Grieving and Rising Again
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
• • •
As we prepare ourselves for the coming years of resistance to the hatred and chaos of the next administration, many of us feel a heavy, familiar grief—a grief born of knowing that we are entering another season of struggle. We had hoped for progress, for unity, for a country that embraced justice and compassion. Instead, we are here, facing the difficult truth that this journey is far from over. The White-lash continues. We carry the heartbreak of knowing that hate and division have found new footholds, and we feel the weight of what lies ahead.
In times like these, it helps to remember those who have walked this path before us. Fannie Lou Hamer was born into poverty in the Jim Crow South. Fannie Lou knew the sting of injustice from an early age. She worked the cotton fields from childhood, felt the weight of racism daily, and endured brutal treatment simply for standing up for her rights. In 1961, she was forcibly sterilized without her consent, a violation that could have shattered her spirit. But instead, she let that heartbreak shape her resolve.
In 1962, Fannie Lou attended a civil rights meeting where she learned about her right to vote. This knowledge was transformative—it was as if she’d found a new purpose in the midst of her suffering. Despite threats, violence, and relentless opposition, she worked tirelessly to register Black voters, becoming a powerful voice in the fight for civil rights. She endured beatings that left her permanently injured, was thrown off the plantation where she worked, and faced hatred that would have crushed many. Still, she held firm, famously declaring, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
Her journey was one of continuous grief, but she never let her sorrow turn into despair. Instead, she used it to fuel her fight, allowing her heartbreak to deepen her compassion and strengthen her commitment to justice. Fannie Lou did not deny her pain; she named it, honored it, and let it transform her. Her life reminds us that grief and resilience can coexist, that we can be both brokenhearted and unbreakable.
If you feel that the system has failed you, know that you’re not alone—systems have been failing people for generations. If this feels like the first time, it may be because privilege has shielded you until now. This moment of threat can be an opening, an invitation to connect with the struggles others have faced all along.
And if you have always felt targeted, sidelined, or harmed by these systems, know this: you are part of a lineage of resilience. Countless people before us have not only survived under oppressive systems, but found ways to thrive, to care for one another, to build circles of solidarity and strength.
What if, in this time of hurt and upheaval, we allowed our pain to deepen our compassion? If each of us took the time to process what we feel and allowed it to turn toward love and care for others, we could create a momentum of healing and resilience that no system can erase.
Fannie Lou’s story shows us that resistance is not just a matter of anger or willpower; it is an act of love. Love for our communities, for future generations, and for the vision of a world made whole. Even in our darkest moments, we can choose to stand, to speak, and to work for a future that honors the dignity of all people. Her life is a testament to the truth that while grief may be our companion on this journey, it is also a source of profound strength.
So today, let us grieve, and let us rise. Let us honor Fannie Lou’s legacy by carrying forward her spirit of resilience, compassion, and courage.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What grief are you carrying right now? How can you let it become part of your strength rather than a source of despair?
How can you honor the legacy of those who have resisted before us, bringing their courage into your own life and actions?
Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for Strength in Grief
God of Justice,
Hold us close as we grieve, as we sit with the weight of what is broken.
Give us the courage to let our hearts break open,
So that our grief may become a wellspring of compassion and resolve.
Teach us to rise, like Fannie Lou, unafraid to name our pain,
And unshaken in our hope for a world renewed in love.
May we carry her spirit forward, each day choosing to live with purpose,
And to be a light for those who feel lost.
Amen.
Spiritual Practice
A Legacy of Resilience
This weekend, take a few quiet moments each morning to honor the grief you are carrying. Place a hand over your heart, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Or stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and open your arms wide. Deep breath.
Name the pain, the loss, the fears you hold. Let yourself feel them fully, and then release them into God’s care.
Then, call to mind the legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer and others who faced their grief and transformed it. Let their strength and resilience inspire you. Offer a simple prayer: God, help me to carry this grief as a source of strength, that I may be part of the love and justice You are creating in the world.
As you go about your day, remember that each small act of love, each choice to be compassionate, each moment of courage, is part of a legacy. Trust that even in your grief, you are sowing seeds of hope for those who will come after.