The Danger of A False Savior
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“You shall have no other gods before me.” — Exodus 20:3
We have been (illegally) at war with Iran for some time now. What is changing is not the existence of the war, but how it is being justified. The administration continues to argue that Iran is a dangerous regime, hostile to the United States and Israel, pursuing nuclear weapons. That claim draws on real history and real fear.
But even within the administration’s own intelligence community, there was no clear evidence of an imminent threat when this escalation began. This is not a war forced upon us. It is a war we chose.
Its effects are no longer distant. Fuel costs rise around the world. Food prices follow. The pressure shows up in ordinary households in ways that are difficult to ignore.
In another moment, this reality would lead to deeper questioning by journalists and politicians alike. We might sanely name that the administration has made a foreign policy mistake. Instead, especially in conservative spaces, we are watching justification. As the consequences become harder to avoid, much of conservative media is not revisiting the decision. It is explaining why the cost must be necessary.
The suffering is being given mythical meaning. The rallies, the broadcasts, the 3am tweets by Trump—these are not simply communication. They function as liturgy. Through repetition and intensity, they shape how reality is understood. Say something often enough, with enough conviction, and it begins to feel true.
Within that structure, conservative media and politicians become liturgical priests. They interpret events in a way that preserves the larger story. They explain why what is happening must be happening for the good of the righteous.
Over time, that liturgy produces a particular kind of figure at the center.
Trump is no longer just a president in this frame. He becomes something else: a threshold figure. He moves through events that would destroy an ordinary political career. He survives what should have ended him. He transgresses norms without consequence.
This is not seen as a flaw in the system. It is understood as evidence of his “chosen-ness.”
Normal rules do not apply because he is no longer operating within the same category as other leaders. He is, in the language of myth, touched.
This is an old human pattern. The one who survives what should have ended them becomes marked. Once that mark is assigned, every challenge, every critique, every conflict becomes further proof of their divine role.
The presence of enemies becomes necessary to sustain that proof. Iran. The “deep state.” The “radical left.” Each reinforces the sense of mission. Each helps hold the story together: we are fighting a battle for the soul of the nation, and God is on our side.
It’s false and bad theology. But none of this is irrational in the way it is often described. This story offers coherence in a time when many people feel that the world no longer makes sense.
But it comes at a terrible cost.
When power becomes mythologized, it becomes difficult to question. When it cannot be questioned, it cannot be corrected. And the consequences are carried by ordinary people.
I feel grief in this moment. Grief for the harm already being done. Grief for the people who feel they cannot question what they have come to believe. Grief for a country that is struggling to name what it is experiencing. Grief for the earth herself, bearing the weight of decisions driven by power, greed and extraction rather than care and wisdom.
People of faith have a responsibility here.
We are called to remain grounded in reality. To name what we see. To refuse to give ultimate authority to anything that cannot be questioned.
The commandment still stands. Do not make anything ultimate that is not God. Everything else must remain accountable.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
Where do you see suffering being explained rather than examined in our public life right now?
What does it cost a person to question a belief that has shaped their identity and community?
How do you stay grounded in reality when competing narratives claim authority?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for Clarity in a Time of Confusion
God of truth, In a time when power is given meaning beyond its limits, steady our sight. Help us to see what is real, to name what is happening, and to resist the temptation to look away. Hold us in compassion for those who are afraid to question what they believe. Guard us from becoming hardened in our own certainty. Give us the courage to remain honest, the humility to remain teachable, and the strength to stay rooted in what is true. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Practicing Clear Seeing
Today, notice how explanations are offered for what is happening in the world around you. When you hear a narrative—on the news, in conversation, or in your own thinking—pause.
Ask yourself:
What is being explained?
What is being protected?
What is not being questioned?
Then notice your own response. Stay grounded. Stay curious. Stay honest. You do not need to resolve every contradiction. You only need to remain anchored in what you can see clearly. That is where integrity begins.
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.
March 23, 31 and April 7, 2026, 7-8:30pm ET - Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox and I will be hosting another 4-part series on “Visions for the Common Good.” This series will include sessions with David Abram (cultural ecologist), Lynne Twist (global activist), Randy Woodley (Cherokee scholar and wisdom-keeper), and yours truly! All sessions are recorded, and you will get the link if you can’t make it. Learn more here.
March 26, 2026, 7–8:30pm ET – FREE WEBINAR - I’ll be joined by Ruth Dearnley, OBE, Founder and President of Stop the Traffik (London), for “Stop the Exploitation of Children: Disrupting Human Trafficking at Its Source.” As Board Chair of Stop the Traffik USA, this work is deeply personal to me. We cannot rescue our way out of trafficking; we must prevent exploitation by disrupting the systems and financial flows that profit from vulnerability—and congregations can play a powerful role in building community resilience. Ruth will share how technology and data are exposing trafficking networks globally, and how congregations can lead local awareness and prevention campaigns that reduce vulnerability and protect children. I hope you’ll join us. Learn more and register here.
March 28, 2026 - No Kings Protest! We are marching again. Mark your calendars and find the nearest protest site. Make your protest signs. Knit your red hats. Get your water bottles and sunscreen ready. We head back into the streets for peaceful protest on behalf of a more just world. I'll see you out there. 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.
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.
Each spring, Jewish clergy, musicians, and community leaders gather at Hava Nashira, a long-running conference devoted to the sacred practice of communal singing in Jewish life. Participants learn how music, chant, and shared prayer can deepen spiritual life and strengthen community by helping whole communities lift their voices together. I love that this exists in the world, and that my friend, Cantor Rosalie Will, helps lead it. If your path is in the Jewish tradition, check it out.
The Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace filed a shareholder resolution with Palantir asking the company to publish a human rights impact assessment. Palantir is the AI software behind ICE, predictive policing, algorithm-determined drone killings, merging of private health data, and more. The sisters released a video explaining why they filed the proposal. They are now reaching out to Faith Leaders and asking them to sign the petition in support. The signatures need to be collected by/before March 23.
I have just discovered the coolest group! The All We Can Save Project grew out of the powerful climate anthology All We Can Save and has become a growing network of people committed to climate courage and community leadership. Their work reminds us that responding to the climate crisis isn’t only about policy or technology; it’s also about cultivating the relationships, imagination, and moral courage needed to protect and restore the living world. Check them out here: https://www.allwecansave.earth/
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
“I feel grief in this moment. Grief for the harm already being done. Grief for the people who feel they cannot question what they have come to believe. Grief for a country that is struggling to name what it is experiencing. Grief for the earth herself, bearing the weight of decisions driven by power, greed and extraction rather than care and wisdom.” Yes. That and more. 💔🙏💔
Except from today's UCC devotional by Kenneth L. Samuel: by "The weapons we form to destroy others do backfire." The admin set out to destroy Iran are now surprised that it has backfired and has boomeranged into our lives instead.