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As amusement parks began opening again in Japan the last couple of weeks, there was one video and headline that stole the show. The Fuji-Q Highland amusement park posted a video of two executives riding the death-defying Fujiyama roller coaster. Following the new safety protocol of no screaming to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, the executives stoically plunged 70 meters without an utterance.

Apparently proving it was possible, the video ended with this message: “Please scream inside your heart.”

Haha, wouldn’t that be awesome if we could all do that?! Not just when plunging from the sky, but how about when emotions are racing, stress and anxiety are high, or frustration starts to settle in. I’d love to have the composure to measure my words carefully, display a serene face, and then scream inside my heart.

I know a lot of us have probably wanted to scream at some point over the past months. And it’s necessary we have healthy outlets for our God-given emotions, such as exercise, journaling or prayer. Yet, in such a tense season, we also need to honestly consider what it is we are bringing into our relationships. Consider these words from Paul…

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3

We may forget this in the mundane of the day-to-day, but we have a privileged calling as children of God! Therefore, it’s really important we “make every effort to keep the unity,” something the Spirit of God inside of us is always working towards.

So for a little self-examination, here’s a straightforward checklist extracted from the end of Ephesians 4 that will help us practice living a life that’s in alignment with our calling.

We are to:

do away with false words and speak the truth - v.25
not sin when we are angry - v. 26
keep unwholesome talk out of our mouths - v. 29
give grace by building each other up with our words - v. 29
put away bitterness, rage and slander - v. 31
be kind and tenderhearted - v. 32
forgive others as we were forgiven by God - v. 32