When All Else Fails, Bring Snacks and Show Up Anyway
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9
There are days—entire weeks, even—when it feels like the floor of reality is made of wobbly plywood and someone keeps poking holes in it with a hot iron. The Trump administration, now cozy with Elon Musk, is not governing so much as lurching from cruelty to chaos, and doing it in style. This past week alone, they’ve crashed the global economy, gutted the CDC, gone after Social Security, and picked a fight with the giraffes at the National Zoo.
It would be hilarious if it weren’t so devastating.
Here’s what I keep coming back to: in the midst of collapse, we humans do this incredible thing. We cook casseroles. We march with homemade signs. We feed chocolate and hot tea to our inner catastrophizer, and we put one foot in front of the other. We remember who we are.
Consolation is that sweet, holy moment when your solo grief meets someone else’s, and suddenly, you’re not alone anymore. The “I” becomes “we.” The one heartbroken voice becomes a chorus.
We don’t resist authoritarianism with perfection. We resist with songs. With mismatched gloves. With casseroles. With stubborn joy. We resist by refusing to let despair have the last word.
This Saturday (tomorrow), people across the country will gather—some scared, some mad, some tired, some hopeful, all showing up because silence is not an option. Maybe your body is aching, and your soul is tired. Maybe your voice feels too small. Here’s the secret: it’s not your solo that changes the world—it’s the harmony we make together.
So yes, bring your anger and your sore feet. Bring your doubts and your devotion. Bring your kids and your grief and your hope, even if it’s threadbare. Show up.
Because the Jesus story doesn’t end in crucifixion. It ends with life. Life unburied. Life rising. You can bury the truth, but you can’t keep it there.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Given that the Trump administration has also just gutted the Institute of Museum and Library Services, I couldn’t resist posting this:
Reflection Questions
What part of you feels weary—and what part still wants to hope?
Where have you seen small acts of resistance turn into movements of love?
What might you offer—not perfectly, but honestly—in this moment?
A Prayer for the Day
A Benediction for the Weary and Willing
God of the worn-out and the wide-awake,
Meet us here in this fragile in-between—
Between heartbreak and hope,
Between despair and defiance.
Bless our tired feet, our trembling hands,
Our frayed voices and tattered signs.
May our tears water the seeds of justice.
May our laughter be loud enough to rattle the windows of the powerful.
Remind us that we don’t go alone.
We go together,
Held by love,
Guided by grace,
Carried by the promise that even now,
The stone is rolling away.
Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Resurrect Something Small
Today, do one thing that feels like resurrection. It doesn’t have to be grand—just something that reminds you that life persists. Plant something. Write a thank you note. Show up at a protest. Make soup for a friend. Take a nap in the sun and let your body remember what warmth feels like.
Then, tell someone about it. Share the joy. The world needs witnesses to the small resurrections.
And if Saturday comes and you’re able, lace up your shoes and show up. Show up with your neighbors, your children, your grief and your grit. Let your body be part of the prayer. Let your presence say, “I still believe in the common good.”
We’ll see you out there, friends. With signs and snacks and stubborn hope.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
May 19-22, 2025 - Preaching and Worship FREE Online Summit: From war to genocide to a global climate crisis to a nation that perpetuates racism, misogyny, transphobia, and more from the highest office in the land, how do we prepare a sermon, a liturgy, a song, a prayer? Learn from some of our best preachers. REGISTER 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. Together, we’ll explore what it means to cultivate “good soil” in our lives, our communities, and our spiritual practices. I hope you will register. 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 again for the work and the love you put into these DMs for us. They mean so much.
I look forward to your uplifting messages. What used to be nice to have is nearly a requirement now. My area in northern Virginia has been included as “border” so brown people can be detained and shipped to Louisiana for being, um, brown. Pray for us.