OCC Executive Director responds to Day of Fasting and Prayer

One of the most beloved and quoted biblical stories in the Christian tradition is that of the Good Samaritan. It is a parabolic response to the question “who is my neighbor,” which is posed to Jesus in an attempt to argue with him about loving our neighbors. Throughout this pandemic, many have also made attempts at arguing this point. Who is our neighbor, and how should we care for them? On this day of prescribed prayer and fasting, set forth by our Governor, I take us back to that dangerous road in Jericho, where an unidentifiable man laid on the side of the road unconscious and badly hurt. 

The story tells us a priest and a Levite came across this man and made the decision to walk by him without assistance. A priest and a Levite, two holy men, prescribed to serve God and practice holiness in all their ways. A priest and a Levite, men who would love prescribed prayer and fasting by governing authorities. Prayer and fasting would be just enough for them to seem active and involved in the world, but fall just shy of action and works. Just shy of dirtying their hands with things that may be “unclean” or controversial. Just shy of life-saving.

It ends up taking a Samaritan to take care of this unidentifiable man. A Samaritan. A man who was the sworn enemy of the man in the ditch. A man who does not claim holiness and Godliness in his steps and existence. A man who made a wholly different decision on that road, resulting in life-saving and life-changing results.

To quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “I imagine that the first question the priest and the Levite asked was: ‘If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?’ Then the good Samaritan came by, and by the very nature of his concern, reversed the question: ‘If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?’”  

If we do not stop to help, what will happen to them? This is the crux of loving our neighbors, this fundamental reverse in thinking from “what will happen to ME” to “what will happen to THEM.”  

Today, on this prescribed day of prayer and fasting, set forth upon us by our governing authorities, with no concern for religious practice, or lack thereof, I ask our leaders to reflect on this fundamental question. Prayer and fasting is lovely, if that’s your tradition; but a failure to actually make the move to lift the man from the ditch is a prayer gone unanswered. Perhaps the priest and the Levite uttered a prayer for the man as they continued on their way, content that it was sufficient; it wasn’t. 

Governor Stitt, prayer should be accompanied by a willingness to act, and fasting should happen with an intention to change. Issue a statewide mask mandate. Show up for your neighbors on a dangerous road. Pray about what will happen to us if you don’t, not what will happen to you. Be brave, and show all of Oklahoma that your moves toward a show of holiness are not hollow words on a proclamation. Issue the mandate. This is our most fervent prayer. 

FAITH LEADERS STATEMENT ON COVID-19

Some version of “The Golden Rule” exists in every religious tradition, demonstrating the importance of caring for our neighbor as an act of faithfulness. We can and should be guided by common concern to protect life, particularly during a pandemic when our behavior has a direct and immediate impact on the lives of those around us. In our current context, “Love Your Neighbor” means “wear a mask.” 

We are particularly mindful of this faithful duty in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 150,000 Oklahomans have contracted the virus since the crisis began and more than 1,500 have died. The state is averaging more than 2,000 new positive cases a day, with daily cases spiking in the last weeks. The entirety of Oklahoma is in the Orange Alert Level according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health (1). According to the White House Coronavirus Task Force, “Oklahoma is in the red zone for cases, indicating 101 or more new cases per 100,000 population, with the 22nd highest rate in the country. Oklahoma is in the red zone for test positivity, indicating a rate at or above 10.1%, with the 11th highest rate in the country” (2). These are staggering numbers that signify “a severe and uncontrolled level of COVID-19, meaning outbreaks are present and worsening and testing and contact tracing capacity is strained or exceeded,” according to the Tulsa Health Department (3). We are all hopeful about a vaccine to fight this deadly virus, but we recognize that full implementation of this vaccine will take many more months.  

While the COVID-19 pandemic is a public health crisis, it is also a crisis for people of faith. How should our churches and houses of worship respond to the loss of life and sickness of so many of our neighbors? Should people of faith take action to protect life? What is the faithful response to this crisis when the political response is inadequate? 

We call on people of faith across the state of Oklahoma to covenant together to protect and care for our communities, medical professionals, and the vulnerable by: 

1) Worshipping online only and calling on houses of worship to return to or provide for the first-time online worship.  

2) Limiting social interactions to essential activities only and avoiding gatherings of any size. 

3) Advocating for local and statewide mask and stay-at-home measures to stem the dramatically increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Oklahoma.  

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(1) COVID-19: Oklahoma State Department of Health |. (2020, November 16). Retrieved November 16, 2020, from  https://coronavirus.health.ok.gov/ 

(2) White House Coronavirus Task Force. (2020, November 8). Oklahoma State Report Issue 21. Retrieved November  16, 2020, from https://coronavirus.health.ok.gov/sites/g/files/gmc786/f/oklahoma_state_report_-_11-08-20.pdf

(3) Jones, C. (2020, November 16). 'We're not in a good place': 22 Tulsa County ZIP codes in severe COVID-19 risk  category. Retrieved November 16, 2020, from https://tulsaworld.com/news/local/we-re-not-in-a-good-place-22- tulsa-county-zip-codes-in-severe-covid/article_748baca2-25df-11eb-a21f-17083eb6af35.html

Rev. Shannon Fleck, Executive Director, Oklahoma Conference of Churches 

The Interfaith Alliance of Oklahoma 

Aliye Shimi, Executive Director, Tulsa Metropolitan Ministries 

Pastors for Oklahoma Kids 

Rev. Tim Blodgett,  General Presbyter, Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery 

Rev. Charlie Smith, Interim Presbytery Pastor, Indian Nations Presbytery 

Rev. Gordon Edwards, General Presbyter, Cimarron Presbytery 

Bishop James G. Nunn, Bishop, Oklahoma United Methodist Church and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference of the UMC 

Dr. Edith Guffey, Conference Minister, Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of the United Church of Christ 

Rex Friend, The Religious Society of Friends, Oklahoma 

Kathy Neufield Dunn, WDC Western Conference Minister, Mennonite Church 

Rev. Pamela Holt, Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma 

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Pastor, The East Sixth Street Christian Church, Oklahoma City, OK 

Rev. Jay Williams, Mosaic UMC, Oklahoma City, OK 

Rev. Todd Freeman, College Hill Presbyterian Church, Tulsa, OK 

Dr. Bruce Prescott,  Retired Executive Director, Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists 

Rev. Susanna Weslie Southard, faculty member, Phillips Theological Seminary 

Rev. Mark W. Polson, Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Idabel, OK 

Rev. Tom Stanley, Senior Minister of Central Christian Church of Enid, Ok 

Rev. Jessica Maynard, Pastor, West Guthrie United Methodist Church, Guthrie, OK 

Rev. Michael Robnett, Associate Pastor, Bartlesville First United Methodist Church, Bartlesville, OK 

Rev. Matthew D. Franks, Lead Pastor, Tahlequah United Methodist Church, Tahlequah, OK 

Rev. Dr. Sonja Tobey, Lead Pastor, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Lawton, OK 

Rev. Marla Lobo, Wesley United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK 

Anne Walker, Ph.D., Saint Paul School of Theology 

Rev. Stephen Cagle, Pastor, Sand Springs United Methodist Church, Sand Springs, OK 

Rev. Paul W. Calkin, Mayfair Heights United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK 

Rev. Emily L. Robnett, Associate Pastor at Bartlesville First United Methodist Church, Bartlesville, OK

Rev. Anna Marie George, Morris and Schulter UMC 

Rev. Scott Spencer, Mosaic United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK 

Rev. Chris Moore, Senior Minister, Fellowship UCC, Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Dr. Gary Peluso-Verdend, President Emeritus and Executive Director of the Center for Religion in Public Life,  Phillips Theological Seminary 

Rev. Dr. Robert R.A. Turner, Historic Vernon Chapel AME Church, Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Andy Campbell, Minister of Yale Avenue Christian Church in Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Dr. Lori Walke, Senior Pastor of Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ in Oklahoma City, OK 

Rev. Tracy Evans, Pastor, Memorial Presbyterian Church, Norman, OK 

Rev. David Wheeler, Pastor, Federated Church in Weatherford, OK and First Congregational United Church of  Christ in Norman, OK 

Rev. Dr. Debi Powell-Maxwell, Christian Church (DOC) in OK 

Rev Jen Logsdon-Kellogg,  Associate Pastor, Boston Ave UMC, Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Dr. Tiffany A. Nagel Monroe, Shawnee St. Paul’s UMC, Shawnee, OK 

Rev. T Sheri Amore Dickerson, Associate Minister, East Sixth Street Christian Church, Oklahoma City, OK 

Rev. Larry T. Crudup,  Senior Pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, OK 

Father W. Lee Domenick, Rector, Trinity Episcopal Church, Tulsa, OK 

Rev Jeni Markham Clewell,  Mosaic United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City, OK

Rev. David Conrad, Pastor, Oklahoma United Methodist Church 

Rev. Dr. Thomas Hoffmann, Senior Pastor, Hope United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Dr. David Clewell, Retired United Methodist pastor, Edmond, OK 

Israel Hogue, Pastor of simplicity Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Oklahoma City, OK  

Rev. William F. Todd, United Methodist minister Oklahoma conference, retired 

Rev. Nancy Eggen, Kansas-Oklahoma Conference of The United Church of Christ 

Rev. Jinx M. Barber, Senior Pastor, Dewey United Methodist Church 

Clergy representative for Dewey Ministerial Association 

Rev. Bill Hemm, Sr. Minister, Forest Park Christian Church, Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Kris Ladusau, The Dharma Center, Oklahoma City, OK 

Rabbi Vered Harris, Temple B’nai Israel, Oklahoma City, OK 

Rabbi Abby Jacobson, Emmanuel Synagogue, Oklahoma City, OK 

Rev. Jon Middendorf,  Pastor, OKC First Church of the Nazarene, Oklahoma City, OK 

Rev. Bill Inglish, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 

Rev. Don Tabberer,  retired elder serving Drumright First UMC, Drumright, OK 

Rev. Kathy Brown, Pastor, St. Paul’s UMC, Tulsa, OK

Jamaal Dyer, Senior Pastor, Friendship Church, Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Lucus Levy Keppel, Co-Pastor, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Bixby 

Fr. Dewayne Messenger, Pastor, All Saints/ Todos Los Santos Ecumenical Catholic Church, Tulsa 

Rev. Kara Y. Farrow, Fellowship Lutheran Church, Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Charla B. Gwartney, Senior Pastor, Faith United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK 

Rabbi Michael Weinstein, Temple Israel, Tulsa, OK 

Rabbi Lily Kowalski, Temple Israel, Tulsa, OK 

Clark Frailey, Pastor, Coffee Creek Baptist Church, Edmond, OK 

Rev. Jack Terrell-Wilkes, Lawton Heights United Methodist Church, Lawton, OK 

Rev. Trey Witzel, First United Methodist Church, Edmond, OK 

Rev. Jean M. Neal, New Faith Baptist Church, Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Keith O. McArtor, Centenary United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK 

Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman, The Synagogue I Congregation B’nai Emunah, Tulsa, OK 

Rev. Andrea Clark Chambers, Assistant Pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Tulsa, OK

Rev. Cathey Edwards, Unitarian Universalist Minister, Tulsa, OK

Rev. Dr. Rodney Goss, Morning Star Baptist Church, Tulsa

Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman, The Synagogue | Congregation B’nai Emunah, Tulsa

Rev. Andrea Clark Chambers, Assistant Pastor, Antioch Baptist Church, Tulsa

Rev. Bryan Tener, UMC Discipleship Ministries, Oklahoma UMC

Rev. Dr. Grayson L. Lucky, United Methodist Church, Retired, Oklahoma Annual Conference UMC