A Theology of War for This Moment

A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble

“Those who live by the sword will perish by the sword.” — Matthew 26:52

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Photo by Jordy Meow on Unsplash

We are at war with Iran.

That sentence should not pass lightly. War is not a headline. It is not a strategy memo. It is not a cable-news debate. War means human bodies torn open. It means children who will not grow up. It means young service members whose mothers will receive folded flags.

If theology cannot speak here, it has nothing to say anywhere.

The first thing we must understand is this: war does not create moral disorder. War reveals it.

War unveils what was already operative beneath the surface. It exposes the money that has been circulating, the ambitions that have been consolidating, the willingness to bypass restraint that has been growing for years. It reveals how accustomed we have become to executive power expanding while Congress retreats. It reveals how easily contradiction survives without consequence. It reveals how often spectacle substitutes for deliberation.

The New Testament word for apocalypse means unveiling. War is apocalyptic in that sense. It does not invent darkness. It makes visible what we refused to see.

The second truth is harder.

When war is initiated not from sober necessity but from personal impulse, from intoxication with dominance, from the thrill of being “on a roll,” then we are no longer in the realm of tragic statecraft. We are in the realm of idolatry.

Idolatry is not primitive religion. It is the elevation of the self to ultimate authority. It is what happens when a leader’s pleasure outweighs covenantal process. It is what happens when force becomes a demonstration of will rather than a last resort.

The First Commandment is not about private spirituality alone. It is about political order. When the self becomes god, others become sacrifice. The dead are no longer tragedies. They become offerings to the maintenance of power. If we cannot name that, we are complicit.

There is also covenant to consider.

The United States Constitution deliberately places the power to declare war in the hands of Congress. That was not an accident. The founders understood that executives are tempted toward expansion, especially in moments of fear or opportunity. War was meant to require deliberation precisely because it concentrates power.

When Congress abdicates that role, it is covenant betrayal. The body designed to distribute authority allows it to pool in one man’s hands. Covenants are sacred documents. They bind a people to mutual restraint. When they are ignored, something holy is broken.

Then there is the matter of truth.

We are told that nuclear capabilities were destroyed and that they must now be re-destroyed. We are told that this is strength and that it is necessity. Contradictions accumulate. Nothing collapses. Words no longer carry weight.

This is not simple dishonesty. It is the Lie as atmosphere. It is what Paul called the powers and principalities, forces that exceed individual deceit and settle into structures. When contradiction carries no cost, falsehood becomes self-sustaining.

You cannot argue with that as if it were a policy dispute. You must expose it as a spiritual disorder.

And beneath all of this lie the bodies.

One hundred eighteen girls killed in a school. Six service members described as patriots. Civilians in cities who did not design any of this. Protesters months ago who were urged toward resistance and then abandoned to death.

When a leader shrugs and says, “That’s the way it is,” theology must refuse the shrug.

Every one of those human beings bears the Image of God. Not metaphorically. Ontologically. They are subjects before God, not objects within strategy. To speak of them as acceptable loss is not realism. It is sacrilege.

Lament is the only honest language here.

The Psalms teach us to cry, “How long?” The prophets teach us to say, “Woe.” Grief is not weakness. Grief is proper theological speech when the Image has been trampled.

There is also false prophecy to name.

When bombing is followed immediately by promises of peace, we are hearing revelation without revelation’s source. Peace proclaimed through destruction is not peace. It is theater.

True prophecy does not predict outcomes. It sees the present as it stands before the sacred. It names what is happening without ornament or panic.

And then there is the Earth.

War is never abstract. Missiles are minerals pulled from the ground. Fuel is ancient sunlight burned into the sky. Paper constitutions, oil markets, bodies, smoke, grief—this is all metabolism. Everything is nature. Period.

To speak of war as strategy without speaking of its material cost is another form of idolatry. The Earth absorbs every demonstration of power. The land keeps the record even when nations do not.

Finally, we must speak of resurrection, but carefully.

I will not promise that democracy will rise again. I will not say that this will all work out. Resurrection is not a return to normal. Resurrection is new creation after something real has died.

And something has died.

Trust has died. Restraint has died. Being the “good guys” has died. Perhaps even our illusion that we were immune to this has died.

We must bury what has died before we can speak of new life. We must sit in the tomb long enough to understand what has been taken.

War has revealed us to ourselves. The question is whether we will look.

We are in this together,

Cameron

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Reflection Questions

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1. What has this war revealed to me about the systems I trusted?

2. Where do I feel the temptation to numbness, and what would it mean to remain present instead?

3. What does fidelity to truth and covenant look like in my own sphere of responsibility?

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A Prayer for the Day

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A Prayer in the Midst of War

God of covenant and truth,
We stand in a moment of unveiling.
We see power without restraint and speech without consequence.
We see bodies harmed and futures interrupted.

Keep us from idolatry.
Keep us from surrendering our conscience to spectacle.
Strengthen our commitment to truth, even when truth feels fragile.
Teach us to lament without despair and to resist without hatred.

Guard the lives of those caught in violence.
Hold accountable those entrusted with authority.
And grant us courage to remain awake.

Amen.

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Spiritual Practice

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Practicing Lament Without Anesthesia

Today, resist the temptation to scroll past this war as if it were distant theater. Set aside ten minutes in silence. Speak aloud the words, “This is real.” Let the reality settle in your body. Name one group of people directly affected: civilians, soldiers, families. Hold them in your imagination. Refuse abstraction.

Then ask yourself: What act of truth-telling or accountability is mine to carry this week? It may be small. Carry it deliberately.

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Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…

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My team and I launched a new experiment we are calling “The Commons.” It’s an online space centered around communities of practice: groups of people who share a common concern, set of problems, or passion for a topic, and deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis. At the moment, I am leading a book study on Brian McLaren’s book, Life After Doom, on Tuesdays. Join the community here.

March 17, 23, 31 and April 7, 2026, 7-8:30pm ET - Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox and I will be hosting another 4-part series on “Visions for the Common Good.” This series will include sessions with David Abrams, Randy Woodley and Lynne Twist! All sessions are recorded, and you will get the link if you can’t make it. Learn more here.

March 26, 2026, 7–8:30pm ET – FREE WEBINAR - I will be joined by Ruth Dearnley, OBE, Founder and President of Stop the Traffik in London (see her TED Talk), for a critical conversation titled “Stop the Exploitation of Children: Disrupting Modern Slavery at Its Source.” As Board Chair of Stop the Traffik USA, this work is deeply personal to me. We cannot rescue our way out of trafficking; we must prevent exploitation by disrupting the systems and financial flows that profit from vulnerability — and congregations have a vital role to play. Ruth will share how technology is exposing trafficking networks, and Diane will highlight what cities like Philadelphia are learning, including insights related to the World Cup. All who register will receive the recording. Learn more and register here.

I drafted a Strategic Framework for Congregations as we move into the coming years of increased authoritarianism around the world. If interested, you can download it here.

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Fun Things My Friends Are Up To…

I get to work with such amazing, creative people. This section is my way of celebrating them—no paid promotions, just joy in what they’re creating.

From my friend, Logan Bennett: With The Revolutionary Love Project, I’m hosting an immersive weekend retreat at La Foret in Colorado Springs (my ministry site). This isn’t a conference. It’s not protest training. It’s formation—the kind that helps us stay human and spiritually grounded while still being clear-eyed and brave. Rooted in the practice of Revolutionary Love (from the Revolutionary Love Project / Valarie Kaur’s work), this weekend is for people who want to meet rising authoritarianism, polarization, and overwhelm without losing our softness, our courage, or our joy. Link:https://www.laforet.org/events/adults/revolutionary-love-in-an-age-of-uncertainty

The need for us to persevere and contribute grows ever more challenging as the horror and cruelty escalates, created by leaders with “malevolent incompetence.” Dr. Margaret Wheatley is offering a “Bundle for Good” for shipping within the U.S. She will send you seven copies of Perseverance, and one copy of her book of poems, Opening to the World as It Is. She’s including the poetry book as another means to support you personally. You can learn more here.

The Convergence Music Project is hosting a songwriting event on March 19-21, 2026 in Nashville. No songwriting experience is required, so feel warmly welcome even if you've never written a song before. There will be plenty of content also to further educate, inspire, and develop the gifts of advanced songwriters as well. Learn more.

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If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.