If you live in the town of Islip, and care about doing what’s right for the community and your family; now is the time to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. Don’t fall into the trap of doing nothing because you believe the problems are too big for you to make a difference, they are not! We often look at the things that we cannot change and fail to see the things that we can. Don’t invest more time and attention into world and national issues than you invest in local issues. The beauty of the United States is that its people have the most power where they live. This is also the beauty of the faith; GOD wants His children to be the first in line to face the troubles of the day. Christians of all denominations should set the example in public service and good stewardship.
Jesus said: “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden,” Matthew 5:13-14.
We don’t eat salt by the spoonful and neither does GOD. It is GOD’s will for His Church to be entrenched, fighting for the heart and soul of its communities. When my dinner needs salt, I sprinkle it over the entire meal; it brings out the flavor and makes the bland and tasteless come to life. If salt did not add and enhance flavor, I would have no use for it. The Church is not a building but a body of people that spread themselves far and wide to help those around them.
It is both the blessing and the curse of being a citizen of the United States and New York, to not only vote but shoulder the responsibility of vetting its leaders and holding them accountable. This task is impossible without a reliance on GOD because people by nature are self-serving. The men that framed our Constitution and helped give birth to the United States understood how important it was to rely on GOD.
John Adams said: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
To do nothing when you have the power to do good is to be as Jesus said, “Good for nothing.” If you have the light of Christ in your heart you need to let it shine, and there are plenty of ways to do that right here in Islip! You can join one of the many local political clubs, attend town board meetings, join the Islip Chamber of Commerce, the PTA, Keep Islip Clean, volunteer your time coaching, or join the Bay Shore Beautification Society just to name a few examples.
You might not be crazy about the idea of getting your hands dirty. The thought of volunteering your time, money, and talents might be hard for you but this is exactly what Jesus meant when he said that you are the “Light of the world” and the “Salt of the earth.” It is only by getting our hands dirty that we can make a better life for those around us and build Islip into “A city that is set on a hill (that) cannot be hidden.”
