Is being frustrated a sin?

Recently I bumped into a friend at the neighborhood library.

She was walking out as I turned the corner to go in, fresh from a walk around a beautiful park that is directly in back of the library.

In response to her asking: "How are you doing?" I answered: "I'm feeling frustrated."

To which she replied, "Oh, no, that's a sin!"

We went on to chat about a number of things, but her response to hearing that I was frustrated got me to thinking.

Is being frustrated really a sin?

According to Merriam-Webster, frustration is "a feeling of anger or annoyance caused by being unable to do something."

The same source says that being angry is "a strong feeling of being upset or annoyed."

After looking up these definitions, the relationship between frustration and anger became readily apparent.

That frustration could lead to anger should be no surprise. (And I need to make it clear I'm talking about frustration experienced when trying to accomplish something positive, for the common good.)

For instance, when I read or hear about social injustice I can get frustrated. Reading Jim Wallis' books, Values Redefined, God is on Our Side, and America's Original Sin made me frustrated, because Wallis clearly points out some snags in our social fabric in America.

At times, I found myself becoming frustrated at the seeming inability of our country to honestly confess our collective sin of racism and move on to healing.

I would submit that, in this example, frustration is an appropriate response.

To take another example, one of the candidates who is running for president has frequently made extremely negative statements about immigrants. This candidate has claimed that undocumented immigrants are "pouring across our borders..." on their way to committing "great amounts of crime."

In response, this candidate has promised to build a wall across the Mexican border to stop the tide of this illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, according to a Bloomberg View editorial,the facts are quite different. Bloomberg cites the Pew Research Center (and several other research organizations), noting "the number of undocumented immigrants in the US peaked in 2007 before dropping sharply - with more undocumented Mexicans, in particular, leaving the US than entering. Net illegal immigration is flat and has been for years."

This same presidential candidate wants to deport some 11 million undocumented immigrants. (Two thirds of them have been in the US for over a decade and four million live with their children who are US citizens.)

The Center for American Progress estimates this action would cost the US $900 billion in lost revenue over a decade, while reducing our gross domestic product by over $4 trillion. This doesn't include the actual cost of deportation.

The bottom line is that illegal immigrants aren't 'pouring across our borders' and we don't need to build a wall (that could conservatively cost billions of dollars) to stop a floodtide that isn't happening.

When I hear such blatant misinformation being recklessly used to stir up misguided dissent, it makes me frustrated. When I think of the human and fiscal cost of following this ill-conceived plan it makes me frustrated that more people don't see it for the racism that it is.

So, what's the proper response?

The Bible says it's ok to be angry. But it also advises us not to sin. (Psalm 4.4).

Paul, writing to the Ephesians says "Therefore, put away lying. `Let each one of you speak truth with your neighbor,' for we are members of one another." (Ephesians 4.25).

Paul is referencing Zechariah 8.16 here, making the point that we should speak the truth to each other because we're part of the same spiritual family.

There's a connection then between being frustrated and using that frustration to correct a wrong. That's what fuels social progress.

Martin Luther King, Jr., Sylvia Pankhurst, Gandi, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Mother Teresa and many others saw injustice and responded with frustration and were motivated to do something positive about it. Jesus also became frustrated at times even as he encouraged his followers to join him in learning to love each other.

The key seems to be found in 'not sinning' while engaging in the work of identifying and advocating for social change. Recognizing that frustration, when properly used, can lead to creative solutions that benefit all of us.

As always, I invite your comments below!

Photo Credit: www.viconsortium.com