Reclaiming the Moral Imagination
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“The burden of being Black and the burden of being white is so heavy that it is rare in our society to experience oneself as a human being. It may be, then, that the most revolutionary thing one can do is to affirm one’s own humanity.”— Dr. Howard Thurman, theologian
As the climate warms, disasters have become a regular rhythm of life—floods, fires, hurricanes, and storms that tear through communities with little warning. And yet, in the aftermath of each tragedy, we witness something startlingly beautiful: the longing to belong.
Even in a fractured and divided world, that desire persists. You can see it in the way people show up—mucking out homes, passing out meals, holding one another in grief. In those moments, something ancient awakens—a memory that we were made for one another.
But on ordinary days, we forget.
Our society has lost its shared moral vocabulary. For generations, we’ve been told that meaning is whatever we make of it. Freedom is the highest good. No one can tell us who we are—or who we owe. And yet, this endless freedom has not made us happier. It has made us more anxious, more fragile, more alone.
In this void, we’ve tried to anchor our lives in something. Consumerism tells us to accumulate. Populism tells us to dominate. Emotivism tells us to trust our feelings above all else. None of it satisfies the soul.
It’s no wonder, then, that so many find Donald Trump appealing—not in spite of his narcissism, but because of it. He is the unvarnished embodiment of a culture that prizes self-interest above all else. He doesn’t speak the language of moral formation. He speaks the language of appetite: I want. I take. I win.
In journalist David Brooks’s words, “Trump doesn’t seek to be formed by the institutions he enters. He seeks to use them as a stage to display his wonderful self.”1
And many follow him—not because they’ve lost all moral instinct, but because they’ve been shaped by a society that no longer teaches moral formation. Where there is no shared good, the loudest voice wins. Where there is no communal story, the cult of personality fills the void.
Trump is not forming people morally. He is giving them a stage on which to display the self—without apology, without reflection, and without responsibility. He is what happens when we confuse expression with formation, feeling with truth, and charisma with character.
But it would be a mistake to believe that this is all people want. The longing for shared moral purpose is still alive. It is expressed quietly—in acts of kindness, in yearning for justice, and in the fatigue so many feel at living in a culture of division and cynicism. Beneath the noise, people are searching for something deeper.
The antidote to moral collapse is not moral superiority. It is moral formation.
We must rebuild the structures that help people become whole. We need institutions that don’t just transmit knowledge, but form character. This includes faith communities, schools, families, and public institutions that form character through example, practice, and accountability. We must return to the slow work of shaping people who know how to live in relationship—with one another, with the earth, and with themselves.
This kind of formation asks real questions:
Who are you becoming?
What do you owe the people around you?
What does a good life require—not just from the world, but from you?
This is not a call to impose rigid moral rules. It is an invitation to reclaim shared responsibility. It is an opportunity to remember that the self is not a solitary project. It is a communal inheritance—shaped by story, practice, and love.
We may never return to a singular moral consensus. But we can create communities of practice—pluralist, humble, and rooted in shared responsibility. We can teach again what it means to live for the common good.
Because in the end, character is not something we find. It’s something we form—together.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
Who helped form your moral compass—and what practices shaped your sense of right and wrong?
Where in your life are you being called to move from self-interest to shared responsibility?
How might your congregation, family, or community deepen its commitment to moral formation?
A Prayer for the Day
For the Rebuilding of Character
Holy One, In a time of shouting and showmanship, help us return to quiet integrity. When so much tempts us to escape or perform, call us back to the courage of becoming real. Teach us again what goodness requires. Shape in us the humility to listen, the strength to act, and the tenderness to belong. Form us, not into victors, but into people of dignity, depth, and compassion. Let our lives speak—not just of what we believe, but of what we serve. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Moral Memory Map
Choose one period of your life—a childhood season, a teenage year, or a chapter from your adulthood. Ask yourself:
Who were the people who shaped my sense of right and wrong?
What decisions did I make that reflected my character—or challenged it?
How did my community hold me accountable, if at all?
After reflecting, write down one value from that time that still feels essential today. Then name one value you now hold that you wish you had learned earlier. Let this exercise remind you that character is not static. It is something we can—and must—tend throughout our lives.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
SOLD OUT!!! July 20-25, 2025 - The Art of Wilding: A 5-Day Expedition in Wyoming for Women Leaders. Click here to learn more in case you want to come next year!
REGISTRATION OPEN! August 11, 2025, 2pm ET - Dr. Andrew Root and I will be hosting a 6 part series on Spirituality in the Secular Age based on his research. The dates are August 11, 18, September 8, 15, and October 6, 13. Register here!
September 4, 4:30pm ET - I will be collaborating with the Anderson Forum for Progressive Theology to host a conversation with Thomas Jay Oord on Open and Relational theology. It’s a FREE event. Register here.
October 15-18, 2025 - Converging 2025: Sing Truth Conference (all musicians invited!) at Northwest Christian Church in Columbus, OH. 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.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/07/trump-administration-supporters-good/683441/?gift=TRYlD9_9XZyEpFPEP3slK_JYCJI1l0svetFEpnnUdik
Thank you Cameron for always bringing us back inside . I have recently heard and believe that hope for the future is built today. This practice that you recommend is just such a step. The only way to realize the world we want is to seek inside, and live daily into the steps. Grateful to be led by your inspiring writing.
Deeply insightful and very well said. I'm sharing on my FB feed.
I'm thinking we likely never had a "singular, moral consensus" to which we might return. But I think we did have - and may still have, if we can hold onto it - a communal framework in democracy for moral formation, as you have noted. One that is pluralist, humble, responsible, and - I would add - accountable. Thank you for your reflections that look deeper than the surface analysis of politics.