The Constructive Use of Discontent

I’m a bit of a ranter. I’m fairly laid back in general, I don’t get angry with people at all, in fact I hate confrontation! Yet, get me on something that hits a nerve and I provide an impressive rant. There are a few topics which spark this kind of reaction; anything to do with poverty, inequality and development, the future of the church, and the lack of dairy free cheese that melts on toast.

In general I get pretty wound up when I see what’s really going on in the world, the majority of human beings who live with so little, women who don’t stand a chance, children with no options. Add my ability to rant at will on such topics, with an unsettled urgency to change the world – and I find myself with a tangible feeling of discontent.
I was asking my friends recently whether this was something I was afflicted with forever, or whether I’d grow out of it and chill out. Our discussion could be summed up like this: ‘look at the world, and look at what God wanted for us. I don’t think we can be anything but discontent.’

The constructive use of discontent is an ongoing challenge for me; between rants I aim to ensure my actions reflect my words and trying to balance dissatisfaction with hope is sometimes a struggle. Oscar Romero used a phrase that I cherish; ‘my soul aches’. He was talking of his people in El Salvador, persecuted, poor and oppressed. I think my soul aches, and honestly it’s a bit tiring. But I think it’s supposed to. Seeking the Kingdom of God doesn’t come cushioned.