The True State of the Union

A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble

“By their fruits you shall know them.” — Matthew 7:16

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Last night the president delivered the State of the Union address. It was (far too) long. It was blustery. It was filled with exaggerations, petty attacks, disputed claims, and sweeping declarations of success.

For his supporters, it was a display of strength. He appeared decisive, unflinching, dominant. They saw a protector who does not apologize.

For others, it was deeply unsettling. They heard distortion, ego, and a narrowing of moral imagination. They felt the fragility of democratic norms. They felt the ground tilt.

For both sides, the moment, as so many do these days, felt existential.

When political speech begins to register as survival on both sides, we are no longer arguing about policy details. We are wrestling with identity, belonging, and fear.

The “Strongman” versus “Threat” binary stabilizes the drama. One side experiences protection. The other experiences danger. Both are pulled into the same gravitational field. Attention concentrates on the podium. Outrage fuels engagement. Loyalty fuels defense. The presidency becomes the protagonist in a national story that never pauses.

This dynamic feeds itself.

A Strongman requires witnesses who cheer. He also requires witnesses who tremble. The perception of threat amplifies the perception of strength. Each side sharpens the other. Each reaction confirms the stakes.

Meanwhile, the nervous system of the country continues to fray.

The exhaustion I hear in conversations is deeper than polarization. People are tired of living in permanent escalation. They are tired of being asked to metabolize crisis as a daily habit. Cortisol levels do not care about ideology. Our bodies carry stress long after applause fades.

Underneath the shouting, we are all holding so much grief.

Some grieve a world they believe is slipping away, a sense of order, hierarchy, clarity. Others grieve a world they hoped was emerging, more just, more diverse, more accountable. Both are mourning the limits of institutions that were never built to carry the weight of our projections.

The State of the Union address is a ritual. It assumes that the condition of a nation can be spoken into coherence from a podium. It assumes that policy language can stabilize reality. Those days are over for us.

But the actual state of the union lives elsewhere.

It lives in the soil absorbing heat from a warming planet. It lives in hospitals and classrooms. It lives in supply chains that move food and medicine. It lives in care networks that check on elderly neighbors. It lives in families negotiating rent, childcare, and medical bills. It lives in bodies that wake at 2 a.m. and cannot fall back asleep.

Last night was performance. The deeper coordination of life continues regardless of who stands at the microphone.

This does not mean leadership is irrelevant. Words shape markets. Policies shape lives. Power matters.

But if governance becomes theater, the real work of sustaining society shifts into less visible places: Mutual aid. Local leadership. Regional cooperation. The ordinary infrastructure of care.

Jesus’ words remain instructive: by their fruits you shall know them. Not by volume. Not by dominance. Not by applause. By fruit.

• Does the speech reduce fear or amplify it?

• Does it strengthen institutions or hollow them out?

• Does it cultivate trust or deepen suspicion?

These are measurable outcomes.

I am not interested in rehearsing last night’s lines. I am interested in what grows from them.

When a culture organizes itself around performance, citizens must decide where to place their attention. Attention is not neutral. It feeds what it rests upon.

The union of this country will not ultimately be secured by rhetorical dominance. It will be secured by whether we can rebuild trust in the systems that allow life to flourish: food distribution, healthcare access, fair courts, clean water, reliable infrastructure, neighborly solidarity.

That work does not make headlines. But it is real. And it is happening.

We are in this together,

Cameron

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Reflection Questions

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1. How did you experience last night’s address in your body — tension, anger, reassurance, fatigue? What does that reveal about what you fear or hope for?

2. Where do you see fruit in your own community — evidence of care, cooperation, resilience — that exists independent of national performance?

3. What would it mean for you to shift even ten percent of your attention away from political theater and toward constructive, local participation?

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A Prayer for the Day

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A Prayer for Courage to Question

God of truth and endurance,

You see beyond podiums and polling numbers.
You see the systems that hold life together and the fractures that threaten them.

Steady our hearts when rhetoric escalates.
Protect us from fear that distorts judgment and loyalty that silences conscience.

Help us measure leadership by fruit rather than force.
Guard our communities from exhaustion.
Strengthen the quiet networks of care that sustain this nation.

Teach us to invest our attention where life is being cultivated.
Form in us patience, discernment, and courage for the long work ahead.

Amen.

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Spiritual Practice

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Reclaiming Attention

Today, notice how often your attention is pulled toward political performance — headlines, clips, commentary, outrage.

Before clicking, pause.

Ask: Will this deepen my understanding, or simply heighten my agitation?

Choose one hour this week to redirect your attention toward something constructive and local. Call a neighbor. Volunteer. Write a thoughtful letter rather than posting a reaction. Support an organization building durable community infrastructure.

Attention is a form of power. Where you direct it shapes what grows.

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Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…

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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. At the moment, I am leading a book study on Brian McLaren’s book, Life After Doom, on Tuesdays. Join the community here.

March 17, 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 Abrams, Randy Woodley and Lynne Twist! 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 will be joined by Ruth Dearnley, OBE, Founder and President of Stop the Traffik in London (see her TED Talk), and Diane Melley, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Foundation, for a critical conversation titled “Stop the Exploitation of Children: Disrupting Modern Slavery 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 have a vital role to play. Ruth will share how technology is exposing trafficking networks, and Diane will highlight what cities like Philadelphia are learning, including insights related to the World Cup. All who register will receive the recording. Learn more and 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.

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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.

Science and Nonduality is offering a Community Gathering with Dr. Lyla June, Kaira Jewel Lingo and Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg, facilitated by Rae Abileah on February 26th on how spiritual practice, trauma-aware care, and neighborhood organizing are being woven together as living traditions. Learn more here.

The need for us to persevere and contribute grows ever more challenging as the horror and cruelty escalates, created by leaders with “malevolent incompetence.” Dr. Margaret Wheatley is offering a “Bundle for Good” for shipping within the U.S. She will send you seven copies of Perseverance, and one copy of her book of poems, Opening to the World as It Is. She’s including the poetry book as another means to support you personally. You can learn more here.

The Convergence Music Project is hosting a songwriting event on March 19-21, 2026 in Nashville. No songwriting experience is required, so feel warmly welcome even if you've never written a song before. There will be plenty of content also to further educate, inspire, and develop the gifts of advanced songwriters as well. Learn more.

Millions of people are seeking training in becoming Legal Observers for their communities vulnerable to ICE. Here is a recorded training that is helpful produced by the team at No Kings. If you know of other trainings, please post in the comments below.

The phenomenal team of “Singing Resistance” has gifted all of us a songbook of protest songs that groups are now using across the world. Here is the link. I am marching around my house singing these throughout the day. My dogs are very confused.

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If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.