When Corruption Breaks the Covenant

A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble

Jan 05, 2026

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” — Zechariah 4:6

On Saturday, the United States crossed the border of a sovereign nation and seized its president, Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela and his wife, Cilia Flores. Maduro is a corrupt authoritarian who stole an election and brutalized his people. None of that is in dispute. What is in dispute, and what must be named clearly, is the action the United States chose to take.

By violating the sovereignty of another nation, acting without congressional authorization, and killing at least forty Venezuelan civilians in the process,1 the United States abandoned one of the most fundamental commitments forged in the aftermath of World War II: a rules-based international order that rejects might-makes-right and restrains imperial violence. That commitment did not emerge from idealism. It emerged from the wreckage of two world wars and the recognition that unchecked power leads inevitably to catastrophe.

Saturday night, the United States signaled to the world that it no longer stands behind that lesson.

This was not merely a foreign policy failure. It was an act of constitutional defiance. By initiating an act of war without consultation or consent from Congress, the Trump Administration violated both domestic law and international norms. In doing so, it confirmed what has become increasingly difficult to deny: the United States is no longer functioning as a democracy, and it no longer holds moral credibility when confronting authoritarians elsewhere.

For citizens committed to peace, democracy, and the dignity of human life, this is appalling. For people of faith, it is something more unsettling still.

Faith traditions exist, in part, to place limits on power. They remind rulers that authority is accountable, that violence carries moral consequence, and that no end—however justified it may appear—sanctifies the means of domination. In the Hebrew scriptures, kings who violate covenantal boundaries do not merely make political mistakes; they fracture the moral fabric that holds a people together. The prophets do not excuse such actions because the enemy is corrupt. They judge them because power untethered from restraint always devours the innocent.

Christian theology echoes this warning. Jesus refuses the logic of imperial salvation. He rejects the temptation to seize the kingdoms of the world through force. He exposes the lie that violence can produce justice if aimed at the “right” enemy. The cross stands as a permanent indictment of power that claims moral necessity while crushing human life.

This moment confronts us with a hard truth: when a nation abandons restraint, it does not become safer. It becomes more dangerous: to others and to itself. When a democracy normalizes unilateral violence, it trains its people to accept lawlessness as leadership. When it kills civilians while claiming moral righteousness, it hollows out the very values it claims to defend.

The loss here is not abstract. Venezuelan families lost mothers, fathers, children, neighbors. The world lost one more reason to believe that international law matters. Those of us who are U.S. citizens lost another piece of the moral ground we once claimed when standing against tyranny.

Faith does not allow us to avert our eyes from this.

To be faithful in this moment does not require defending Maduro. It requires refusing the logic that says corruption elsewhere justifies lawlessness at home. It requires insisting that peace depends not on domination but on restraint, not on humiliation of enemies but on the protection of human life. It requires telling the truth even when it implicates our own nation.

We do not gather in prayer because we are innocent. We gather because we are accountable.

If moral authority is to mean anything again, it will not be restored through force. It will be rebuilt, slowly and painfully, through repentance, restraint, and the courageous re-commitment to law, dignity, and shared humanity. Faith does not promise that such work is easy. It promises only that it is necessary.

This is a moment to grieve. It is also a moment to refuse silence.

We are in this together,

Cameron

Reflection Questions

Where do you feel grief, anger, or fear arising as you reflect on this event?
What limits on power do your faith or moral commitments insist must never be crossed?
What does faithful citizenship look like when your own nation violates its stated values?

A Prayer for the Day

A Prayer For Restraint and Repair

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God of all peoples,
We come to you unsettled and grieving.
We did not choose the violence done in our name,
yet we cannot pretend it does not belong to us.

We hold the lives lost, known and unknown.
We hold the fear now rippling outward across borders.
We hold our own heartbreak—
the ache of watching our nation abandon restraint
and call it strength.

Do not let us grow numb.
Do not let outrage replace wisdom
or despair replace responsibility.

Give us hearts strong enough to face the truth,
and spirits steady enough to labor for repair.
Teach us again the hard discipline of peace,
the courage of restraint,
and the humility required to rebuild trust
where power has broken covenant.

Hold us in the long work of justice,
and keep us faithful to life.

Amen.

Spiritual Practice

Practicing Global Solidarity

Today, remember that this moment is not contained within one nation. Pause and imagine the people who will feel the consequences of Saturday’s actions:

families in Venezuela,
communities across Latin America,
and those around the world who now live with increased fear and instability.

If you are in the United States, acknowledge your particular responsibility. If you are in Canada, the UK, Australia, or elsewhere, notice how closely your own security is bound to the actions of powerful nations.

Then do one small, grounding act of solidarity:

light a candle,
write a short note of grief or commitment,
or speak aloud a prayer for those harmed and those still at risk.

Let this act remind you that moral attention crosses borders, and that faithfulness in one place matters everywhere.

Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…

January 6, 13, 20, 2026 - Protest and Action Chaplaincy Training with Rev. Anna Golladay. This live, online training offers a framework for providing compassionate, grounded spiritual care during protests, advocacy gatherings, and social movements. Learn more here.

January 15, 2026, 7-8pm EST - FREE Online Webinar: When the Internet Hurts: The Hidden Online Dangers Facing Our Teens and How Faith Communities Can Respond, Join me in conversation with Sharon Winkler, survivor parent and nationally respected youth online-safety advocate. Sharon’s son, Alex, died at age 17 after experiencing cyberbullying and algorithmically targeted pro-suicide content. Since then, Sharon has dedicated her life to helping parents, educators, and faith leaders recognize online dangers and build safer communities for young people. Register here.

NEW!!!! February 5, 2026 - Margaret Wheatley and and I are launching a new online course called “Leading with Spirit,” a six-session journey into soul-grounded leadership designed to deepen your trust in guidance, nurture perseverance, and rekindle imaginal wisdom for our fractured world. Take a look at the course outline. We are really excited and hope you can join! Scholarship are available if needed. Learn more here!

February 11th and 25, 2026 - Join Our “Building a Culture of Leadership Within Congregations” Cohort facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin Ross and me! A two-session course for ministers and faith leaders ready to strengthen how their congregations and ministries identify, develop, and support leaders. Learn more here.

July 19-24, 2026 - Join me and amazing co-facilitator, Victoria, on retreat in the back-country of beautiful Wyoming. The Art of Wilding is a 5-Day Expedition for Women Leaders. We will spend the week reconnecting to nature, exploring our inner landscapes for change, and engage the wisdom of spiritual teachings. Click here to learn more.

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.

Scholar and teacher, Vanessa Muchado de Oliveira Andreotti, has been developing an extraordinary body of work on meta-relational AI. I’d encourage you to do a deep-dive here: https://burnoutfromhumans.net/ She has also written two books that I think are required reading - Hospicing Modernity and Outgrowing Modernity. Check them out!

Have you discovered Dr. Stacey Patton yet? Buckle your seatbelt! She is an award-winning journalist and professor who is offering a powerful public lecture series called “Manifest Delusion.” Learn more here.

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