As Americans hunker down in their homes to protect themselves and their loved ones from the pandemic threat, let’s not lose our grasp on reality. Let’s also hang tight to a simple concept most used by Christian believers — faith.

Isolated and afraid, many young Americans are in panic. Their parties and gatherings disrupted. Many have been laid off or are going without work for days with no means to pay their bills.

But in this unfortunate unfolding of events, one thing has spread faster than any viral contagion could: Fear.

In absence of faith, fear has led local and state officials to issue mandates in a state of overreaction that’s inconsistent with what the Centers for Disease Control recommends. The media, serving as a megaphone of mortality, are only making it worse.

According to the CDC’s Guidelines, Americans are urged to do the following to protect themselves and others:

1. Clean hands often
2. Avoid close contact
3. Stay home and wear a facemask if you’re sick
4. Cover coughs and sneezes
5. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily

(As a minister, I’d like to throw in a number 6, which is to pray, know God, and acknowledge Christ to alleviate all fear and confusion.)

The guidelines did not say to do the following:

1. Buy truck beds full of toilet paper, groceries, and hygienic foods
2. Avoid society altogether
3. Don’t work or maintain a livelihood (if possible)
4. Go to the E.R. to get tested (even though you don’t have symptoms)
5. Cower in fear and hopelessness

Sadly, many businesses have been forced to close down by municipal powers, which I understand to be incongruent with what official sources recommend. This confusion is fueling the fear, causing some people to tune out and bow out of socialization entirely — hardly a healthy response in my book.

So ask yourself: Is this how we respond to a crisis? Are we so unprepared and without faith that we can’t be trusted to follow the CDC’s reasonable recommendations? Do we exist in a parent state that absolves us of responsibility to the degree that we are locked inside of our homes?

My appreciation goes out to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who issued a common sense statement to mayors that I believe the faithful would appreciate. “On closures, utilize [the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidance, we’re not issuing orders, we’re issuing guidance and strong suggestions,” Lee says. “We don’t have to mandate people not do certain behavior because Tennesseans follow suggestions. They follow guidance. So when we do that we’re going to see that Tennesseans come together.”

Lee ends his statement in a way that only a leader and man of God would, encouraging us all to pray — for the citizens affected by the economic challenges AND the illness passing through our state.

So in line with Lee’s request, I ask my lawmakers to understand that our nation is made up of millions of God-fearing people who have faith that this plague will pass and that our economy will rise again. And if there’s anything we as a nation can put our faith in, it’s in the reality that God’s people are praying for the best outcome possible.

I close my statement with reassurance only the Holy Bible can offer. If we are to read any guidelines, then may God’s word be a priority for all believers:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6-7