#Slow to anger

[momentsbeforemass]

Ready. Fire. Aim.

Ready. Fire. Aim.

When someone says something, the quicker I can respond, the better. Preferably from my frame of reference. Without regard to context. Much less the person saying it.

If you’re looking to alienate someone, to ensure that they want nothing to do with you? This timeless method will serve you well.

And you’re thinking, “No one does that. Not intentionally.”

Read the comments section of just about anything online. With the way that people almost seem to be setting out to offend and be offended – it makes me wonder about that.

But whether anyone means to do that or not, for a lot of us – Ready. Fire. Aim – is our default approach.

And when we do that, we close the door to seeing other people as anything more than things. Let alone seeing other people for who they really are, made in the likeness and image of God.

Which is the point of today’s first reading. Where St. James tells us to “be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger - for anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God.”

If you and I want to bridge the gap between ourselves and others, this is where it begins. “Be quick to hear, slow to speak.”

That is, don’t just listen to the words. Don’t just wait for them to set us up to spout off our favorite talking points. Listen to the person behind the words.

What does what they’re saying tell us about them? Not so we can give them a label or two, dump them into a predetermined group, and move on.

But so we can learn what matters to them. Their hopes, their dreams, their fears, their needs.

Not to find out what they are. But to find out who they are.

And if they say something that offends us? Something that sounds stupid? Or they just see things differently, then “be slow to anger.”

Ask yourself – what’s behind that? What could have happened to them that would make them see it that way?

And remember this, no matter who we’re talking with, no matter how little you or I might think of them, God looked at the world, said “I know what this place needs.” And then created them.

They are God’s beloved. And everything that you and I do to them and say to them?

Either it “accomplishes the righteousness of God” or makes a mockery of our Faith.

Today’s Readings

[cancersmercury]

no actually if you piss off a taurus sun or moon you’re in the wrong

[justana0kguy]

2023 OCTOBER 11 Wednesday

"You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish."

~ Jonah 4:2d

[thinkingonscripture]

Overlooking an Offense

Solomon wrote, “A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” (Prov 19:11). This verse highlights the importance of wisdom in mastering one’s emotions. It is okay to feel anger, as long as the emotion does not take control. Elsewhere, Solomon warns, “Do not be eager in your spirit to be angry, for anger resides in the heart of fools” (Eccl 7:9; cf. Jam…

[yeslordmyking]

Isaiah 30:18 — Today's Verse for Friday, February 21, 2025

[tom4jc]

October 2, 2024 Promise Of God

[slowtumbling]

Big Ears, Small Mouths - A Sermon on Deep Listening

(Note: Sermons can be heard in audio format at https://millersburgmennonite.org/worship/sermon-audio/) Scripture: James 1:19-27 Introduction: Walking down a busy street, two friends stopped when one said, “Listen to the crickets chirping.” The other friend asked, “What crickets? I can’t hear anything over this noise.” They asked some people walking by if they heard any crickets, and they said…

[dwuerch-blog]

It’s Time to Trust God More Than Ever

Trust doesn’t come easy for everyone – especially when we listen to skeptics and anti-faith dealers. I am not a frequent news watcher, but because my dear husband is a strong proponent in our election process, he stays tuned into politics and most important info hitting the airwaves. Often, I’ll lend my ear to what he is watching and, but I am not keen on the info that is less than reassuring.…

[motivateandinspiretoday]

‭James 1:19 NASB1995‬

[19] This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.1.19.NASB1995

[vanillayoteart]

Coyote HRT: Month 5.5

Coyote HRT: Week 23 I knew going into this that dogs could hear more.  I knew going into this that things would hurt.  I did not foresee myself dealing with muzzle pain and misophonia at the SAME TIME. Major thanks to AyvieArt and Lakehounds for the inspiration Start - Prev - Next

[kdmiller55]

Diminishing God’s Glory by Disregarding His Love

22 “Behold, God is exalted in his power;     who is a teacher like him? 23 Who has prescribed for him his way,     or who can say, ‘You have done wrong’? 24 “Remember to extol his work,     of which men have sung. 25 All mankind has looked on it;     man beholds it from afar. 26 Behold, God is great, and we know him not;     the number of his years is unsearchable. 27 For he draws up the drops…

[tayrae1371]

[justana0kguy]

2023 SEPTEMBER 24 Sunday

"Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable.

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness.

The LORD is good to all aand compassionate toward all His works.

The LORD is just in all His ways and holy in all His works.

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth."

~ Psalms 145:3,8-9,17-18

[aventurineswife]

Kinich coming across Reader scolding the newer couriers for losing the packages and letters because said couriers were goofing off during delivery, and this happened multiples times (with the items sometimes coming back damaged) before Reader finally snapped and started screaming like Citlali.

The sheer volume of Reader’s voice really shows how pissed they are that even Ajaw seems to have disappeared. 😅

Fury’s Unraveling

Summary: When the younger couriers repeatedly mess up their deliveries, you, the dedicated and no-nonsense delivery overseer, finally snap. Frustrated by their incompetence, you unleash a storm of fury on the culprits, startling the village with your intensity. In the midst of the chaos, Kinich observes the situation from a distance. As the couriers cower and the storm of your anger settles, Kinich offers a rare moment of advice, his pragmatic approach cutting through the tension.

Tags: Kinich x Reader, Emotional Outburst, Anger Management/Issues, Intense Situation, Practical Advice, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn.

Warnings: Strong Language (when Reader scolds the couriers), Intense emotions and yelling, Slightly chaotic confrontation.

Kinich had always been a creature of observation. The wilderness had taught him the value of watching from a distance, to assess, to understand, to plan. He had become skilled at navigating the world quietly, often unnoticed, his calculating eyes scanning his surroundings with the precision of a predator.

Today, however, he found himself drawn into the heart of the village—a place he'd often avoided. The usual bustle of daily life was interrupted by raised voices. Kinich narrowed his gaze, stepping into the shadows of a nearby structure, careful not to be seen. His ears picked up the harsh words before his eyes found their source.

“You’ve lost it again?!”

Your voice rang out like a storm, cutting through the hum of the village. Kinich’s sharp hearing didn’t miss a single word, and the intensity in your tone was unmistakable. His head tilted slightly as he watched you. Normally composed and calculating, today you sounded more like Citlali, the village elder renowned for her temper. The sight of you standing in front of a group of newer couriers—hands clenched into fists, eyes wide with fury—was enough to make even the toughened warriors of the tribe pause.

“I told you once! I told you twice!” Your voice echoed through the air, making the younger couriers shrink back. “You can’t be goofing off while you’re supposed to be working! You think this is a game? You lost packages! You lost letters! And I can’t even count how many times you’ve brought things back damaged!”

Kinich's sharp eyes scanned the group, catching the guilty expressions on the couriers’ faces. He wasn’t surprised—they were young and inexperienced, still learning the weight of responsibility. But the way they flinched under your wrath? That was something new.

He raised an eyebrow, noting that not even Ajaw, who was always nearby, seemed to be around. The relic (?) had a strange way of disappearing when the situation became too chaotic. Kinich had seen it happen before.

“You’ve ruined everything! This is serious!” Your voice escalated, becoming louder and more furious, a storm of anger crashing over the hapless couriers. “We’re supposed to deliver these things with care, with responsibility! Do you understand that?!”

Kinich couldn’t help but smirk to himself, his hands resting lightly on his jacket that's tied around his waist. His cold, calculating demeanor was the opposite of yours—he would never let his emotions slip to such an extent, even in the face of failure. But watching you tear into the couriers like this was strangely fascinating.

He remained hidden in the shadows, observing you with interest as your fury reached its peak. Your frustration was tangible, and for a moment, Kinich felt a rare, fleeting sense of amusement at seeing you like this. It was… unexpected, to say the least.

“Answer me!” you screamed, your voice almost deafening as you stood, fists trembling in anger. Kinich felt the heat of the moment in the air, the tension practically crackling around you.

For the first time since he had started watching, Kinich took a step forward, his presence finally breaking through the chaos. The couriers didn’t even notice him at first, still too caught up in their own unease. But you did. Your fierce eyes immediately locked onto him, your frustration morphing into a mix of confusion and exasperation.

“Kinich,” you said, your voice more composed now, though still filled with irritation. “What are you doing here?”

Kinich’s eyes narrowed slightly, taking in the scene. “I was watching,” he replied simply, his voice low and steady. “You were… quite loud.”

You let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing your temples as you turned away from the couriers. “Can’t you see I’m dealing with idiots? They keep screwing up the deliveries and—” You cut yourself off, not wanting to waste any more energy on the mess.

Kinich tilted his head, observing you with an unreadable expression. “You did warn them,” he said, his tone pragmatic as always. “But if they don’t listen, then what is left to do?”

You shot him a glare, though it lacked the venom it had moments before. “I don’t know… maybe I just wanted them to get it before it was too late. But they don’t seem to care about the consequences.”

Kinich’s eyes flicked to the young couriers, who were now awkwardly standing in silence. “They’ll learn eventually,” he said, stepping closer to you. “But maybe you need a different approach. They’re not as experienced as you.”

You let out a frustrated huff, crossing your arms over your chest. “Yeah, well, I’m sick of dealing with their mistakes.”

Kinich regarded you for a moment, his expression unreadable. “It’s not your fault they failed,” he said quietly, his voice carrying a calm, measured tone that was almost foreign to the situation. “But you might need to show them more than just your anger. Teach them what you know. They can learn from you if you guide them.”

You blinked, caught off guard by his words. It wasn’t like Kinich to offer anything resembling advice, let alone the kind of calm wisdom you desperately needed. For a brief moment, there was silence between the two of you, and even the couriers seemed to shrink back slightly under the weight of his words.

You nodded, reluctantly acknowledging the point. “Yeah, I guess… I just… I don’t know how much more I can take.”

Kinich stepped back, his eyes still focused on you, unreadable. “You’ll figure it out,” he said simply. “If you need help… ask.”

With that, he turned away, his footsteps silent against the dirt path. The couriers, for the first time, seemed to breathe a little easier. But your gaze lingered on his retreating form, a strange sense of relief mixed with frustration in your chest. Kinich, with his practical approach and cold demeanor, was never the one to show compassion in the way you might have expected. But for a brief moment, it had felt like… maybe he understood.

[doshi-sukiru]

What are Optimus's feelings on Megatron's mask? Does he loathe it because he wants to see Megatron's face as they fight? Does it make it easier to hurt Megatron because he can't see the face of the bot he loved and lost? Does he feel amused by it because it reminds him of how much of a Megatronus fanboy D-16 was? Does he find a way to twist it as yet another way the high-guard is 'hurting' D-16 or trying to turn him against him?

It was a gradual descent from joy to annoyance and then anger of its existence.

At first, he found it cute that he and Megatron both had masks. It's like finding your friend matching you by wearing the same glasses- simple, but it did excite him a bit. He does enjoy how it's shaped to look similar to Megatronus's mask, and teased him a lot the first few times about it.

It doesn't take him long to find it bothersome. He no longer got to see the lovely face he always wanted to see during their 'encounters', and trying to look at the bust in his private room wasn't working as well as he hoped.

And when he spies on them one day, he sees Megatron's mask isn't on, and he's with Soundwave at the moment, who also seemed to have his mask off. The moment he shows himself to try and separate the two, he watches as both of them have their masks go up. While he doesn't care too much about Soundwave, seeing Megatron's mask go up like instinct pissed him off.

They were lovers in the past, like I mentioned, so while Optimus did assume their separation would make Megatron harder to talk with, he didn't expect Megatron to actively use a mask to keep himself separated from Optimus (metaphorically speaking). For Megatron, he didn't realize he was doing it when Optimus was nearby, just let it cover his face when he felt danger.

And yes, he did twist it into thinking that the reason Megatron covered his face was because of the high guard. He immediately assumed it was to make Megatron become someone he wasn't, someone that was apart from D-16 (Think like how Silco tried to make Jinx 'kill' Powder in arcane, with that water body). He hates that, because he knows 'Megatron' could never be the designation D-16 would pick for himself, at least not seriously. Seeing how it was like instinct for Megatron to pull the mask, Optimus believed Megatron was forced to learn it, and thought Megatron must have been losing sleep because of it too.

In reality? Megatronus had been teaching him to summon the mask when he felt any presence of danger, and in Megatron's defense Optimus was usually with other Autobots, some that Megatron knew were trying to kill him than capture him despite the Prime's orders. So his frame just reacted to OP like it was a general Autobot after a while.

The only time Optimus finally saw Megatron's face, they got separated from both of their factions on the surface. Their time alone however lasted a few orns before a quintesson attack left Megatron badly injured. When the Autobots found them first, Optimus had him get taken with them for medical treatment, leading to Megatron's second capture.

Hope that helps explain it!

[dwuerch-blog]

The Listening Blessing

Honestly, I must intentionally focus on listening to those who are speaking to me because my mind tends to be a wanderer. This clarion call comes from the Apostle James: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: ‘Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” James 1:19 I’ll never forget the time(s) when listening intently really paid off for me. I was hurt…