By Andy Hale 

These are unsettling times. Such times demands that one has to figure out where one hits on the emotional register: afraid, disgusted, angry, apathetic, embarrassed, sad, indifferent…

If I’m honest, which you know I always will be, I’m angry. And, if I have to explain to you why it’s just not worth the time.

Nevertheless, I’m angry towards the government on so many levels, people not taking this virus seriously, the white community for yet again trying to make themselves the victim in the conversation about racism, and the polarization of politics. But above all, I’m angry with myself for feeling this way, knowing that I should hold up a mirror to see my inhibitions.

Where do I turn to about my anger? Can I turn to the Church? Has the Church even taught us about the wide-ranging human emotions? Hasn’t the Church taught me that I shouldn’t express such imperfect feelings towards a perfect God?

“An honest heart is honest to God about one’s feelings. A hardened heart wants only to exact an eye for an eye. An honest heart entrusts one’s enemies to God. A hardened heart demonizes one’s enemies,” said David O. Taylor on the CBF Podcast.

David has a new book, Open and Unafraid: The Psalms As A Guide to Life, which invites readers to a theologically poetic companion in the Psalms as an expression of the God of justice, grace, goodness, healing, power, and refuge.

We sat down with the associate professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the Director of Brehm Texas, to discuss why the Psalms might be the book we need right now to understand better what we are feeling.

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This podcast episode is brought to you by Fuller Seminary, The Center for Congregational Health, and Baptist Seminary of Kentucky.

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Andy Hale created and hosts the podcast of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Hale is the senior pastor of University Baptist Church of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, following eight years as the founding pastor of Mosaic Church of Clayton and five years as CBF’s church start specialist. Follow on Twitter @haleandy