When the Radios Go Silent
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“Do not remove the ancient landmark that your ancestors set up.” — Proverbs 22:28
Last week, for 90 seconds, the radar screens at Newark airport went dark—and the radios went silent. Ninety seconds may not sound like much. But in the world of aviation, it’s a lifetime.
Pilots flying hundreds of tons of metal through tightly choreographed airspace lost their eyes and ears. Air traffic controllers couldn’t see them on their screens, couldn’t speak to them over the radios, couldn’t issue headings, altitudes, traffic separation or clearances. For a moment, the system we trust to keep millions of people safe each day simply vanished.
Thankfully, no one was hurt. The skies were clear. Pilots fell back on instinct, training, and luck. But let’s be honest: it could have gone another way.
The story is technical, yes—about legacy systems, budget cuts, a single point of failure in an aging data feed. The initial DOGE cuts, not just at the FAA but also at NASA, NOAA, FEMA, the National Weather Service, safety review boards, and other parts of the air-safety system, have exposed far more of the system to lethal strain. But underneath the technical is something spiritual. Something ethical. Something human.
What happened over Newark isn’t just about aviation. It’s about what happens when we starve public systems, and then act surprised when they collapse. It’s about the tension between what could be, what should be, and what we’re actually willing to build and maintain.
There’s a myth we’re sold in times like these—that we can always cut corners, always do more with less, always privatize and “disrupt” and squeeze the fat out of everything we once called common good. But then the radar goes out. The radios fall silent. And we realize: there are no shortcuts to safety. No substitutes for stewardship.
In our spiritual traditions, there’s a sacred respect for the infrastructure of LIFE, not just buildings and budgets, but systems of care and accountability. Scripture warns not to move the ancient boundary stones. Jesus calls out those who tithe but neglect the weightier matters of justice and mercy. The Buddha speaks of wise effort, steady and humble.
And so the question comes back to us: What does it mean to be stewards of the sky? Of the earth? Of each other?
It means funding what keeps people safe—not just in the air, but on the ground, in clinics and classrooms and kitchens. It means caring for the tested systems, not just the shiny ones. It means not waiting for crisis to remember our interdependence.
The radios may fall silent again. But let us not be silent in the face of moral neglect.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
Where in your life or leadership are you depending on systems that may be under-resourced or overstretched?
What does “stewardship” mean to you—not just of money, but of trust, infrastructure, and public good?
What’s one area where you can reinvest—your attention, your energy, your resources—before failure forces your hand?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for the Skies and the Systems
God of every horizon,
You are the voice we listen for in turbulence and in calm.
You are the radar that sees what we cannot.
You are the system behind the systems—
the presence behind our patterns of safety and care.
Forgive us for the ways we neglect what matters most.
For the warnings we ignore. For the budgets we cut.
For the silences we allow, until lives hang in the balance.
Help us become stewards again.
Not just of our own comfort, but of the common good.
Help us tend the old wires and the new dreams.
Help us rebuild trust where it has frayed.
Keep us vigilant, but not afraid.
Faithful, but not naive.
And always, always listening—
for the voices that call us home.
Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Checking the Systems
Today, do a systems check—not on your devices, but in your inner and outer life.
What systems are you part of—at home, at work, in your community—that rely on under-recognized, under-supported care?
Are you ignoring warning signs—emotional, relational, logistical—that something is failing?
Where might you be treating your life, or others’, like there’s always a backup, always a workaround?
Take a few minutes to write down one system in your life you want to invest in more wisely. It could be as small as rest, or as wide as democracy. Make a plan to support it—not someday, but today.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
NEW!!! On June 4, 2025, from 7-8pm ET, join Brian McLaren, Matthew Fox, and me for an exploration of “In the Midst of Doom: Facing Our Moment and Finding Our Way” inspired by Brian’s latest book. In an age of climate crisis, political unraveling, and societal collapse, many are asking: What now? What’s worth doing when the systems around us are failing? How do we find meaning beyond hope as we’ve known it? Join us and we will explore together. 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.
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.
The skies have been much on my mind lately. I am my grandparents grandchild in that as farmers they were always watching the skies for weather, especially in April, May and June. Timing of weather and planting were critical. My mother used to say it was critical to the community as well. In the Depression, everyone shared. Now it seems to be all dollars and cents. And that serves none of us well.
In the church we are especially mindful of the skies at this time. Both Ascension and Pentecost are around the corner and Genesis 5 with Enoch, 2 Kings 2 with Elijah and Luke 24 with Jesus draw our attention. These are all important events for our faith communities. There is a 20% increase in home gardening here in my area and province. Community gardens at many churches are being planted. Sharing. Even China and the US had to finally blink over their trade embargoes; albeit temporarily so far. Some corners cannot be cut. Even our new government wants renegotiations on trade opened quickly. We truly are in this together. Rev. Scott Brown, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
This says it all: “What happened over Newark isn’t just about aviation. It’s about what happens when we starve public systems, and then act surprised when they collapse. It’s about the tension between what could be, what should be, and what we’re actually willing to build and maintain.”
If Newark didn’t remind us we are all in this together, I am not sure what will. Thanks!