Jan Silvious
February 3, 1999
10:30 am
Message Summary
Jan Silvious spoke about the effects of anger on one's "passion for souls." In her introduction, she acknowledged that righteous anger can be a positive catalyst towards action and that we are today surrounded by anger in modern society. However, that anger in the Christian's life can greatly affect his or her relationships and therefore his passion for ministering to those around him or her.
Silvious drew from Ephesians 4 to support her words, especially the statement in verse 26, "Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." This statement was illustrated with personal anecdotes of her past: the hurt and anger of a cooking mishap and a toothbrush mixup. The humor and candor of these examples served well to engage the audience in her message.
Another aspect of anger that Silvious addressed is the effect of others' anger on one's attitude and passion. To combat this problem, Silvious used the metaphor of a castle to represent the actions necessary to defend against the assault of another's anger. This castle alludes to the protection of Christ. When we are confronted with a person who is consumed with their anger, we are encouraged to run to Christ and allow Him to draw up His drawbridge of peace, so that person's anger does not consume us.
In conclusion, Silvious spoke to us with the words of the missionary and writer Amy Carmichael. Her words speak of holding onto the "passion for souls" by guarding against depression, bearing evenly with all that is uneven, and never being shocked out of loving.
Student Response
Jan Silvious's message was encouraging for me because I do sometimes find myself filled up with anger, whether it is my personal anger or the overflow I have allowed myself to catch from others. It is easy to forget how easily emotions like these can consume and affect our lives. It was good that someone reminded us that we are emotional creatures and we have an emotional Creator and Savior that will help us with those emotions.
—Nancy Spooner, Sophomore, Communications