“They shall all sit under their own vines and under their own fig trees, and no one shall make them afraid.” — Micah 4:4, NRSVUE
Today across the United States, people are getting ready to vote. Some will stop at polling places before work. Others will bring their children, hoping to show them what citizenship means. Elderly voters will return to familiar buildings where they have voted for years. First-time voters will feel both excitement and nerves as they take part in an election.
And some people will feel afraid. They have heard about threats of violence. They worry about being intimidated at polling places, clashes between political groups, and what could happen as results come in. Some are from communities that have faced discrimination or harassment, so they have real reasons to wonder if they will be safe.
I wish I could say there is nothing to fear. But I can’t.
Today, I want to honor their courage. It is moving when someone feels afraid but still chooses to take part in their community. Democracy asks regular people to trust that their voices count, even if those in power do not want to listen. Throughout American history, people have risked jobs, safety, and even their lives for this right. We should never forget how precious and hard-won voting is.
This year, faith communities around the country are sending chaplains and peacekeepers to polling places. They come from many religious backgrounds, and some are secular volunteers. Their goal is to create a calm, welcoming space, offer reassurance, and support anyone who feels intimidated. Many have been trained in de-escalation and how to respond if problems come up.
Imagine walking up to a polling place with your heart pounding because you do not know what to expect. Then you see someone nearby whose only job is to help people feel safe. Maybe they greet you warmly. Maybe they help someone find the right entrance or just stand quietly as voters come and go. Their presence cannot remove every danger, but it can remind people they are not alone with their fears.
The prophet Micah gives us an old vision of peace. In chapter four of his book, he imagines nations giving up war and learning to live together in new ways. Swords turn into plowshares, spears into pruning hooks, and people sit under their own vines and fig trees, with no one to make them afraid.
Micah could have ended his vision with nations putting down their weapons. Instead, he shows us an ordinary person resting in the shade, feeling safe enough to enjoy life.
In Micah’s vision, peace goes deep into our lives. People can breathe, rest, and live their daily lives without worrying about threats. That is the kind of peace I am hoping for today.
I am praying for everyone who will stand in line to vote, especially those who feel afraid. I am praying for election workers who have worked hard to prepare for this day and deserve to do their jobs without being harassed. I am praying for volunteers, chaplains, and community leaders who will help keep things calm and safe. I am also praying for people whose political beliefs are different from mine, because their safety and dignity matter too.
I am also praying for what happens after the polls close. Votes need to be counted correctly. Any questions or disputes should be settled by the law. The public deserves honest information, and election officials should be able to do their jobs without threats or pressure. Newly elected leaders must be able to take office through a peaceful, legal transition.
These are basic expectations in a healthy democracy. The fact that we feel the need to pray for them shows how anxious this moment is.
Many of you reading this live outside the United States. I know your countries have their own political struggles, and some of you face dangers much greater than what we are dealing with today. I do not assume that American concerns should always be at the center of our shared attention.
But today, I want to ask you a favor: Please pray for us.
Pray that people can vote safely and freely. Pray for calm where anger is growing and for courage where fear is strong. Pray that those in public office will respect people’s rights and their own responsibilities. Pray that our disagreements do not turn into violence. If prayer is not part of your practice, please keep us in your thoughts and hopes. The goodwill of people outside our country is a gift, especially when we are struggling to trust each other here.
For those of us in the United States, I hope we remember today that our neighbors may have fears we cannot see. Someone next to us in line might be worried about their family, job, or future. Someone working at a registration table may have received threats we do not know about. A volunteer offering comfort may also be scared. We can treat each other kindly while staying firm about protecting everyone’s rights.
I do not know what the next days will bring. Some results may come quickly, while others will take time to count and confirm. We may feel relief, disappointment, sadness, or anger. We may realize that the work of protecting our shared life is not finished.
But this morning, before any of that happens, I want to share one image: A person walks toward a polling place, maybe carrying more fear than anyone knows. Someone greets them kindly. They go in, mark their ballot, and come back out. They get home safely.
May that small, ordinary journey be repeated millions of times today.
And may we keep working to build a country where no one has to be afraid to make that journey.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What fears are you carrying about the political future of your community or country? Who might help you carry them with greater courage and perspective?
Micah imagines a world where no one makes another person afraid. What would need to change in our political culture for that vision to become more fully real?
How might you offer a reassuring presence to someone whose safety or sense of belonging feels uncertain today?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for LettingGod of every nation,
Keeper of the frightened and the brave,
draw near to us today.
Stand beside the trembling voter,
the weary election worker,
the neighbor watching anxiously,
the peacemaker at the door.
Where threats are spoken,
let courage rise.
Where anger gathers,
let wisdom prevail.
Where fear has settled into our bones,
grant us the blessing of safety.
Guard the places where ballots are cast.
Guard the hands entrusted with counting them.
Guard the fragile trust
upon which our common life depends.
And when the votes are counted,
may truth be honored,
may lawful transitions unfold in peace,
and may every person elected to serve
remember the dignity of those they represent.
Until swords become plowshares
and no one is made afraid,
keep us faithful to the work of peace. Peace Keep Watch
God of every nation, Keeper of the frightened and the brave, draw near to us today. Stand beside the trembling voter, the weary election worker, the neighbor watching anxiously, the peacemaker at the door. Where threats are spoken, let courage rise. Where anger gathers, let wisdom prevail. Where fear has settled into our bones, grant us the blessing of safety. Guard the places where ballots are cast. Guard the hands entrusted with counting them. Guard the fragile trust upon which our common life depends. And when the votes are counted, may truth be honored, may lawful transitions unfold in peace, and may every person elected to serve remember the dignity of those they represent. Until swords become plowshares and no one is made afraid, keep us faithful to the work of peace. Amen.
Spiritual Practice: A Circle of Peace
Today, choose three moments to stop for one minute and hold the people participating in this election in your thoughts or prayers.
In the morning, remember those traveling to polling places, especially people who feel vulnerable or afraid.
At midday, remember the election workers, chaplains, volunteers, and others giving their time to safeguard the process.
In the evening, remember those counting ballots, those awaiting results, and those responsible for honoring the outcome.
At each pause, place a hand over your heart, breathe slowly, and offer this simple intention:
May everyone be safe. May every voice be heard. May peace guide what comes next.
For readers outside the United States, these pauses are a way of accompanying your American neighbors across the distance. For readers in the United States, they are an invitation to extend compassion beyond the boundaries of your own political convictions.
If you encounter someone who seems anxious today, offer the gift of a calm and respectful presence. Sometimes peace begins with the way we treat the person standing beside us.
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.
November 3, 2026 - 12:30 - 1:30pm ET - ONLINE BOOK CLUB - NOTE: WE WILL NOT BE HAVING BOOK CLUB TODAY! See you all next week.
November 4, 2026 - 7-8:30pm ET, ONLINE EVENT - Theologian Matthew Fox and I are teaming up again in 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 a 24-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. Learn more and REGISTER HERE!
November 10, 7-8:30pm ET - I’ll be joined by theologian, writer, and professor Dr. Debra Rienstra for a special ONLINE conversation on Refugia Faith. In ecology, refugia are small places where life survives amid disruption, pockets of resilience from which life can eventually regenerate and spread. Debra invites us to consider what this might mean spiritually in an age of climate instability, political turmoil, institutional decline, and profound uncertainty. What if our congregations, communities, relationships, and even our own lives could become refugia, places where courage, compassion, beauty, wisdom, and possibility are protected and cultivated for whatever comes next? I hope you’ll join us for this timely and deeply hopeful conversation. REGISTER HERE!
November 19, 2026, 7-8:45pm ET - I will be joining Jackie Sussman for an online session on practicing eidetics as 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.
December 5, 2026 - A Way in the Wilderness: An Online Advent Silent Retreat, 9:00 a.m.–4 p.m. ET - I’m delighted to be leading a special Advent retreat with my friends at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. A Way in the Wilderness is an invitation to step away from the noise and demands of daily life and enter a spacious day of contemplative prayer, sacred reading, Sabbath rest, and silence. Together, we’ll explore the biblical wilderness as a place where new possibilities emerge and discover the peace that comes from recognizing the Sacred’s presence even in uncertain times. There is nothing to accomplish and no experience to manufacture. Just an opportunity to rest, listen, and remember that we do not travel through the wilderness alone. LEARN MORE.
December 8, 2026, 7-8:00pm ET - The holidays can be especially tender when we are carrying grief. Whether we are mourning someone we love, navigating changes in our health or relationships, or grieving the uncertainty of the world around us, this season can bring losses both old and new to the surface. Join us on The Commons for a special one-hour online gathering led by my friend Joy Gaertner, an Advanced Loss & Grief Recovery Specialist. Together, we will create a welcoming space to acknowledge our losses, honor what we carry through meaningful rituals of remembrance, and discover sources of hope for the season ahead. This will be a gentle evening of connection and care, with room for whatever grief you may be holding. The gathering is donation-based, and all are welcome. LEARN MORE.
December 15, 7-8:30pm ET - FREE WEBINAR - I will be joined by Dr. Charissa Mikoski, Assistant Professor of Research and Hartford Institute for Religion Research for a presentation on “The State of American Congregations: What the Latest Data Tell Us.” This webinar explores findings from the 2025 Faith Communities Today survey, including changes in worship attendance, congregational vitality, finances, volunteering, programming, and leadership. It will also examine what more than 24,000 individual attenders tell us about participation and their experiences of congregational life. Together, these findings offer a picture that is neither simply one of decline nor one of revival, but of significant change and uneven recovery. REGISTER 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.
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.
Praying for all of you in America today. Please pray for South Africa tomorrow, when they go to the polls in local elections. This may not sound so important, but at this point in South Africa's history, it is either the turning point to a future with hope, or a trip down the tunnel it has been following over the last 3 decades, that ends in collapse. Many people are afraid to vote because they don't really trust that the ballot is secret. And they have been intimidated with threats on their families and businesses, if they don't vote for the ANC.