Society & Culture, Practice & Voice

We Need More Than Prayer




Call to Action: Contact Governor Stitt in support of a mask mandate.

Call to Caring: Write a note of encouragement and gratitude to the staff at our local hospitals during the holiday season to help lift their spirits.

Senior Minister Rev. Marlin Lavanhar was interviewed on December 1 for a piece on the Governor’s call to “pray and fast” to stop the spread of Covid in our state. Here is what Marlin had to say about the interview.


As you know, I’m all for praying… but I’m also for taking action.  America is facing the largest health crisis in living history and there is overwhelming evidence that wearing masks saves lives.  I will be praying that the Governor has the good sense to finally listen to the scientists and enact a mask mandate in our state. 

We have a duty to protect each other’s lives.

American democracy is based on the Rights to Life, Liberty and Property.  That means we have the duty to protect each other’s right to life, first and foremost, because you cannot have freedom or property if you’re dead.

By taking his position not to enact a mandate the governor is not so much standing on principle as he is standing on people’s graves.  There will be hundreds of empty chairs around holiday tables in Oklahoma this year that could have living parents, grandparents, spouses and children in them had the governor taken this action months ago.  Democratic and Republican governors across the nation have enacted masks mandates.  Saving lives is a bipartisan issue.  I’m all for prayer, but this is a time for the governor to take action. 

We need tangible actions.

There are many “fasting” in Oklahoma not by choice due to the high level of food insecurity during the pandemic.  The religious community is working to feed people and is praying every day.    No one is keeping people from praying and fasting right now.  What we could use from our Governor are tangible actions that protect the lives of the people he serves.  Let’s pray he will do more than ask us to pray.

Stay safe and please wear a mask in public for the common good!


Rev. Dr. Marlin Lavanhar is the Senior Minister of All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He will celebrate 20 years at All Souls during the church’s Centennial in 2021. Follow Marlin’s cartooning on Instagram, @MarlinLavanharCartoons. You can read more of his blogs on beyondbelief.online; All Souls exclusive blog sharing stories of our free faith, curated from the heartland.


Contact the Governor

In response to Governor Stitt’s Day of Prayer and Fasting on Dec. 3, in partnership with First Unitarian in OKC, we are asking you to send holiday cards to the Governor requesting a statewide mask mandate.
Send cards to:
Governor J. Kevin Stitt
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City , OK 73105


Notes of Encouragement

Write a note of encouragement and gratitude to the staff at our local hospitals during the holiday season to help lift their spirits.  As we enter the darkest days of the season and the scariest of the pandemic, let our doctors and nurses and technicians know that we are thinking of them and what you are doing to help, too.  Tell them if you are washing your hands, wearing your masks, staying home and only going out when absolutely necessary, and taking social distancing precautions to help limit the spread of COVID-19.  A note of appreciation and to know that they are not alone in the fight may be just what they need to help bolster their spirits.

We will be collecting notes and cards in the specially marked box at the main church entrance through New Years and delivering them to the staff of our local hospitals throughout the holiday season.

Medical photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com

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