The Winter of Obama's Accomadation

It is a curious thing, I have observed, that winter generally follows on Fall and Summer, and it nearly always proceeds Spring. It is an even more curious thing to note that man, that ruler of nature, is also subject to its changes in season. Like all other creatures, man's work changes with the seasons. And while this change in man's work is witnessed to by a multitude of examples, the particular seasonal work of man that most concerns us at this moment is war, for we are surely now in a cultural war.

Though I am only an amateur historian, and an even more amateur soldier, I have noticed in all of the accounts of great wars that the changing of seasons brings changes in war-making. In ancient Greek and Roman times the coming of Winter often signaled a ceasing of hostilities. The same would hold true through much of medieval Europe, until Napoleon would learn what a mistake it is not to respect a winter, especially a Russian winter. Even into the 20th and 21st centuries with the introduction of mechanized warfare, Old Man Winter has forced military leaders to accommodate him. So, whether it was Washington at Valley Forge or Hitler at Stalingrad, all war-making men must pay their respects to Jack Frost.

To pay your respects to him as he passes, though, and to believe that he is a newly permanent resident of your home are two very different things. A great general will respect Winter, but he will also recognize its transience. In so doing, he will know how to keep his troops ready for fighting when the days are dark and silent. He will know how to keep both the fires in their camps and the fires in their hearts burning brightly. By doing so, he ensures victory in the Spring.

Now, as I mentioned, I am but an amateur historian and should not even be called an amateur soldier, so thoughts of military philosophy do not just pop into my mind. They only arrive there by being prompted, and what has prompted these considerations over the past several days has been Obama's "accommodation." Nothing in recent memory seems to have chilled a situation quite like our President's feigned compromise.

Before his announcement last Friday, Obama seemed to have no way out. It seemed, oddly enough, that for once almost everybody was on the side of the Catholic bishops. Even many Catholics in Congress found that they didn't have to be Catholics in only their private lives anymore; they could actually publicly support their Church. The roar from the media, bishops, lay people, and internet was growing louder and louder each day. You had Mike Huckabee proclaiming, "We're all Catholics now." You had articles being written that were titled "How the Catholic Church Became Cool Overnight." The battle seemed to be fully raging and then BAM! Obama Frost issued in a winter of accommodation.

Suddenly, the furor stopped. Yes, The Catholic blogosphere has still been in an uproar, but those of less orthodox persuasions have returned to their previous businesses like the soldiers of ancient Rome returning to their homes to harvest their crops. The likes of Tim Kaine and The Catholic Health Association had tired of the fight; they had tired of going against Obama. And this "accommodation," though nothing in substance, gave them just the cover they needed to flee the battle. Since then, the uproar has grown dimmer and dimmer. Slowly, the last articles regarding the mandate are slipping from the top headlines. Yes, we Catholics are still ready for battle, but for the rest of the country Winter has set.

The true test for us now is what we do during this Winter. Will we remain vigilant? Or will we too tire of the fight? Will we say, "Well, at least we got Obama to speak at a podium"? It seems to me that if we hope for victory in the Spring, we must be as vigilant as an army in Winter. The full emotions of battle have died down, and now we must stay focused on the details of war. Just as soldiers must keep their swords sharpened, and their guns clean, we must polish our arguments. We must learn the most effective ways to explain why this accommodation still violates our consciences. We must know how to best present this, in charity, to all those outside the Catholic church.

Similarly, just as an army in Winter must always call to mind memories of why it is fighting, we must keep our focus on the reasons for this fight. We must remember that we fight against this mandate because contraception is immoral, and it leads to the great unhappiness of our brothers and sisters. It separates them from God, their true end. We fight against this mandate because it forces Catholics to cooperate in work that is against our conscience, and if it stands our social service institutions will be absolutely crippled. And without these institutions of charity, the world will lose a great material and spiritual aid for those who are sick. We must keep our motivation, especially now when the outward appearances of the situation suggest that the war is over.

God does not ask us to be successful in this battle; He asks us to be faithful. If we are, the controversy will arise again, and we will be prepared. The rush of battle will come upon us only if we're faithful during this time of quiet. Unless we remain faithful, unless we continue our war-making even if the other side declares the war over, we will be victorious. Christ and His Church will be victorious. However, don't be fooled, it won't be easy to keep motivated; after all, it was very cold at Valley Forge.