The Weight We Carry
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Grief is not something we fix. It’s something we tend. Like a garden, like a fire, like a wound.” — Francis Weller
Every Thursday morning, my dear friend Meryl and I check in with each other. It’s our ritual, a way of staying tethered in a world that often feels like it’s unraveling. This week, Meryl started the conversation by saying, “My shoulders and neck are so tight, it’s like my head is too heavy to hold up.” She had been working with a healer who told her that when deeply feeling people are overwhelmed, they often experience a disconnect between head and body. We carry so much in our minds that our bodies become stiff, tense, locked up.
As she spoke, something in me exhaled. I have been feeling the same thing. My shoulders are like stone. My back is aching. Now I could see why—my body, like hers, was carrying the weight of the world. Maybe yours is, too.
If you’ve been paying attention lately, it makes sense that you are tired. That you are holding tension you can’t quite name. That your grief feels too big, too heavy, too much. There is so much to mourn. The suffering of people we love. The unraveling of decency and democracy. The destruction of the earth. And yet, so many of us keep moving, keep pushing, keep showing up—without ever pausing to acknowledge how much this all hurts.
Grief is not a problem to be solved. It is a holy thing to be honored.
Jewish wisdom teaches that mourning is meant to be communal. In times of loss, people gather, they bring food, they sit together in silence, in storytelling, in shared sorrow. They do not rush to make things better. They simply make space for what is. What if we did the same? What if we gave ourselves permission to feel the weight of this moment, instead of pushing it down and calling it strength?
I will be back to documenting the atrocities of this administration and offering theological reflection on Monday. God knows there is plenty to say. But for today as we head into the weekend, here’s what I want to invite: If you are grieving, know you are not alone. If you are exhausted, I am too. If your body is telling you it’s time to slow down, take some time off. Let’s be gentle with ourselves, with each other, with this world that is breaking and being remade all at once.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
Where in your body are you holding grief?
What would it feel like to stop pushing through and simply allow yourself to feel?
Who in your life can hold space for you, just as you are?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for Reconnection
God of the body and the breath,
You formed us from earth and spirit,
knit together with tenderness and intention.
When we forget ourselves—
when we push too hard, hold too much,
carry burdens that are not ours to bear—
call us back to the wisdom of our bones.
Help us rest, release, and remember
that we do not have to hold up the world alone.
Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Let Yourself Feel
Take a moment today to sit quietly and simply notice how you are. Where do you feel tightness? What emotions rise when you stop distracting yourself? If tears come, let them. If you need to stretch, move, breathe, do it slowly, with intention.
Find one small way to care for yourself today. A warm bath. A short walk. A song played just for you. Whatever it is, do it as an act of love for the body and soul that are carrying so much. You are allowed to grieve. You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to feel.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
March 25, 2025, 7-8:30pm - Dr. Matthew Fox and I are hosting a Lenten series that we are calling “From Darkness to Dawn: Spiritual Courage and Political Action in the Age of MAGA.” Our first session was with modern mystic, Mirabai Starr. Andrew Harvey was our second guest. The amazing Bishop Yvette Flunder was on March 18! Father Adam Bucko on March 25! REGISTER HERE! (recordings are available)
April 1, 2025, 12pm ET - Rev. Damien Lake and I are collaborating on hosting a cohort for new congregation developers that will meet monthly. Ecumenical. Interfaith. Free. Join us.
April 1, 2025 - Rabbi Benjamin Ross and I are collaborating on a new leadership program called “All Together Now: A Collaborative Cohort for Jewish Congregational Leadership Teams.” You can read about the program here.
June 4, 2025, 12pm ET - Jeff Chu has written a new book on a topic close to my heart: Soil! The title is “Good Soil: The Education of an Accidental Farmhand.” I am so pleased to be interviewing him. I hope you will register (link coming). Your registration includes a copy of his new book.
July 20-25, 2025 - The Art of Wilding: A 5-Day Expedition in Wyoming for Women Leaders. Click here to learn more. Only one spot left!
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. Mark your calendars! More on this soon.
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.
Thank you, Cameron. I’m carrying the weight in my neck & shoulders and didn’t realize, until this post, that it could be from where we are. Surrounding you with love. 💜
I cannot begin to thank you enough for your reflections. Sometimes I feel so alone in the pain I carry for others. You give me community. It helps. Thank you.