It’s winter once again! For us in the Northeastern USA, that should mean snowstorms, “soup’s on,” and songs of the season. Hats and gloves, boots and scarves, Chapstick® and cough syrup. Some of us just love winter; some of us just endure it; some of us just go to Florida to escape it!
But as I contemplate winter—with no guarantee that snow and ice will even come our way since Mother Nature has been slowly but surely changing her ways of late—I call to mind that famous partial quote used by Steinbeck from Shakespeare’s Henry III: “the winter of our discontent.” Although I’ve taken these five words out of context, they speak to me as they are.
Let me explain. I dislike winter. It’s cold, it’s sloppy, it’s dark, it’s long. Storms shut the office down, roads are treacherous, and grocery stores run out of my favorite foods because folks are stocking up.
On the other hand, I like winter. It gives us a break and a rest from the routine. As long as we are home during storms and not on the road, we have a chance to sleep in, build a fire in the fireplace, bake cookies, make soup, read, help our neighbors, and organize our “to–do” list (which is never done—I guess that’s why no one puts out paper pads called “ ’tis done lists”!).
There’s another reason, however, that I recall those words, “the winter of our discontent.”
Dwight L. Moody has said: “True will–power and courage are not on the battlefield, but in everyday conquests over our inertia, laziness, boredom.” We ought to be discontent with anything less than the best. I have never been happy with inertia, laziness, or boredom in myself or in others.
My own winter of discontent has evolved and emerged and re–energized my life into a:
Discontent with somber sin and its grievous destruction,
Discontent with human suffering,
Discontent with world strife,
Discontent with breaking news of violence in our schools and among our youth,
Discontent with human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and modern–day slavery.
I am compelled by discontent to press on—and with good reason.
This issue of Priority! features the Army’s mission in helping people break the discontent of their lives and find hope and peace. That’s exactly what I’ve experienced—contentment in Christ.
For me, my winters of discontent with anything less than the best, or anything less than Salvation Army mission exploding in many ministries needs to be broken with the coming of spring and the reminder of the powerful Resurrection of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Christmas is a prelude to that Resurrection, as light breaks upon the darkness of our discontent and Salvation is a promise you can count on—actually, it’s all we have that counts!
May this Christmas break your darkness and your winter of discontent with the salvation and light as Isaiah the Prophet foretold:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. —Isaiah 9:6
Merry Christmas!
Lawrence R. Moretz
Commissioner
Territorial Commander
USA Eastern Territory
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