A Warning From One Who Knows
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who contrive mischief by statute?” —Psalm 94:20, NRSVUE
Sherrilyn Ifill, a legal scholar and civil-rights attorney, is known for her careful and grounded commentary. With decades of experience defending constitutional rights, she can tell the difference between concerning politics and a real threat to democracy. When Ifill wrote an essay this weekend about Todd Blanche becoming attorney general, her opening words felt especially important:
“I am rarely shaken. This week I am shaken.”1
Early Saturday, the US Senate confirmed Blanche by a 50 to 49 vote. Every Democrat and two Republicans voted against him. Republican senators put the Department of Justice in the hands of Donald Trump’s former personal criminal-defense lawyer.
At his confirmation hearing, Blanche was asked about Trump. He first said, “I’m his lawyer,” but then corrected himself: “I was his lawyer.”
His correction wasn’t convincing. The attorney general’s client is supposed to be the people of the United States. This office has the power to investigate, prosecute, imprison, and damage reputations. No president should use that power for personal protection or revenge. But here we are.
Authoritarianism does not always show up with soldiers in the streets. Sometimes it moves forward through familiar institutions that look the same but change in purpose. An investigation can drain a family’s savings and take years from someone’s life. Even a failed prosecution can scare others into silence.
Ifill calls Blanche’s confirmation “a milestone in our descent into authoritarian rule.” This is a serious claim, and she backs it up with actions the department has already taken:
pursuing inflated felony charges against ordinary people to soothe the president’s anger or embarrassment;
refusing to investigate credible allegations of unlawful arrests, racial profiling, excessive force, and killings by ICE agents;
targeting protesters and elected officials performing oversight;
investigating journalists and their sources when their reporting reflects badly on Trump;
redirecting civil-rights enforcement toward claims brought by white men and Christians while neglecting Black people whom the Fourteenth Amendment and landmark civil-rights laws were created to protect;
dismantling the customary processes for pardons and commutations;
using the department to protect the president and advance his personal wealth;
declining to enforce antitrust laws when corporate consolidation serves the president’s interests;
abusing courts through collusive or frivolous litigation, misleading representations to judges, and possible misconduct before grand juries; and
resisting congressional oversight, with questions about the truthfulness of sworn testimony.
Seeing this whole list at once is overwhelming. Ifill is not guessing about what Blanche might do in the future. She is talking about things that happened while he was already leading the Justice Department. His confirmation means the Senate has approved what we have already witnessed.
Psalm 94 asks, “Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who contrive mischief by statute?”
The psalmist understood that laws can sometimes hide injustice. A statute might look legitimate but still serve cruelty. A prosecution can follow the rules and still be corrupt. Religious language can be used to bless a ruler, even while that ruler punishes people who speak the truth.
Christian nationalism relies on that kind of blessing. It teaches Christians to view the leader’s power as if it comes from God. Loyalty is seen as faithfulness. Criticism is seen as betrayal. Cruelty is seen as necessary to restore the nation.
Psalm 94 rejects this alliance. God cannot be used to support rulers who create injustice through law. Crosses, prayers, and biblical words cannot make that kind of power right.
Ifill ends her essay by urging lawyers, journalists, faith communities, organizers, companies, and everyday people to understand what this confirmation means. She believes the institutions that could have held this administration in check are falling, one after another.
“I am rarely shaken. This week I am shaken.”
Many of us feel shaken. We see the ground shifting under institutions we hoped might withstand the assault. We see people who are supposed to protect democracy give up their responsibility. We wonder how much will be lost before enough people notice what is happening.
Feeling shaken is not the same as being defeated. Sometimes it just means we are finally letting the truth in. I suppose the real question is whether fear will make us hide, or whether love will keep bringing us back into public life and back to each other.
The future is still open. So is our courage.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
Which part of Sherrilyn Ifill’s accounting most unsettled you? What does your response reveal about what you love and fear losing?
Where have you seen Christian language used to bless political power rather than hold it accountable?
What helps you remain present to the truth of this moment without surrendering to fear, numbness, or despair?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer For When We Are Shaken
Holy One, The ground beneath us feels unsteady. Institutions we trusted are bending, truth is being punished, and fear is being used to make neighbors into enemies. Keep us from looking away. Strengthen those who tell the truth, protect those targeted by the powerful, and give courage to lawyers, journalists, judges, public servants, and ordinary people who refuse to surrender their conscience. Guard us from despair and from the comfort that asks nothing of us. Draw us back toward one another until love becomes stronger than fear and courage finds us again. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Strengthen One Line of Defense
Authoritarian power depends upon our isolation and exhaustion. This week, choose one person or institution working to protect those most vulnerable to abuses of power. It might be an independent newsroom, an immigrant-defense organization, a civil-rights group, a public-interest law office, or a local congregation offering sanctuary and support.
Learn what they need. Then make one concrete offering: a donation, a phone call, an hour of volunteer service, a letter to an elected official, or an invitation for someone else to join you.
Before you act, place your hand over your heart and take three slow breaths. Remember that you do not have to carry the whole struggle. You are simply choosing not to disappear from it.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
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. Join the community here.
August 11 - September 1, 2026, 12:30-1:30pmET - Book Club in The Commons - FREE - We are reading our next book, “I Eat The Stars” by Sarah Wilson. We will meet each Tuesday for 6 weeks. It’s such great fun. I hope you will be a part. All are welcome! RSVP HERE.
August 20, 2026, 7-8:45pm ET - I will be joining Jackie Sussman for an online session on practicing eidetics as a part of our “Reclaiming the Power of Imagination” monthly series. Eidetic Imagery is a powerful tool for pastors, denominational leaders, coaches, and spiritual directors working with others, and for individuals seeking deeper integration and healing in their own lives. Jackie is a psychotherapist, author, and leading expert in Eidetic Image Psychology, and has spent over forty years helping leaders and individuals unlock creativity, uncover hidden strengths, and move through limiting patterns. During this session, she will lead a live Eidetic process shaped by mythic imagery, offering a direct experience of the work. REGISTER HERE.
September 8, 2026, 7-9pm ET, ONLINE EVENT - I’ll be hosting a powerful online gathering on The Black Madonna: Sacred Wisdom for a World in Crisis with Matthew Fox, Alessandra Belloni, and Christena Cleveland. We will explore the Black Madonna as a symbol of resilience, liberation, sacred feminine wisdom, and healing in a fractured world through conversation, story, music, and spiritual reflection. If you feel drawn toward a deeper encounter with the Divine Feminine and the ancient traditions that continue to nourish movements for justice and wholeness, I hope you’ll join us. Learn more and REGISTER HERE.
September 14, 7-8:30pm ET ONLINE EVENT - I’m delighted to share that Dr. Margaret Wheatley is releasing a newly updated edition of her beloved book Perseverance: A Companion for the Journey this October. Written for those committed to serving the world with compassion in difficult times, the book offers daily wisdom and practical guidance for navigating grief, anger, exhaustion, and uncertainty while remaining rooted in love, courage, and presence. Meg and I will be in conversation to explore what perseverance looks like in this moment of history and how we can sustain ourselves for the long work ahead. I hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a deeply meaningful conversation. REGISTER HERE.
October 6, 2026 - 7-8:30pm ET, ONLINE EVENT - Matthew Fox and I are teaming up again to launch a series called Journeying with the Mystics. The mystics have always emerged in times of uncertainty. They appear when old certainties are crumbling, when institutions no longer provide easy answers, and when people find themselves longing for a deeper experience of the Sacred. Join us for an 18-session exploration of the teachings of St. John of the Cross, Thomas Merton, Hildegard of Bingen, Kabir and Rumi, Meister Eckhart and more. This is more than a lecture series. It is an invitation into a living spiritual journey. REGISTRATION COMING SOON!
October 18-21, 2026 - PREACH! 2026 Conference- I’ll be co-hosting PREACH in Minneapolis with Church Anew, a new gathering for preachers, storytellers, worship leaders, and spiritual communicators navigating what it means to speak with clarity, compassion, and courage in a changing world. If you’ve sensed that the preaching moment has changed and are longing for thoughtful community and renewed imagination for this work, I hope you’ll join us.
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.
My dear friend and Buddhist teacher, Isa Gucciardi PhD, leads this amazing center call The Foundation of the Sacred Stream. On August 13 from 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm Pacific (8:30 pm – 10:00 pm Eastern), they will be hosting an online event called “Compassion for the Modern Heart with Geshe Gedun Samdup.” In a world that moves quickly and often feels fragmented, compassion is not a luxury—it is a vital practice for staying present, connected, and resilient. This class offers a grounded and accessible exploration of compassion through the lens of Tibetan Buddhism’s three distinct forms of compassion: compassion for all beings, compassion for conditioned phenomena, and objectless compassion. Together, these teachings provide a practical and deeply nourishing framework for meeting the complexities of modern life with clarity and care. LEARN MORE HERE.
I’m delighted to celebrate the upcoming release of Wisdom Church: Abundant Life for Aging Congregations by my colleague, Rev. Dr. Anna Hall. Rather than seeing aging congregations as communities in decline, Anna invites us to recognize them as communities rich with wisdom, purpose, and possibility. Her book offers a hopeful vision for moving beyond anxiety about the future and embracing the unique gifts of older adults as beloved children of God. If your congregation is navigating these questions, this is a resource well worth reading. You can preorder the Kindle edition now, with delivery on August 17: https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Church-Abundant-Aging-Congregations-ebook/dp/B0HBXGYTWC
Every Monday, 12pm ET - ONLINE WRITING GROUP - My dear friend, Meryl Marshall-Daniels, is leading a writing group open to all. This is a simple and spacious writing circle for people who want time to listen inwardly and put words on the page without overthinking, performing, or polishing. Meryl offers a prompt designed to invite reflection, imagination, and attunement to what is already alive within you. The practice honors writing as a way of listening, of letting images, memories, questions, and insights surface in their own time. Learn more here.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
The practice really hits home, today. One thing.
I was shaken also. I had hoped that there was just one more just and honest Senator...THAT THERE WASN'T IS INDEED SCARY. Now, it is up to the American people to ACT honestly and justly.