Still Becoming
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Lord, Lord,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what God wills.” — Matthew 7:21, adapted from The Message
Author and poet Maya Angelou, in a 2011 interview after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, said, “I’m always amazed when people walk up to me and say, ‘I’m a Christian.’” She paused. “I think, ‘Already? You already got it?’ I’m working at it, which means that I try to be as kind and fair and generous and respectful and courteous to every human being.”
I think about Dr. Angelou’s words often. I, too, am trying to become a Christian. Trying—not arrived, not certain, not done. Just trying. Some days I feel closer to the mark. Other days, I know how far I still have to go. Life has softened me—age, grief, love, failure, grace—they’ve all sanded down some of the sharpest edges. I act less now and reflect more. I speak less quickly. I try to listen more deeply. I carry fewer assumptions. But still, I am trying.
What strikes me most about Angelou’s reflection is the humility—the resistance to declaring a fixed identity, the rejection of a finished spiritual product. In her words, we hear the soul of a true seeker.
How different that is from the voices we hear rising across this country—loud, righteous voices cloaked in religious certainty and political dominance. The growing white Christian nationalist movement claims moral and theological authority while wielding political power to exclude, divide, and dominate. They do not speak of trying. They do not speak of becoming. They claim arrival—God’s chosen, America’s rightful heirs, Christianity’s defenders.1
But the moment religion becomes an identity to defend rather than a path to walk, it turns dangerous. When faith becomes a badge of belonging to wield against others, it becomes toxic. And when it joins forces with nationalism and whiteness, it becomes evil.2
My chosen grandfather, Rev. Dr. Jim McCormick, once taught me that you can know if something is of God because it looks, acts, talks and walks like Jesus. All good religion, as Angelou reminds us, is a daily practice of kindness, fairness, generosity, and respect. It’s a humility that knows the work is never finished. It is love embodied in action, not belief shouted from pulpits or legislated into law. And it is always willing to ask, Who is being left out? Who is being harmed in my certainty?
These are dangerous times. But they are also clarifying ones. As the voices of Christian nationalism grow louder, those of us who are still trying to be faithful—still failing and still returning to love—must speak. Not with the same weapons. Not with the same certainty. But with the quiet, steady strength of humility and fierce compassion.
Let’s be the ones who are still trying. Because trying—earnestly, humbly, daily—is perhaps the most faithful thing we can do.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What does “trying to become faithful” mean to you in this season of your life?
Where do you notice certainty or superiority creeping into your spiritual identity?
How can you embody humility and love more deeply in the face of rising intolerance?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for the One Still Trying
O Holy Presence, You who are always becoming, always unfolding— I come to you as one unfinished. I don’t have all the answers. I don’t need them. But I long to live in your way: with mercy, with courage, with humility. Keep me tender when the world hardens. Keep me honest when power tempts. Keep me generous when fear narrows my heart. Let me walk the path of becoming, and never mistake it for arrival. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Embodying the Unfinished Way
This week, notice when you feel the need to declare, defend, or prove something—your beliefs, your identity, your correctness. When that moment arises, pause. Take a breath.
Ask yourself: What would humility do here?
Then choose the next action not from certainty, but from compassion.
Becoming is slow work. Let your actions reflect that sacred unfolding.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
September 4, 5:30pm 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!
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 other Special Guests. 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!
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.
I interviewed Dr.
last year about her book, Jesus and John Wayne, and the threat of White Christian Nationalism. You should absolutely subscribe to her Substack newsletter and follow her work. You can watch the video of our conversation here: https://convergencecolab.org/p/jesusjohnwayneWatch this CNN interview to see a recent and terrifying example of Christian Nationalism.
So beautiful. This reminds me of C. G. Jung's view that ultimately the fate of humanity will come down to whether enough people recognize their own shadow and engage in the real work of honest, spiritual growth transformation. But sometimes I wonder if we have time for individual-level change, given the unfolding ecological collapse and rise of totalitarianism.
I have always seen my journey as one of becoming. Some days I move forward, other days I try to hide. Thank you for your words during this season, your posts have become a marker for me as I try to become a Christian.