Justice Is Not Finished
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
Today in the US, we observe a holiday that is meant not simply to remember a life, but to rekindle a struggle that is not yet complete.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established after fifteen years of persistent advocacy, following Dr. King’s assassination in 1968 and the long campaign to recognize his life in a way that might shape a nation’s conscience.1 It was not intended to be a day off. It was intended to be a day on, a day of reflection, learning, service, and accountability to principles that remain unfinished in our time.
Dr. King named three interconnected evils — racism, poverty, and militarism — as threats to a democratic society. His own daughter has recently reiterated that these evils are not relics of the past but are manifest today in how power operates: in systems that extract dignity from vulnerable bodies, in policies that weaponize fear, and in moral imaginations that defend privilege at the expense of justice.2
King was not naïve. He knew that justice would not come without struggle. He knew that nonviolence was not the absence of resistance but the courage to refuse dehumanization while naming its presence. He understood that freedom is never fully realized in a single moment, that it must be renewed again and again by people willing to look at themselves and their societies honestly.
It would seem we still have much work to do.
We are living in a time when fear is deployed as a political instrument, violence is defended as policy, and truth is bent to protect power. People continue to die at the hands of the state, while leaders ask us to look away, to trust their narratives, to accept what should never be acceptable. The deeper danger is not only despair, but adaptation, the gradual reshaping of our conscience until injustice begins to feel ordinary. This is the moral crisis King named. The work he entrusted to us, the work of humanizing one another and defending dignity wherever it is threatened, requires us to resist that moral erosion. Justice is not finished.
Today we honor Dr. King not by mythologizing him, but by approaching his life as a living invitation: to bear witness, to act with radical empathy, and to organize our choices in ways that defy the politics of fear and indifference.
The holiday invites us to reflect, yes, but also to make a day of service of our lives, to extend what King called “the beloved community” into places that feel distant from it. It invites us to ask: how do we move toward justice in our neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and civic life? How do we embody a courage that looks like service rather than self-protection?
In his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King wrote, “There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and people are no longer willing to be plunged into an abyss of injustice.”
To honor him today is to make that refusal our own: to choose speech when silence would be easier, compassion when outrage hardens the heart, and action when resignation tempts us to withdraw.
We do not need to complete King’s work in a single day. We only need to remain faithful to it, stepping again toward justice with persistence, clarity, and shared purpose, trusting that the arc of justice bends only because people keep standing for what is right.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
When you hear King’s words about injustice, what part of your own life feels most called to witness?
Where do you sense fear narrowing your compassion?
How can reflection move you beyond feeling into faithful action?
A Prayer for the Day
A Blessing for Beloved Community
Source of Justice and Mercy, We honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Not as an icon to be idolized, But as a teacher whose clarity still calls us forward. Give us courage to see injustice clearly And compassion to respond without turning away. Where systems harm, grant us the strength to repair. Where fear divides, grant us the courage to connect. Where truth is contested, grant us voices of integrity. May our service today be more than gesture. Make it a grounding of our lives In the pursuit of equality, dignity, and peace. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
A Day On, Not a Day Off
Today, choose one tangible act of service rooted in justice, not duty.
Option 1: Volunteer with a group working for racial equity, food access, or community care.
Option 2: Reach out to someone different from you — across lines of race, class, politics — and ask a question about their experience.
Option 3: Teach or learn something about civil rights history that expands your understanding of struggle beyond headlines.
Option 4: Donate time or resources to an organization that defends voting rights, immigrant rights, or community safety.
After you act, take a moment of quiet reflection: What did this action teach you about connection? About fear? About justice?
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Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
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.
Have you heard about the Franciscan Federation? I absolutely LOVE these folks and am excited about the future they are envisioning. If you want to learn more about Franciscan theology, check out their extensive website of resources. This world needs more Franciscan-hearted people. Count me in!
Bryan Sirchio is the lead designer of the Convergence Music Project and has just launched a new podcast on Just and Generous Worship Music. Check out the podcast and new website here: https://convergencemp.com/
I am working on a big AI project in partnership with a company called Change.ai. I have been SO impressed with their commitment to justice organizations and safe, ethical AI space. Change Agent grew out of a 55-year-old civil rights nonprofit, and those values guide their approach.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/15-year-battle-martin-luther-king-jr-day
https://apnews.com/article/mlk-holiday-bernice-king-a35864c47b88ab40254f45232a7568f6
If we are not practicing what MLK urges in our homes and with our neighbors and our workplace, then we’re just kidding ourselves about who we are.