When Grief Is the Ground We Stand On
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.” —Psalm 34:18
Over the weekend, devastating flash floods tore through Texas Hill Country. In Kerr County alone, at least 80 people have died—at the time of this writing, rescuers have recovered 40 adults and 28 children. Dozens remain missing. Among them are campers and counselors from Camp Mystic, a summer camp that should have been a place of joy, connection, and safety. In a matter of moments, the Guadalupe River rose with such force that it overwhelmed everything in its path - 26 feet in just 45 minutes. The devastation it left in it’s wake is impossible to describe. Our collective heartbreak is overwhelming.
In moments like these, it is natural to ask, “Where is God?” We ask not because we doubt, but because we long for reassurance. We want to believe that this pain is not meaningless, that someone is holding it all.
The truth is that God is not the architect of suffering. God does not orchestrate disasters or decide who lives and who dies. God is not distant or indifferent. God is present—in the floodwaters and in the search teams, in the families who wait and in the counselors who carry unbearable memories. God is present in our collective ache, and in our refusal to look away.
We live in a world that is groaning under the weight of climate disruption. These floods are not isolated events; they are signs of a planet pushed beyond its limits. Our actions, our industries, our politics have consequences. The Earth is reacting. These responses are becoming more frequent, more ferocious, and more fatal.
And still, even in the midst of tragedy, there is another truth that refuses to be extinguished: the depth of our sorrow reveals the depth of our love. Joanna Macy reminds us that our grief for the world is inseparable from our love for it. We mourn because we care. We cry out because we belong to one another. That caring is holy. It is sacred ground.
It is also a call to action. Our faith cannot be passive. It must move us toward healing, justice, and change. We are not powerless. We are not alone. In this moment of collective heartbreak, we are invited to remember what truly matters. We are invited to live in ways that honor the lives lost by protecting the lives - human and more than human - still here.
Let us hold the families of Kerr County in our prayers. Let us stand with those who are grieving and searching. Let us resist the temptation to grow numb or retreat into despair.
Our task is not to make sense of what has happened. Our task is to remain human in the midst of it. To keep loving. To keep showing up. To keep choosing life.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
When faced with tragedy that feels beyond understanding, what anchors you in compassion and faith?
How can we respond to climate-related disasters—not just with aid, but with a deeper transformation in how we live in relationship with the Earth and each other?
In what ways are you being called to bear witness—to hold space for grief, extend care, or act with courage—in the face of overwhelming sorrow?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for the Flooded
O God who weeps with us, Our hearts are heavy with sorrow For the lives lost, for the ones still missing, For the parents who wait by the phone, And the counselors who carry stories too painful for words. Be with them now. Be in the breath that steadies their shaking. Be in the love that will not let them go. And be in us, too— That we may not turn away, That we may respond with care, And that we may remember, always, That our shared grief is a sign of holy love. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Bearing Witness, Becoming Repairers
Today, take time to bear witness. Read the names of the lost, as they are made public. Light a candle in your home or sanctuary. If you are near water, pause beside it. Offer a blessing: “May this water carry healing, not harm.”
Then take one action rooted in care.
Make a donation to flood relief efforts.
Write to a public official and advocate for climate justice.
Create space for your community to grieve and respond together.
Let your prayer become practice. Let your grief become love in motion.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
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Thank you for putting integrity of understanding into the reality of God. It is as you say. I know this to be true experientially.
My prayers for the grieving families, the search parties and relief teams, the children - the community. May the light of God be seen and grasped as a life vest. For it is.
Climate change is real and the people must rise up. You, me - everyone.
Lee 🙏💕
"May this water carry healing, not harm" - ohhhhh, what if we all prayed that? Reminded of a childhood event in which a flashflood came down the creek's bed where us kids were swimming. We were able to rise to the surface and rescue ourselves. Finding all the belongings took days. My first taste of mortality. But the river itself meant no harm - circumstances beyond its control caused it to panic.