When the Machinery of Power Turns Cruel
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” —John 8:32
There are days when the headlines feel like a howl in the soul—when the news is not just news, but something darker, something that brushes up against our sense of what is right and decent and human.
It is becoming increasingly clear that cruelty has been chosen, not as an accident of flawed policy, but as a deliberate strategy by the current US administration. When children are separated from their parents, when public officials demonize immigrants or trans youth, when universities are punished for research into topics some don’t want to acknowledge, this is not governance. It is intimidation. It is fear used as a bludgeon.
In his latest column,1 Paul Krugman names it plainly: this is state terror, American style, the kind that does not need armies in the street to exert its control. It only needs people to be afraid—of each other, of the truth, of change. It only needs enough of us to give up on the possibility of a better world.
It is tempting to harden in response. To turn inward, to grow cynical or numb. But the answer to cruelty is not more cruelty. The answer is fierce tenderness. The answer is resistance rooted in compassion. The answer is a refusal to lose our own humanity, even as others lose theirs.
What breaks my heart most is not only the policies themselves, but how effective they are at eroding empathy. When good people begin to speak about others as immigrants, as progressives, as the “radical left,” as less than human, something sacred is lost. The machinery of propaganda is designed to do just this. It severs us from one another. It teaches us to look at our neighbor and see not a fellow traveler, but a threat.
We are not required to agree with everyone. We are not required to abandon our values or ignore injustice. But we are called by faith, by conscience, by our own sense of decency to never forget that every person we meet is sacred. Every person, even those who have been shaped by lies, deserves to be seen in the fullness of their humanity.
This is not naïveté. This is spiritual resistance. This is what it means to hold onto the better angels of our nature while the world tries to drag us into the pit.
In times like these, truth is not a mere fact; it is an act of courage. Empathy is not a weakness; it is a weapon against dehumanization. Hope is not a passive wish; it is a decision to live as if love still matters.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
Where have you noticed your empathy being tested or thinned by the climate of fear and division?
When you hear dehumanizing rhetoric, how do you respond? How might you speak differently?
What helps you stay grounded in compassion when others are swept up in cruelty or indifference?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer For Holding On to What’s Holy
Holy One, When the world feels sharp with division, And fear prowls in the corners of every conversation, Give us the courage to hold fast to what is good. Help us remember that every life is sacred, That our neighbors are not our enemies, And that truth is still worth telling. Let our resistance be rooted in love, Our defiance soaked in grace, And our hearts open enough to still be moved. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
The Compassion Check-In
At the end of your day, find a quiet space to pause. Close your eyes and call to mind someone you strongly disagree with, perhaps someone whose words have angered you or whose actions have caused harm.
Notice what arises in your body. Where do you feel tight, heavy, unsettled?
Now take three slow, deep breaths.
As you breathe, imagine looking into their eyes. See them looking back at you. As you look at each other, say quietly: “This person, too, is sacred. This person, too, was once a child. This person, too, is shaped by fear, by story, by longing.”
You are not excusing the harm. You are simply refusing to surrender your humanity. Practice this compassion, not as a strategy for change, but as a path to remaining fully human. Let it soften your heart without softening your resolve.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
THIS WEEK: October 8-9, 2025, 7-8:30pm ET ONLINE Event- Counterpoint: A Response to Peter Thiel’s Antichrist - For four straight Mondays, tech billionaire Peter Thiel is convening a private series in the heart of Silicon Valley on his obsession with the Antichrist. This peculiar and troubling theological fixation is not just eccentric—it reveals how his version of political theology and apocalyptic imagination are shaping the worldview of some of the most powerful people in the world. We cannot remain silent. As a counterpoint, join me and Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox, along with Kamala Harris’ former Communication Director, Gil Duran, for a powerful counter-narrative rooted in wisdom, justice, and authentic spirituality. REGISTER HERE.
October 18, 2025 - No Kings 2.0 Protest - Scholars of authoritarianism teach us that we need 3.5% of the population rising up to disrupt the rise of authoritarians. The last protest had over 6 million people in the streets in the US (more around the world) which was one of the largest protest in US history. We need to double that number. So here we go again. The movement builds. See you on the streets.
October 20-24, 2025 - FREE Online 5-Day Summit on “Made for These Times: Spiritual Leadership for a World in Crisis.” Political extremism. Climate collapse. Cultural fragmentation. People of faith across the globe are asking: How do we lead with clarity, courage, and compassion in a time like this? REGISTER HERE.
October 23, 30, November 13, 20 2025, 7pm ET - In Search of a New Story: Reimagining What Comes Next, A 4-Part Online Series with Dr. Matthew Fox, Cameron Trimble, Ilia Delio, Diana Butler Bass, Caroline Myss and Luther Smith. We are living through the unraveling of many old stories—about who we are, why we’re here, and how we are meant to live together on this Earth. As these inherited narratives collapse under the weight of climate crisis, social fragmentation, and spiritual disconnection, the question becomes clear: What story will guide us now? REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
July 19-24, 2026 - Join me and my 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.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
…as if… or because love still matters 💕
Your wisdom perspective is a balm for the soul in harsh times - thank you