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  • These are certainly unprecedented times.

  • And during this period of uncertainty amidst the delicate dance of safety and sanctity, faith over fear, prayer over panic, thes of the time.

  • So often people count on faith to pull them through.

  • And yet houses of worship all over the globe are shutting down.

  • So tonight we take a look at religion in these trying times.

  • Social media documented the conversion Sunday morning.

  • Images of the faithful from afar Bedside Baptist Television Tabernacle.

  • Posturepedic Presbyterian.

  • Calling what you may watching service from home is now a new way of coping in his time of chaos.

  • There's a climate and I just here in West Chester.

  • But across the country, climate of anxiety the Corona virus has infiltrated even the most sacred of space is suspending service is and shaking up faith communities that time has brought much of the world to its knees.

  • Catholic Mass is cancelled from Colorado to New York.

  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints shut down worldwide, along with numerous holy shrines.

  • For a time, Saudi Arabia even suspended pilgrimage visits to Mecca to stop the spread of the Corona virus.

  • Just take a look at the difference.

  • Mecca on February 14th and then on March 3rd 2 days before one of the most holy sites in Islam was temporarily closed for one day of cleaning last week.

  • No communion, no confession, No quorum of 10 adults at synagogue we have in a crisis has taken away the place where many people find perspective and handle it.

  • What would you say for people who are struggling right now with their faiths grappling with?

  • Where is God?

  • Why would God allow this kind of thing to happen?

  • People are anxious.

  • People are scared.

  • People are questioning God.

  • They're wondering where God is in all of this.

  • And that's a That's a question that we live with because often we do not get in the mind of God.

  • God, we do not.

  • We ultimately have to trust God.

  • We don't understand God.

  • That's a really big step.

  • W.

  • Franklyn Richardson He's a senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Westchester County, New York, just five miles outside the first in the nation Corona virus containment zone.

  • And yet, this past Sunday morning, the threatening circumstance toe takeaway out spirituality kept the doors of his church open.

  • Yesterday, we need to make a statement that by opening that God has not abandoned us.

  • That's the message I want to get.

  • The God has not abandoned us.

  • That we are still gonna pull through this staying open is an option.

  • He'll no longer have going forward based on new guidance from the CDC to cancel or postpone in person events that consist of 50 people are more throughout the United States.

  • One saving grace for many houses of worship streaming.

  • Give me a sense of what you're gonna do going forward.

  • Maybe starting next Sunday, we decided that we're going to exploit the technology.

  • The digital we're going, we're going to produce a Sunday morning worship that is telecast, telecast and ah, streamed across the country.

  • Pastor Richardson says those clamoring for that connection searching for solace and sermon or the ritual of religion can still seek it and find it with or without WiFi.

  • Because in his book, Faith cannot be quarantined.

  • But I think there are three things that people can do and what to do.

  • One.

  • Certainly they also have a personal relationship that they deeply developing this season.

  • So it begins with prayer, and that's not something you need to go to a building or be with more than one.

  • This is a time where we turn to our inward spiritualist ation, right?

  • The worship is critical, so prayer, Bible study and worship will sustain your faith in the time when you have a lot of questions and anxiety.

  • And that is our show for this hour.

  • Be sure to stay tuned.

  • ABC News Live for more context and analysis of the day's top stories.

  • I'm Lindsay Davis Thanks so much for streaming with us.

  • Good night.

  • Hi, everyone.

  • George Stephanopoulos here.

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These are certainly unprecedented times.

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