Besides feeling afraid, Rice pointed out that people are also feeling confused because the situation is so uncertain. Because we are so confused, it is easy (and understandable) for us to be frustrated with our leaders when they don’t give us clear guidance. But Rice said she has a lot of empathy for our leaders. They have never been in these circumstances before either, and it’s hard from them to know what to say or what clear guidance even looks like.
“I think we have to try and pray for them and be a little bit more understanding of how hard it is to be in a position of leadership at this time,” she said.
Rice finished her interview by reading aloud a prayer she had written for our nation as we deal with the coronavirus outbreak. “Dear Heavenly Father,” she said, “we ask that you enter into the depths of our worries, and bring comfort, relief, and resilience to all in our country and across the world.” Rice prayed for those most vulnerable to the virus, for the first responders on the front lines of the crisis, and for the scientists working to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus.
She concluded:
O Lord, we know that we are called to be faithful to you, for you are relentlessly faithful to us. And so we ask for your comfort in our lives, but also for the grace to behave toward one another as Jesus Christ calls us to do, to treat each other with kindness and respect, to be patient and calm, and to be generous in caring for and praying for those who are most in need. These things we ask in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
