Jesus was about letting go of hate

This is one of the most intense honest movies I've ever seen. It is pretty violent and violating, but it gets at a lot of the problem we have -- we hate. We hate that somebody has more than we do and often unfairly. I'm not just talking about money, but often stuff like insurance or relationships. We hate how we were treated in school, how we were treated at home, how we are treated at work. Disrespect from people, let alone from your spouse and your kids and your parents.

Whenever (every time? Is this true?) we struggle, we get angry. Whenever our progress is blocked even when it is our fault or our weakness or our inability, we get angry. It may not always feel like anger. Often it feels like tenseness, irritability. Sometimes it feels like weariness. But it is anger (isn't it?).

Jesus didn't get angry. He refused to fight back. (I know, except the once. There are always exceptions aren't there?) The Sermon on the Mount amazingly preached, "Don't fight back!" Let go of anger. It will not help us accomplish anything. Satan would love for us to be angry. Anger makes us feel important. We have a right not to be treated as we are being treated because we are important!

Jesus made himself a servant. He made himself nothing, showing us the secret of escaping anger. And finding what we wanted all along -- freedom.

American History X says that pretty honestly. And shows that a pretty heavy price is owed for our sins.