is considered as one of the seven deadly sins. Uncontrolled anger is not good for the body, or soul. It is against God's will to live in love and harmony with one another. The ability to suppress and control emotion through rational thinking is far more beneficial in the long term. If we can walk away from a volatile situation and, in effect, “Turn the other cheek,” stress and anxiety will be substantially reduced and our blood pressure will be lowered accordingly. Proverbs 15:1 states: "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

When we are consumed by wrath, it could be said that we have lost our way in life. We lose all positive direction. We may feel the need to vent our feelings on others as revenge, to hurt them as they have hurt us, but in reality, all we are doing is hurting ourselves even more. At the end of the day, it achieves nothing except anxiety, which, in turn, causes harm. It can lead to health problems such as insomnia, skin problems, like eczema, violent headaches, heart attacks, even death. If we can introduce coping mechanisms where we can calmly analyze the problem, and settle our differences amicably, then the resulting benefits will be untold. James 1:20 states: "For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Botany is a branch of biology and is the scientific study of plants. Research has frequently been instigated over the years which appertain to the many diversifications of flora known to be in existence. Plants are usually identified in specific areas. Some are global and others are regional, dependent on the general climatic conditions.

Anger can be considered a toxic emotion because it may bring destruction to people's lives. It needs to be suppressed and not allowed to run wild. The Manchineel tree is indigenous to the region of Northern South America and extends to the vicinity of the Florida Everglades. It also exists throughout the Caribbean and has earned the adverse reputation as the world's most dangerous tree. Some people might believe that as the tree is so toxic, the precarious dangers likely to be encountered in the consumption of its apple-like fruit, or the milky sap produced by the tree which contains a powerful irritant called phorbol that can blister the skin, could be indicative of the same characteristics as an extremely wrathful person intent on harm.

Wikipedia describes phorbol as a natural organic compound, considered highly venomous which is found in certain plants. Scientists have discovered that it is particularly virulent during rainfall when moisture secreted from the tree may cause injurious consequences. Any physical contact with the plant or the consumption of its fruit can lead to severe problems which can include burning of the skin, internal bleeding, or even death. It has earned the undesirable nickname: “Tree of death.” However, out of bad can come good. When used advisedly in specific circumstances, elements of the tree will actually produce an effective remedy for Oedema.

The world is made up of living and non-living things. Living things are those which are considered as "Alive" and include such attributes as growth, the potential to convert food into energy and the ability to reproduce. Many botanists believe that plants, as living organisms, can be described as sentient life forms that exhibit "tropism" and "nastic" responses to “stimuli.” The Venus flytrap is a typical example. Although it is recognized that plants are unable to incur emotions, as they have no intelligence, we should note that they do behave in remarkable ways in certain situations which can give rise to possible doubts concerning the overall reasoning behind this philosophy.

They can sense water and indeed daylight, they can defend themselves with what God has provided, either by thorns or thistles incorporated on them, poisonous berries, virulent fruit, etc. or ultimately, achieve the resounding deathly qualities of the Manchineel tree. It is thought that they may also have a sense of self-survival. The debatable question that could arise from this information is: "With trees as pernicious as the Manchineel, as idyllic and attractive as it may appear, does the possibility of wrath with such tenaciousness exist within it? Or, is it merely a plant waiting dispassionately to strike at its next unsuspecting victim?”