The Work Beneath the Surface
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground… and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.” — Mark 4:26–27
There is a story told about the bamboo forests of Asia. When bamboo is planted, almost nothing happens for years. The seed is watered. The soil is tended. Seasons pass. To the casual observer, the ground appears unchanged.
One year goes by. Nothing.
Two years. Still nothing.
Three. Four.
Then sometime around the fifth year, something remarkable happens. The bamboo suddenly shoots upward. Within a matter of weeks it can grow nearly ninety feet tall.
To someone who has not been watching closely, the growth appears sudden and almost miraculous. But of course the growth did not begin in the fifth year.
For years the bamboo has been doing its most important work underground. It has been growing an intricate network of roots, spreading wide and deep through the soil. Only once that foundation is strong enough does the visible growth begin.
I have been thinking about that story lately.
Many people right now feel discouraged, and it is not difficult to understand why. The United States is now engaged in a widening war with Iran that began with coordinated strikes alongside Israel and has already drawn retaliation across the region. Oil routes in the Strait of Hormuz have been disrupted, missiles and drones have been launched at military bases and shipping lanes, and civilians have already died.
There is no clear plan for how this conflict will end or what stability afterward might look like. At the same time, tensions within our own country continue to rise. Communities feel strained. Institutions that once carried moral authority appear uncertain or compromised.
Many of us watch these events unfold and quietly ask a difficult question: Is anything we are doing actually making a difference? When change takes longer than we hoped, it is easy to believe that nothing is happening.
But spiritual traditions have always understood something that bamboo forests demonstrate so clearly: the most important growth often happens where we cannot see it.
When people gather to support one another, roots are growing.
When neighbors refuse to abandon compassion in a climate of fear, roots are growing.
When communities continue telling stories of justice, mercy, and dignity even when the larger culture grows cynical, roots are growing.
None of that work appears dramatic. It rarely makes headlines. It does not move quickly enough to satisfy our longing for immediate change.
But it matters.
Jesus often spoke about the kingdom of God in ways that puzzled people. He compared it to seeds scattered in a field, seeds that grow quietly through the night while the farmer sleeps. The growth happens beyond human control and often beyond human awareness. That image has always required patience.
The work of love, justice, and community rarely unfolds on the timetable we prefer. It grows slowly, often invisibly, through relationships and commitments that deepen over time. Like bamboo, it builds a foundation beneath the surface before it rises into view.
We may not yet see the full height of what is being planted in this moment.
…but the roots are growing, and roots, once established, can hold an entire forest.
Keep the faith, friends.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What “roots” might be quietly growing in your life right now—relationships, commitments, or practices that strengthen you over time?
How might patience become a form of faithfulness rather than resignation?
What small act of care or justice might help strengthen the roots around you?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for Patience
God of the hidden work, Teach us to trust the growth we cannot yet see. When progress feels slow and the future uncertain, remind us that life often begins beneath the surface. Give us patience to keep tending the soil, courage to keep nurturing compassion, and faith that small acts of justice and kindness are never wasted. Help us become people who grow strong roots— roots deep enough to sustain the forests of tomorrow. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Tending the Roots
Today, take a moment to notice the quiet forms of growth around you.
Think of one relationship, one community, or one practice that is strengthening your life beneath the surface.
Reach out to that person.
Nurture that connection.
Give time to that practice.
The forests that sustain the world rarely begin with dramatic growth. They begin with roots.
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. 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 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.
I wanted to share something from a colleague whose work I deeply respect. Jackie Sussman of InnerVision has spent decades working with people through a practice called Eidetic Imagery. On Sunday, March 15th (9am PST / 12pm EST · Online · $25), she’s offering a special Introduction to Eidetics session focused entirely on relationships. This isn’t talk therapy or communication strategy. It’s a direct experience of the images your mind holds about love, safety, belonging, and power, the ones that quietly shape every relationship you’re in, often without your awareness. I use eidetics in my coaching practice, and I can attest to it’s power as a methodology for self-discovery. If you want to learn more, register here.
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.
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Beautiful analogy. Very helpful, yet I can’t help but think of what an invasive species Bamboo is and how it takes over entire areas. I guess the moral of the story might be to be mindful of who is planting and what they’re planting.