From the Oklahoma City bombing to the Northridge earthquake to flooding in the Midwest, Americans have put their religious differences aside and worked together in times of crisis.
But why should such cooperation begin only after a disaster occurs?A group of local Christian clergy and leaders from the LDS Church have decided there's no time like the present to start joint preparations for a major disaster along the Wasatch Front.
"In a disaster, when everything is reduced to rubble, who cares about your religious affiliation?" asked the Rev. Ron Thomas, associate rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. "The idea is definitely to work together."
Since January, the Ministerial Association's monthly meetings have dealt with topics related to disaster preparedness, coordinated under the theme "Prepare to Care."
This week, association members visited the LDS Bishops Central Storehouse, at Welfare Square, sharing a meal made from food supplies stored in case of an emergency.
"We had a very friendly, very open and I thought very cooperative meeting. It was wonderful," said Elder Alexander Morrison, president for the Utah North Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "We have always believed we need to be concerned about everybody and not just our own people.
"You don't ask for people's denominational membership card when there's a problem. Everybody helps everybody else and we believe that to be the centerpiece of any successful emergency response."
The Ministerial Association, which has 230 member churches, operates primarily as an educational organization, disseminating information to its membership. When it comes to disaster preparation, association members are still learning, and the LDS Church has proven to be an excellent source.
Every LDS stake and ward in the Salt Lake Valley has an emergency response plan that is frequently updated, Elder Morrison said. That's something association members hope to encourage their member churches to develop.
"We're pretty well organized . . . We have an extensive network," Elder Morrison said. "And we encourage our people to be self-reliant and be prepared.
"I don't know how well all the others groups are organized, but we're just happy to share whatever resources and help we can give."
The association also has begun networking with Utah Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, an interfaith organization, and will meet with the Salvation Army next month.
The Rev. Khan McClellan of Christ United Methodist Church, president of the Ministerial Association, said he hopes the group's efforts will lead to the formation of multidenominational community groups that will form neighborhood disaster plans. In the process, the Rev. McClellan hopes, participants will grow closer to people they don't see in church every weekend.
"The threat of (disaster) has created an environment where we do attempt to work together in a real way, different than other kinds of relationships," the Rev. McClellan said. "It has to start with the individual churches that are close by each other working together."
Churches have a responsibility to lead their communities' planning efforts, the Rev. McClellan said, because they are going to find themselves in the thick of any relief and recovery effort.
"In a disaster, whether people go to church or not, they will usually turn to the church first to look for help," he said. "They know it as a place, in history, that has reached out and cared for people. That's why the church is such a vital player in disaster response."
The Rev. Dr. Max Glenn, until recently co-pastor of the Ogden United Church of Christ Congregational, said he has already noticed a change in how members of different faiths relate to one another as a result of the association's planning efforts.
"It is so important to get acquainted with people and develop a personal level of trust so that you can develop a respect for that person," said Glenn, also former director of Shared Ministry. "Then you can begin to discuss and have a dialogue about differences and religious beliefs. And there's nothing that unites a community faster than a disaster."
Perhaps here, unlike in some other communities, people from different religious backgrounds will bond with one another before The Big One hits - if it ever does.