Five Years Later: Remembering What Must Not Be Forgotten
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known.” — Luke 12:2
Five years ago today, a violent mob summoned by President Donald J. Trump attacked the United States Capitol in an effort to overturn a lawful election and prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Police officers were assaulted. Lives were endangered. Some people died. Democratic institutions were breached. What the world witnessed on January 6 was not a momentary breakdown of order. It was a public unveiling of how fragile democracy becomes when truth is abandoned and power is treated as entitlement.
January 6 was not an isolated event. It was the visible outcome of years of disinformation, racial grievance, and political radicalization. White Christian nationalism was on full display that day—religious language fused with authoritarian loyalty, crosses carried alongside weapons, scripture repurposed to sanctify domination. This was not faith. It was the corruption of faith in service of power.
On December 31, 2025, sworn testimony from Special Counsel Jack Smith confirmed what many already understood: that President Donald Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election, to prevent the lawful transfer of power, and to retain highly classified documents after leaving office, while repeatedly attempting to obstruct justice (read his testimony here).1 This testimony did not create a new truth. It named an old one with precision.
What continues to haunt this anniversary is not only what happened on that day, but what followed—or failed to follow. Accountability proved partial. Consequences proved uneven. Insurrectionists were later pardoned. Political leaders refused responsibility. Institutions designed to protect democracy hesitated when moral clarity was required. We are living now inside the consequences of these failures.
Across spiritual traditions, memory is sacred work. In Judaism, zachor—remembering—is an ethical command. In Islam, justice (adl) is inseparable from truth-telling. In Buddhism, right action cannot arise without right understanding. Indigenous traditions teach that what is not named returns again and again until it is faced. Remembering is not about punishment. It is about preventing repetition.
January 6 violated more than laws. It violated a shared moral agreement that power must be constrained, that disagreement does not justify violence, and that no leader stands above accountability. When those boundaries collapse, fear rushes in. When fear goes unexamined, it seeks targets. When it is clothed in religious certainty, the damage multiplies.
This is why remembrance matters.
We remember the officers who stood their ground. We remember the lawmakers who feared for their lives. We remember the workers whose safety was treated as expendable. And we remember the truth that democracy does not sustain itself by inertia. It requires vigilance, courage, and leaders willing to place the common good above personal ambition.
Five years later, the work remains unfinished (in shambles?!?). But remembrance itself is an act of resistance. It refuses the comfort of forgetting. It insists that justice cannot be built on denial. It reminds us that faith, when it is faithful, binds power to accountability and calls communities back to truth.
We do not mark this day to rehearse outrage. We mark it to recommit ourselves to democratic responsibility, moral clarity, and shared humanity. The future depends on our willingness to face what was revealed that day—and to refuse its normalization.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What do you remember most clearly about January 6, and how has your understanding of that day changed over time?
Where do you see the danger of faith being distorted in service of power today?
What practices of truth-telling and accountability feel most necessary now—in your community, your nation, or yourself?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer For Truth and Accountability
Source of justice and conscience, We remember this day with grief and resolve. We remember the harm done, the truth denied, and the lives placed at risk by the misuse of power. Do not let us forget what forgetting would cost. Strengthen our commitment to truth, especially when it unsettles us. Guard our faith traditions from corruption, and return them again to humility, restraint, and care for the vulnerable. Give us courage to hold leaders accountable, wisdom to resist fear when it masquerades as righteousness, and perseverance to protect the fragile work of democracy. May remembrance sharpen our integrity and guide us toward repair. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Practicing Moral Memory
Today, take ten minutes to practice intentional remembering. Read one credible account of January 6 slowly. Notice what emotions arise—anger, sadness, fatigue, fear. Do not push them away.
Then ask yourself: What does this moment ask of me now—not as outrage, but as responsibility?
If possible, share that question with someone you trust. Memory deepens when it is held together.
Carry this practice forward—not only today, but whenever truth is threatened by convenience or silence.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
January 6, 13, 20, 2026 - Protest and Action Chaplaincy Training with Rev. Anna Golladay. This live, online training offers a framework for providing compassionate, grounded spiritual care during protests, advocacy gatherings, and social movements. Learn more here.
January 15, 2026, 7-8pm EST - FREE Online Webinar: When the Internet Hurts: The Hidden Online Dangers Facing Our Teens and How Faith Communities Can Respond, Join me in conversation with Sharon Winkler, survivor parent and nationally respected youth online-safety advocate. Sharon’s son, Alex, died at age 17 after experiencing cyberbullying and algorithmically targeted pro-suicide content. Since then, Sharon has dedicated her life to helping parents, educators, and faith leaders recognize online dangers and build safer communities for young people. Register here.
NEW!!!! February 5, 2026 - Margaret Wheatley and and I are launching a new online course called “Leading with Spirit,” a six-session journey into soul-grounded leadership designed to deepen your trust in guidance, nurture perseverance, and rekindle imaginal wisdom for our fractured world. Take a look at the course outline. We are really excited and hope you can join! Scholarship are available if needed. Learn more here!
February 11th and 25, 2026 - Join Our “Building a Culture of Leadership Within Congregations” Cohort facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin Ross and me! A two-session course for ministers and faith leaders ready to strengthen how their congregations and ministries identify, develop, and support leaders. Learn more here.
July 19-24, 2026 - Join me and amazing co-facilitator, Victoria, on retreat in the back-country of beautiful Wyoming. The Art of Wilding is a 5-Day Expedition for Women Leaders. We will spend the week reconnecting to nature, exploring our inner landscapes for change, and engage the wisdom of spiritual teachings. Click here to learn more.
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.
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.
Scholar and teacher, Vanessa Muchado de Oliveira Andreotti, has been developing an extraordinary body of work on meta-relational AI. I’d encourage you to do a deep-dive here: https://burnoutfromhumans.net/ She has also written two books that I think are required reading - Hospicing Modernity and Outgrowing Modernity. Check them out!
Have you discovered Dr. Stacey Patton yet? Buckle your seatbelt! She is an award-winning journalist and professor who is offering a powerful public lecture series called “Manifest Delusion.” 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.
Thank you for this important reflection. I am an Australian, but I watched 6 January happen live on TV. I was determined to see Joe Biden inaugurated, so I set the alarm to wake up and watch it happen in what was for us here the middle of the night. I was appalled and transfixed. This was happening in America! America that claimed to be a beacon for democracy in the world! And now, the world is watching again, as America moves away from all the ideals it was built upon. Justice, truth, and equality no more.
I do feel fear when I think about the unchecked power that has been allowed in Washington. Allowed because members of Congress and White House staff are also scared - they fear for their jobs and even their lives. No one is allowed to go against this president. It is unprecedented madness and yes, I fear it will lead to more and more violence. Who will stand up against Trump? Who will speak the truth? Who will put and end to the lack of accountability?