When we look at protestors and know their reasons from their signs, we don’t question why they protest, even if we don’t agree. When we look at people who progress to rioting, looting, arson, vandalism and assault, we wonder where this is coming from. The rioters appear extremely angry. They will tell you they are angry because of inequality and poverty, yet a majority of the rioters are neither poor nor minority.
If we settle on anger as the reason for the rioting, it leaves the question, why the anger? Many people, for many reasons have an empty feeling inside that nothing seems to fill, many have a prevailing sadness, many are hurt, lonely, or fearful. All these emotions leave a person feeling weak and helpless. Anger, however, helps a person feel stronger and more in control, even if they are not. Anger, therefore, is a shield covering other emotions. What does one do with anger? Tearing up things, setting fires, vandalizing and the like make a person feel temporarily powerful. And the justification if needed? Blame. Humans have been blaming others since the beginning of time. It takes any question of responsibility away from me and places it elsewhere. I don’t have to change anything in my life because everything wrong is someone else’s fault.
Under it all are the original feelings of fear, sadness, emptiness, and hopelessness that never get addressed. When a person resolves the issues of worth, belonging, meaning, purpose and life after death, the negative feelings leave. As others have said: if I have a longing for the ultimate relationship and the ultimate home for my person and my heart, it must be because I was made for an ultimate relationship and an ultimate home.