It was early summer of 1983. Our mountain streams were running well above flood stage. We were close to spilling dams, Sugarhouse Park was filling with water, and City Creek rose from a flow of 60 cubic feet a second to over 300 almost overnight. This happened over a long weekend.

We needed as many people as we could muster on State Street and in other places. How do you get them? Well, the common place on a Sunday is in church. I sat at my desk in City Hall calling spiritual leaders with one ask: “Can you release your flocks from worship services to come to State Street to fill and place sandbags?”

After a brief description of the situation, every priest, every bishop, every minister, every imam, every rabbi, every leader agreed: “The ox is in the mire.”

It was a miraculous gathering. By noon on Sunday we had 10,000 or so people joyously building their moral pyramid of cloth and sand. Not one basement, one store, one home or dwelling got wet that day.

A national magazine showed a young woman in a wheelchair passing a heavy sandbag. Kayakers took to running the Eagle Gate rapids, people brought fishing poles. (No one got a true catch, I think.) High fives for all, hugs for the willing, and finally an enormous four-city-block cheer as water flooded the street late in the day.

It is said you cannot force a river; but you can certainly build one with human power.

Utah was together. Versions of coming together over floodwater repeated all over our state that season. Water damage was minimal. Satisfaction was immense.

Can we do it again in the era of coronavirus by keeping physical distance while building social connection and love? I think we can. It’s not the action that defines the spirit, it is the willingness to act.

In 1983 those with American and Utah state flags took to flying them on homes and businesses in a show of hope and solidarity. Let’s break them out again. We are America and Utah.