By the Way: A word from the angels of Advent

By Rev. Dr. Nancy Cocks on December 6, 2025.

I’m a little disappointed with the Oxford English Dictionary. It chose ‘rage bait’ as its word of the year, meaning online content deliberately designed to provoke outrage – and increase traffic to particular social media accounts. I certainly notice an increase in angry outbursts and posts these days. I’m troubled by the epidemic of domestic violence and road rage that escalates into assault. Why is it profitable to provoke rage? Why can’t we control our anger?

I taught a course to help ministers respond to anger and conflict – for these are realities in church life too. Many theorists describe anger as a ‘smoke screen’ emotion – masking pain or fear. We easily become defensive when confronted with anger and respond in kind, ready to fight back. Yet what if we looked at an angry person as someone in pain or fear? What if we looked into our own rising tempers and asked ourselves, What am I afraid of here? Am I hurting over something – this given moment or some previous wrong? Could we avoid taking the ‘rage bait’?

The angels who appear in the Biblical stories leading up to the birth of Jesus always begin their messages with the words, “Do not be afraid.” Joseph seemed to fear the social consequences of Mary having a child he hadn’t fathered. Zechariah knew the pain of many disappointments and couldn’t believe in a new possibility. Mary was startled by the angel’s announcement that would change her life in an awe-some way. Perhaps the shepherds thought their time was up, surrounded by that heavenly host. But there was no anger. No defensive resistance to a promise that seemed in that moment too good to be true.

My prayer for all of us in the lead up to Christmas is that we can resist becoming ‘rage bait.’ The angels offer us God’s wisdom in those words, Do not be afraid. Offer to God your fears and your pain – so you have room for the joy and peace the angels promised as gifts the Christ Child can offer you.

Rev. Dr. Nancy Cocks is a retired theology professor.

6
-5