“But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” — Jeremiah 29:7, NRSVUE
In just over a week, Americans will head to the polls for the midterm elections. Usually, this is a routine part of our national life. Candidates have spent months sharing their views, people have been weighing their options, and election workers are getting ready to handle millions of ballots.
But this year, my conversations with friends and colleagues feel different. People are scared. They worry if everyone who can vote will actually get to vote. They wonder if ballots will be counted correctly, if the results will be certified, and if those who lose will accept the outcome. Some are bracing for possible intimidation or political violence. Others are just worn out by all the uncertainty.
It’s heartbreaking that so many Americans now approach an election unsure if the government will respect their choice.
There are reasons people feel this way. President Trump spent years spreading false claims about the 2020 election and tried to overturn the results. His administration has kept challenging election procedures and asking states for voter information. Now, election officials are getting ready for possible interference from the federal government, like disputes over ballots, enforcement near polling places, and attempts to delay certification.1
These worries are now serious enough that state officials, attorneys general, and election-security experts are making backup plans for situations that once seemed unthinkable.
None of this means the upcoming election is doomed. Thousands of dedicated public servants are working hard to keep the process fair.2 Courts have protected important legal boundaries, and states have systems for auditing votes and certifying results. Still, the fact that these protections are under such pressure says a lot about where we are as a country.3
I’ve been thinking about what happens when trust is lost. We usually don’t notice trust until it’s gone. We cross bridges assuming someone checked them. We take medicine believing it’s been tested. We send kids to school trusting the adults will do what’s best for them.
Democracy relies on that same kind of trust. We live under laws made by people we might not have chosen because we believe we’ll get another chance to speak up. We accept losing in politics because we trust the rules will still be there next time.
When people start doubting those promises, everything changes. The usual parts of democracy become stressful. Every legal challenge feels like a threat. Every delay in counting ballots seems suspicious. People question every official statement: can we trust the person saying it?
The prophet Jeremiah understood what it was like to live through a collapse of public trust. In the sixth century BCE, Jerusalem came under Babylonian rule, and many people were taken into exile. The political and religious institutions that once gave their lives meaning could no longer provide the security they expected. They lived under foreign rule, unsure about the future and open to promises that things would soon go back to normal.
Jeremiah wrote them a powerful letter. He told them to build houses, plant gardens, raise families, and work for the good of the city where they now lived. He also warned them not to listen to prophets who gave comforting predictions that weren’t true.
Jeremiah knew that people facing political disaster need the truth about their situation. False comfort can be just as harmful as despair because it keeps people from dealing with reality. But he also knew that people can’t give up their responsibility for the common good just because their leaders have become untrustworthy. He advised people to keep building the conditions for life to thrive, even when the political future was unclear.
I wonder what that advice means for us. We can’t create trust just by saying everything is okay. Trust has to be earned through honesty, accountability, transparency, and responsible actions. When leaders break those promises, people have every right to question their authority.
But we have to be careful not to let our distrust of certain leaders turn into distrust of everyone and every institution in public life. I think about the election workers who spend long hours getting polling places ready, checking voter registrations, helping people with disabilities, counting ballots, and recording the results. Many are just regular neighbors who have taken on a tough job for their communities. Some have faced threats and harassment just for doing their work. They deserve our thanks and support.
I also think about the people who have spent years working to protect voting rights, fighting unfair restrictions, and helping others learn how to take part. Their work reminds us that democracy has always needed more than just trust in those in power. It takes people who are willing to take responsibility for the institutions that help us govern ourselves.
I don’t know what will happen on November 3 or in the days after. I hope the election is peaceful, every legal vote is counted, and the results are certified as the law requires. These are reasonable things to expect in a healthy democracy, and we should demand them. But no matter what happens, the work of building trust in our shared life will still be there.
Maybe Jeremiah’s old advice matters now. When politics are uncertain, we still owe things to each other. We can be honest, protect the vulnerable, support people who act with integrity, and keep building communities that respect human dignity.
I wish we were going into this election with more confidence in the people trusted with our democracy. I wish we could take the peaceful transfer of power for granted. We’ve learned how risky it is to assume our institutions will take care of themselves.
In the days ahead, I hope we remember that the people counting ballots, defending our rights, and demanding honest government are carrying responsibilities that really belong to all of us.
When trust in those in power is broken, it’s even more important for us to be trustworthy to each other.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
As we approach the midterm elections, what concerns you most about the integrity of our democratic institutions? How are those concerns affecting your sense of hope, trust, or responsibility?
Jeremiah encouraged people living through political upheaval to continue building communities capable of sustaining life. What does that invitation mean when the institutions we once trusted seem increasingly fragile?
Who are the people in your community working to protect democratic participation, uphold the law, and preserve public trust? How might you support their efforts in the days ahead?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer For the Keeping of Our Democracy
Holy One, We come before you with troubled hearts, uncertain whether the promises of our common life will hold. Remember those who fear their voices may be silenced, their votes disregarded, their dignity denied. Give courage to those entrusted with the counting, integrity to those who certify the results, and wisdom to those who must uphold the law. Restrain the hands that would bend truth to the demands of power. Keep us from surrendering our responsibility to one another when trust has been broken. May every voice be heard, every lawful vote be counted, and every person find protection within the promises of justice. Teach us to build again what fear and dishonesty have placed in danger. Amen.
Spiritual Practice: A Candle for the Common Good
This week, take ten minutes for a simple practice that combines prayer and civic responsibility.
Put a candle on a table next to a small piece of paper. Write these words on the paper: Truth. Courage. Integrity. Trust.
Light the candle and sit quietly. Notice whatever you feel about the coming election. You might feel anxious, angry, discouraged, or hopeful. You don’t have to hide those feelings or act like everything is fine.
Think about the people whose quiet work makes elections happen: poll workers, election administrators, volunteers, judges, journalists, and neighbors who help each other take part. Many work under a lot of pressure, and some have even faced threats just for doing their jobs.
While you watch the flame, say this short prayer:
May those entrusted with power act with integrity. May those entrusted with the vote be protected. May truth prevail over intimidation, and may we remain faithful to one another.
Next, write down one specific thing you can do before Election Day to help the common good. You might help someone find reliable voting information, give someone a ride to the polls, thank a local election worker, or support a group that helps people vote.
Blow out the candle and do the action you wrote down.
This practice is meant to remind us that hope is stronger when we turn it into responsibility.
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.
October 27, 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. RSVP 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 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 HERE.
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.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/
https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/ensure-every-american-can-vote
https://www.eac.gov/