“Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.” — Jeremiah 32:15, NRSVUE
As Tuesday’s midterm elections approach, I invite us to meditate on a strange story from the book of Jeremiah:
Jerusalem is under siege. The Babylonian army surrounds the city, political leaders are falling apart, and people are afraid of what might happen next. Jeremiah has been locked up because he refused to tell the king what he wanted to hear. He warned that Jerusalem would fall, and his honesty made him unpopular.
In the middle of all this, Jeremiah does something that must have seemed completely ridiculous. He buys a field.
His cousin offers him family land in Anathoth, a village near Jerusalem. Normally, this would be a reasonable deal. But the land is threatened by an invading army, the government is falling apart, and no one knows who will own anything after the fighting. Still, Jeremiah counts out seventeen shekels of silver, signs the deed, gathers witnesses, and makes sure the documents are stored in a clay jar.
I wonder what those witnesses thought as they watched him sign. Did they admire his faith? Did they think he was out of his mind? Did anyone wonder if there would even be a city left to keep the records?
What fascinates me is that Jeremiah isn’t fooling himself about the future. He already warned that Jerusalem would fall. He knows his people are facing disaster. Buying the field isn’t a sign that he thinks everything will be fine. He buys it knowing things are about to get much worse.
I keep thinking about that act of faith as I hear people talk about tomorrow’s elections in the United States. There’s a lot of anxiety about possible violence, voter intimidation, problems with counting ballots, and leaders who might not respect the results. Many people have lost trust in the institutions meant to protect democracy. Some are afraid to vote. Others worry about what could happen after the election.
These concerns are real and should be taken seriously. Election workers have faced threats and harassment, and arguments over voting rules and federal authority have made things more tense. We’ve seen enough political violence in recent years to know that fear doesn’t come from nowhere.
But I also know what ongoing fear can do to us. We focus on less. We start looking for danger everywhere, imagine the worst, and sometimes can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what we’re afraid might happen. We get so caught up in the future that we forget how to live responsibly now.
Jeremiah shows us another way. He keeps speaking honestly about the danger, but he also invests in a future he can’t see. He signs a document, gathers witnesses, and makes sure there’s a record of what happened. Even as things fall apart, he keeps up the ordinary actions that build trust and accountability.
Democracy also relies on everyday actions that we usually don’t notice until they’re at risk. People set up polling places, help voters, secure ballots, check records, and count votes. Others watch the process, report problems, challenge illegal actions, and make sure every eligible voter is treated fairly. Most of this work is done by regular people who choose to take care of our shared life. They deserve our protection and respect.
We can’t know exactly what will happen in the next few days. We should get ready for possible problems, but not assume that every fear will come true. We can focus on verified information, avoid spreading scary rumors, and be ready to help people whose safety or rights are at risk. Most of all, we should remember that our responsibility to each other goes on long after the election.
Sometimes I worry that we mix up hope with just expecting things to get better. When things look bad, we start to lose hope. But Jeremiah’s hope was based on something deeper than just how the politics looked. He believed that even in disaster, the future was still worth caring about.
That belief didn’t save his people from suffering. Jerusalem fell, and many were taken into exile. The terrible things Jeremiah feared really did happen.
But somewhere, kept safe in a clay jar, was a deed to a field. It showed that he refused to give up the whole future to the forces ruining the present.
As this election approaches, I find myself drawn to that kind of faith. I hope we can stay clear about the dangers we face, but not let those dangers take over our thinking. I hope we protect the vulnerable, tell the truth, and keep up the practices that let people live together without fear. And I hope we remember that building a just and peaceful society is our job, no matter who is in power.
Jeremiah didn’t know when his homeland’s fields would be farmed again. He could only choose how to live in his own situation. So he signed the deed, gave it to someone to keep safe, and kept telling the truth.
The city was surrounded. The future was uncertain.
Somewhere, safely kept in a clay jar, was proof that he hadn’t given up on the world.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What is your deepest concern about the days ahead? How might you acknowledge that fear without allowing it to determine everything you think, say, or do?
Jeremiah’s purchase of a field was a tangible expression of his commitment to a future he could not predict. What small, concrete act of faithfulness is within your reach this week?
Who in your community may be especially vulnerable to intimidation, hostility, or isolation during this election? What would it mean to help them feel less alone?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for Uncertain Days Ahead
God of the ancient prophets, who sees beyond the walls of every besieged city, who remembers the fields beneath the rubble, and the life still waiting to rise, Be near to us in these uncertain days. Where fear has taken root, plant courage. Where anger threatens to consume us, make room for mercy. Where truth is obscured, give us eyes to see clearly and voices that will not be silenced. Watch over those who stand in harm's way. Protect the vulnerable, strengthen the weary, and steady the hands of those entrusted with the common good. Keep our hearts from surrendering to hatred or despair. And when the future is hidden from us, teach us the faithfulness of Jeremiah: to tend what is entrusted to our care, to preserve what must not be lost, and to believe that beyond these troubled days, there will still be fields to cultivate and neighbors with whom to share the harvest. Amen.
Spiritual Practice: A Letter to the Future
When Jerusalem was surrounded and its future uncertain, Jeremiah purchased a field and placed the deed in a clay jar for safekeeping. It was his way of expressing faith in a future he could not yet see.
Today, take a piece of paper and write a letter to yourself, dated one month from now.
Begin with these words: Whatever has happened in the world since I wrote this, I want to remember…
Consider the uncertainties facing your own community or country. Perhaps you are concerned about political instability, conflict, the erosion of human rights, economic insecurity, or the safety of people you love.
Write down three convictions you want to guide your life, regardless of what unfolds. Then name one concrete action you can take to embody those commitments in the coming month. It might be standing alongside a vulnerable neighbor, strengthening a relationship across differences, protecting someone else’s dignity, or contributing to a community effort that gives you hope.
Fold your letter and place it in an envelope. Write December 2, 2026, on the outside, and put it somewhere safe.
When you open it a month from now, notice what has changed in the world and what has remained true within you. Consider whether you have lived according to the commitments you made.
Jeremiah could not control what happened to Jerusalem. But he could decide what he would preserve for the future. So can we.
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. Join the community here.
November 3, 2026 - 12:30 - 1:30pm ET - ONLINE BOOK CLUB - I am hosting a book club where we are reading Fr. Gregory Boyle’s “Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times.” Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, has spent decades building community among people whom society has often discarded. In Cherished Belonging, he draws on those relationships and stories to explore what might happen if we stopped sorting people into categories of worthy and unworthy, us and them. Don’t worry if you don’t have time to read the book. We always have incredibly rich conversations. All are welcome. Learn more here.
November 4, 2026 - 7-8:30pm ET, ONLINE EVENT - Theologian Matthew Fox and I are teaming up again in a series called Journeying with the Mystics. The mystics have always emerged in times of uncertainty. They appear when old certainties are crumbling, when institutions no longer provide easy answers, and when people find themselves longing for a deeper experience of the Sacred. Join us for a 24-session exploration of the teachings of St. John of the Cross, Thomas Merton, Hildegard of Bingen, Kabir and Rumi, Meister Eckhart and more. This is more than a lecture series. It is an invitation into a living spiritual journey. Learn more and REGISTER HERE!
November 10, 7-8:30pm ET - I’ll be joined by theologian, writer, and professor Dr. Debra Rienstra for a special ONLINE conversation on Refugia Faith. In ecology, refugia are small places where life survives amid disruption, pockets of resilience from which life can eventually regenerate and spread. Debra invites us to consider what this might mean spiritually in an age of climate instability, political turmoil, institutional decline, and profound uncertainty. What if our congregations, communities, relationships, and even our own lives could become refugia, places where courage, compassion, beauty, wisdom, and possibility are protected and cultivated for whatever comes next? I hope you’ll join us for this timely and deeply hopeful conversation. REGISTER HERE!
November 19, 2026, 7-8:45pm ET - I will be joining Jackie Sussman for an online session on practicing eidetics as part of our “Reclaiming the Power of Imagination” monthly series. Eidetic Imagery is a powerful tool for pastors, denominational leaders, coaches, and spiritual directors working with others, and for individuals seeking deeper integration and healing in their own lives. Jackie is a psychotherapist, author, and leading expert in Eidetic Image Psychology, and has spent over forty years helping leaders and individuals unlock creativity, uncover hidden strengths, and move through limiting patterns. During this session, she will lead a live Eidetic process shaped by mythic imagery, offering a direct experience of the work. REGISTER HERE.
December 5, 2026 - A Way in the Wilderness: An Online Advent Silent Retreat, 9:00 a.m.–4 p.m. ET - I’m delighted to be leading a special Advent retreat with my friends at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation. A Way in the Wilderness is an invitation to step away from the noise and demands of daily life and enter a spacious day of contemplative prayer, sacred reading, Sabbath rest, and silence. Together, we’ll explore the biblical wilderness as a place where new possibilities emerge and discover the peace that comes from recognizing the Sacred’s presence even in uncertain times. There is nothing to accomplish and no experience to manufacture. Just an opportunity to rest, listen, and remember that we do not travel through the wilderness alone. LEARN MORE.
December 8, 2026, 7-8:00pm ET - The holidays can be especially tender when we are carrying grief. Whether we are mourning someone we love, navigating changes in our health or relationships, or grieving the uncertainty of the world around us, this season can bring losses both old and new to the surface. Join us on The Commons for a special one-hour online gathering led by my friend Joy Gaertner, an Advanced Loss & Grief Recovery Specialist. Together, we will create a welcoming space to acknowledge our losses, honor what we carry through meaningful rituals of remembrance, and discover sources of hope for the season ahead. This will be a gentle evening of connection and care, with room for whatever grief you may be holding. The gathering is donation-based, and all are welcome. LEARN MORE.
December 15, 7-8:30pm ET - FREE WEBINAR - I will be joined by Dr. Charissa Mikoski, Assistant Professor of Research and Hartford Institute for Religion Research for a presentation on “The State of American Congregations: What the Latest Data Tell Us.” This webinar explores findings from the 2025 Faith Communities Today survey, including changes in worship attendance, congregational vitality, finances, volunteering, programming, and leadership. It will also examine what more than 24,000 individual attenders tell us about participation and their experiences of congregational life. Together, these findings offer a picture that is neither simply one of decline nor one of revival, but of significant change and uneven recovery. REGISTER 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.
Every Monday, 12pm ET - ONLINE WRITING GROUP - My dear friend, Meryl Marshall-Daniels, is leading a writing group open to all. This is a simple and spacious writing circle for people who want time to listen inwardly and put words on the page without overthinking, performing, or polishing. Meryl offers a prompt designed to invite reflection, imagination, and attunement to what is already alive within you. The practice honors writing as a way of listening, of letting images, memories, questions, and insights surface in their own time. 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.
Thank you Cameron!!! It is going to be a very rough and scary week…
WItnessing and recording for history. That contract, witnessed and saved in a clay jar, documented a moment in time, a sign of hope in the midst of calamity.
Many Substacks are among the best interactive
" journals of record" for future understanding of what we have been living through. I hope they are somehow retrievable in their entireties.