The Story We Need to Remember
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“One generation shall praise your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” — Psalms 145:4
In many African traditions, elders tell a beautiful story about the baobab tree.
The baobab grows enormous—its trunk wide, its branches stretching toward the sky—because it holds the stories of the village inside it.
For generations, people gather beneath its shade. They tell the stories of where they came from. They remember their ancestors. They speak aloud the struggles their people survived and the wisdom those struggles revealed.
The elders say the stories nourish the tree. The more the people remember, the stronger the tree grows. In return, the tree shelters the people. It is a simple image, but it tells us something important about how people remain rooted in difficult times. Communities grow strong when they remember their stories.
I have been thinking about that image this week.
Right now many people feel unsettled. War has expanded in the Middle East, and public life at home often feels chaotic and unpredictable. I hear the concern in conversations everywhere I go. When events move this quickly, it becomes easy to lose our bearings and forget who we are meant to be.
That is when memory becomes essential.
Spiritual traditions have always known this. Again and again the scriptures call people to remember. Remember the covenant. Remember the liberation. Remember the mercy that carried you through earlier storms.
Memory is not nostalgia. Memory is grounding.
When we remember our deepest stories, we remember what kind of people we are meant to be. We remember that courage has existed before us. We remember that compassion has carried communities through darker times than our own.
That remembering strengthens our roots. In moments of fear, societies often forget their best stories. We begin telling different stories instead—stories about enemies, about domination, about who must be defeated so that we can feel safe again. But those are not the stories that nourish life.
The stories that sustain a community are the ones that remind us of our shared humanity. Stories of liberation. Stories of courage. Stories of people who chose compassion even when fear would have been easier.
Those stories make us larger inside.
Perhaps that is why the psalmist said that one generation must tell the story to the next. Not because the past needs repeating, but because every generation needs roots. Without roots, fear easily takes over.
When we remember who we are, when we hold the stories of justice, mercy, courage, and love, something inside us steadies.
We become like the baobab. Rooted. Sheltering. Steady.
Strong enough to hold the stories of the people.
And strong enough to protect life beneath our branches.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What stories have shaped your understanding of compassion, courage, or faith?
When the world feels unstable, which stories help you remember who you are?
What stories might your community need to tell again right now?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for Remembering
God of every generation, You have carried your people through many storms. When fear clouds our vision, help us remember. When we feel unsteady, remind us of the stories that have shaped us. Let the memory of courage strengthen our hearts. Let the memory of compassion guide our actions. Let the memory of your presence steady us in uncertain times. Help us become people who hold the stories of hope and pass them forward. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Tell a Story
Today, share a story that has shaped your life.
Tell a child, a friend, or a member of your community about a moment when you witnessed courage, compassion, or justice. It could be a story from your family, your faith tradition, or your own life.
Stories strengthen the roots of a community.
When we remember together, we become more capable of sheltering one another.
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. 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 Abram (cultural ecologist), Lynne Twist (global activist), Randy Woodley (Cherokee scholar and wisdom-keeper), and yours truly! 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’ll be joined by Ruth Dearnley, OBE, Founder and President of Stop the Traffik (London), for “Stop the Exploitation of Children: Disrupting Human Trafficking 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 can play a powerful role in building community resilience. Ruth will share how technology and data are exposing trafficking networks globally, and how congregations can lead local awareness and prevention campaigns that reduce vulnerability and protect children. I hope you’ll join us. Learn more and register here.
March 28, 2026 - No Kings Protest! We are marching again. Mark your calendars and find the nearest protest site. Make your protest signs. Knit your red hats. Get your water bottles and sunscreen ready. We head back into the streets for peaceful protest on behalf of a more just world. I'll see you out there. 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.
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.
I have just discovered the coolest group! The All We Can Save Project grew out of the powerful climate anthology All We Can Save and has become a growing network of people committed to climate courage and community leadership. Their work reminds us that responding to the climate crisis isn’t only about policy or technology; it’s also about cultivating the relationships, imagination, and moral courage needed to protect and restore the living world. Check them out here: https://www.allwecansave.earth/
The International Union of Superiors General (UISG), the Catholic organization representing more than 1,900 congregations of consecrated women religious present on six continents has convened an international moment of prayer for Friday, March 6, at 9:30 am (Eastern time), to be livestreamed and open to the faithful and all people of goodwill.
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.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
Love this!
What a beautiful invitation down memory lane for those of us who have walked by Baobab trees and collected stories from our cloud of witnesses.