When the Truth Is Fired
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“The test of life is often not in the things we do, but in the things we let ourselves become.” —Dr. Howard Thurman
Last week, Erika McEntarfer, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, released the nation’s monthly jobs report.1 As always, the numbers were drawn from a rigorous, multi-source process—methodologies developed across decades to ensure accuracy and objectivity.
Then she was fired.
The report, it seems, didn’t reflect the narrative President Trump wanted.
Let’s be clear: the numbers reported by the BLS are not the whims of a single analyst. They are gathered from dozens of independent sources, governed by long-standing statistical methodologies and peer-reviewed processes. To “rig” such data would be almost impossible. But that didn’t stop the accusation. Or the firing.
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called it plainly: “Firing the head of a key government agency because you don’t like the numbers they report… is what happens in authoritarian countries, not democratic ones.”2
He’s right. In democracies, transparency is a cornerstone. In authoritarian regimes, truth is inconvenient, even punishable.
This isn’t just about one report or one firing. It’s about a value shift beneath the surface—one that trades shared accountability for personal allegiance, one that rewards loyalty over integrity, image over substance.
In this moment, we’re not simply debating economic policy. We’re witnessing the corrosion of a public trust that generations have built. Once it’s gone, it is painfully hard to recover.
The spiritual question becomes: When power demands silence, how do we hold fast to truth—not just as information, but as integrity?
In times like these, truth doesn’t only reside in data tables or economic forecasts. It shows up in our values—in how we treat one another, in the courage to speak when it’s dangerous, in the insistence that leadership must serve the common good, not protect the powerful.
This is not the time for performative outrage. It is the time for resilient clarity.
We need to remember that truth-telling—especially when inconvenient—is sacred work. It’s a covenant with our neighbors, a form of public love.
Erika McEntarfer may no longer have her job, but she upheld her calling. In a world increasingly shaped by distortion, that kind of integrity is a quiet act of defiance.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What values do you hold most dear when public trust is under assault?
How can you practice truth-telling in your daily life, even when it’s costly?
Who are the quiet truth-tellers in your community? How can you support and protect them?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for the Steadfast
God of justice and integrity, In a world where facts are twisted and power punishes truth, Give us the courage to stand firm. Let our values—compassion, honesty, fairness—anchor us When tides of fear and distortion rise. Bless those who speak plainly, even when it costs them. May we become people who do not bend in the wind of falsehood But remain rooted in love and conscience. And when we feel overwhelmed, Remind us that small acts of integrity Shape the future more than we know. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Return to Your Values
When the world feels chaotic—when stories are manipulated, facts are dismissed, and power threatens to erase what matters—our values can anchor us.
For this practice, choose three values you hold most dear.
Write them down somewhere visible—on a card, your journal, your phone screen.
Examples might include: compassion, courage, equity, generosity, truthfulness, integrity, love, justice, humility, forgiveness.
Each morning, begin your day by reading them aloud.
Each evening, reflect: Did I live by these today? Where did I feel aligned—and where did I feel pulled away?
When the noise around you grows loud, return to these. Let them guide your words. Let them shape your choices. Let them remind you: no regime, no media cycle, no act of erasure can take away your power to live by what matters most.
Your values are your compass. Let them point you home.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
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!
October 23, 30, November 6, 13, 2025, 7pm ET - In Search of a New Story: Reimagining What Comes Next, A 4-Part Online Series with Matthew Fox, Cameron Trimble, and Special Guests. 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 OPENING SOON!
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.
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg3xrrzdr0o
My three: integrity, kindness, service.
It has always been the little acts...the little ones of heart that have made a difference bothe small and large.