Miracles in Zion
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“We do not see nature with our eyes, but with our understandings and our hearts.” —William Hazlitt
Some places invite healing simply by being. This week, I am in one of those places: Zion National Park.
There’s no real way to explain what it feels like to stand in this cathedral of stone. The red rock cliffs rise with such staggering force that you lean back just to see their tops. The Virgin River winds its ancient path, carving beauty into every bend. Mountain goats leap across the ridges. Rock squirrels dart through the brush. Horses sway in the desert light. Lavender hums with bees. Cactus blossoms open like tiny miracles.
Everywhere, something is singing.
Carl Jung once said, “If our religion is based on salvation, our chief emotions will be fear and trembling. If our religion is based on wonder, our chief emotion will be gratitude.”
Here in Zion, wonder wells up without effort. Not because life is easy, but because life is alive. This place doesn’t demand anything from you. It doesn’t posture or perform. It simply is. In its presence, I remember: sacredness is not something to achieve, it’s something to notice. To breathe in. To bow before.
Wendell Berry writes:
“We have lived by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world…. We have been wrong. We must change our lives, so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and to learn what is good for it. We must learn to cooperate in its processes, and to yield to its limits…”
Zion reminds me that we are not separate from nature. We are nature. We are not just on the earth—we are of the earth, formed from the same minerals as the cliffs, flowing with the same water as the Virgin River. It is not our job to conquer the land, but to care for it, to protect its beauty and to live in harmony with the life that calls it home.
Maybe that’s our healing: not control, not domination, but belonging. Real belonging. The kind that comes from knowing your place in a living world.
Even now, with the planet under pressure and ecosystems collapsing, beauty persists. The rocks still rise. The river still flows. The cactus still blooms. The miracle continues.
And wonder—real wonder—is not naïve. It’s not a distraction. It’s a way back to ourselves. A way back to wisdom.
If your spirit feels dry, find a place that makes you bow your head or bend your neck back. Let your prayers rise with the canyon walls. Let your tears mingle with the river. Let your breath fall in rhythm with the wind.
You do not need to be productive here. You only need to be present.
Let yourself be healed by wonder.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
When was the last time you truly experienced awe? What stirred it in you?
Do you live more often from fear and control—or wonder and gratitude?
What would change if you believed that what is good for the earth is also good for you?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer of Wonder
Holy Mystery, You who shaped the cliffs and whispered life into lavender, remind us that we, too, are your handiwork— not separate from creation, but made of the same sacred dust. Soften our hearts. Slow our pace. Teach us to bow before beauty and to live in harmony with the song the earth has been singing all along. May wonder be our teacher and gratitude our way of life. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Sacred Listening in Nature
Go outside—anywhere you can. You don’t need a national park to hear the sacred. Sit or stand in stillness.
Let yourself listen to the world around you: the rustle of wind, the buzz of insects, the chatter of birds, the distant hum of human life.
Let yourself listen until you feel your heartbeat slow and your body remember: I belong here.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
NEW!!!!!!!!!!!! October 8-9, 2025, 7-8:30pm ET ONLINE Event- Counterpoint: A Response to Peter Thiel’s Antichrist - For four straight Mondays, tech billionaire Peter Thiel is convening a private series in the heart of Silicon Valley on his obsession with the Antichrist. This peculiar and troubling theological fixation is not just eccentric—it reveals how his version of political theology and apocalyptic imagination are shaping the worldview of some of the most powerful people in the world. We cannot remain silent. As a counterpoint, join me and Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox, along with Kamala Harris’ former Communication Director, Gil Duran, for a powerful counter-narrative rooted in wisdom, justice, and authentic spirituality. REGISTER HERE.
October 18, 2025 - No Kings 2.0 Protest - Scholars of authoritarianism teach us that we need 3.5% of the population rising up to disrupt the rise of authoritarians. The last protest had over 6 million people in the streets in the US (more around the world) which was one of the largest protest in US history. We need to double that number. So here we go again. The movement builds. See you on the streets.
October 20-24, 2025 - FREE Online 5-Day Summit on “Made for These Times: Spiritual Leadership for a World in Crisis.” Political extremism. Climate collapse. Cultural fragmentation. People of faith across the globe are asking: How do we lead with clarity, courage, and compassion in a time like this? REGISTER HERE.
October 23, 30, November 13, 20 2025, 7pm ET - In Search of a New Story: Reimagining What Comes Next, A 4-Part Online Series with Dr. Matthew Fox, Cameron Trimble, Ilia Delio, Diana Butler Bass, Caroline Myss and Luther Smith. We are living through the unraveling of many old stories—about who we are, why we’re here, and how we are meant to live together on this Earth. As these inherited narratives collapse under the weight of climate crisis, social fragmentation, and spiritual disconnection, the question becomes clear: What story will guide us now? REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
NEW!!!!!!!! July 19-24, 2026 - Join me and my 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.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
Earth-We-World present.
Wonder, way back to wisdom.
More than productive.
Wonderful!