Why Me?

Judges 6:13 

“If the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?”

Dear Lord, 

In the midst of the coronovirus pandemic one might ask…

why is this happening? 

But the answer is as elusive as the problem of suffering…

we don’t know. 

But rather than focusing on fear and “why me”, 

maybe we should see this pandemic as a wake-up call…

not just for us, 

but for our country and 

indeed the entire world. 

Is this a time to ask 

the really important questions like: 

What is my purpose in life? 

What is the purpose of being a parent? 

What part does my faith play in my attitude towards my daily actions?

Can this pause of social distancing 

be an opportunity to write a personal letter of appreciation 

to a parent, a grandparent, a child or a sick friend? 

Could this be a time to deal with anger and 

do away with the “pernicious contempt for others” 

that divides people, political parties and countries?

Can this be a time of prayer, 

a time of forgiveness and 

a time of healing the very fabric of our society?

This is our prayer to You O Lord...

but what is OUR response? 

Amen


________

The above prayer was written by my father-in-law, Rev. Dr. Francis Burriss.

Dr. Burriss serves as the Chaplain of the Senate of South Carolina.

This prayer is shared with his permission and was prayed as the opening of regular session of the Senate on March 17, 2020.