The Christian

Thing To Do

To the Editor:

I wanted to take moment to reflect on and share some thoughts about the recent storm that hit our area. Like many others in Newtown we received our share of fallen trees and debris. I wanted to share an incident that happened at our church which brought about my cause of reflection.

We are located at the corner of 302 and Rock Ridge Road in Newtown. If you were one of the people trying to drive on 302 you encountered a number of trees blocking you from doing so without much frustration and confusion. If traveling east on 302 you encountered a tree just past the intersection of 302 and Rock Ridge Road, so you would head down Rock Ridge Road hoping to get around that way. Only you soon discovered that there was a tree blocking you from going that direction also. You would then turn around and try to go another way.

For some reason people decided that our front lawn would be a good place to make a new road in bypassing the fallen trees. I did not discover this until about two hours after the storm hit because I too was having trouble navigating around all the fallen trees.

Once I arrived I asked people to please not drive on our lawn and I was told by one individual that the “Christian thing to do would be to let people drive on our lawn so they could get through.”

That did not settle well with me, but I have pondered that comment several times since it was made. I am truly sorry if I offended the individual or individuals because I didn’t let them drive through our front lawn. But, this I do know:

It is the Christian thing to thank our first selectman, Herb Rosenthal, for all his work and the work of his staff following the storm.

It is the Christian thing to thank the town servants for all their tireless work during an emergency situation.

It is the Christian thing to thank all volunteer firemen who took posts at strategic places to help keep traffic flowing as much as possible.

It is the Christian thing to thank those who work for the state and all their extra effort to try get the roads cleaned as quick as possible.

It is the Christian thing to thank all the Northeast Utility people for the work and hours they put in to try and get our electricity back to us as quickly as humanly possible.

It is the Christian thing to thank all of those who adapted and patiently waited through some difficult moments.

It is the Christian thing to “do unto others as you would want them to do to you.”

We were all inconvenienced, but thanks to all those men and women who tried to make life a little easier for everyone as we all struggled with the storm.

Jack Tanner

Minister

Newtown Christian Church

Rock Ridge Road, Newtown                                              May 23, 2007