When We Turn Away from Knowing
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” — Psalm 24:1
There are countless events unfolding right now that deserve our contemplation. I remain heartbroken by the antisemitic attack in Australia and the shooting at Brown University. The U.S. President’s response to the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner is…shocking—even by the degraded standards of this moment. Then there was the delusional, ranting speech last night. Add to this the unlawful bombing of boats off the coast of Venezuela, and the Christmas service at the Pentagon where Franklin Graham preached of a “God of war.”
It is a lot to hold.
But today I invite us to meditate on a decision that barely made headlines and will affect generations to come.
Yesterday, we learned that one of the world’s foremost climate and weather research institutions is being dismantled by the U.S. government. The National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado was established in 1960, NCAR and has been a cornerstone of Earth system science, advancing our understanding of weather, climate, atmospheric chemistry, and planetary dynamics. Its supercomputers, airborne research platforms, global datasets, and climate models have helped scientists around the world prepare for hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and other extremes.
Officials framing the move described the center’s work as “climate alarmism,” and argue its research should be scattered or relocated. Scientists, public officials, and emergency planners have responded with alarm, warning that breaking up NCAR will undermine not only climate science but also basic weather forecasting and public safety infrastructure that protects lives and property.1
This is heartbreaking not only because of what it means for science, but because of what it reveals about our collective imagination: we seem more committed to denying harm than to understanding it. We choose narratives that protect ego and profits over truths that demand responsibility. We wrap ourselves in slogans rather than grappling with evidence. We sever our capacity to learn, adapt, and respond — precisely at a moment when the Earth’s systems are signaling distress more loudly than ever.
When a society abandons its commitment to knowing, it abandons its capacity to steward life — human, more-than-human, and planetary. Knowing is not neutral. To know deeply is to be bound by the moral obligation of care. When we open our eyes to damage, we are invited to participate in repair. When we turn away, we abdicate the very responsibility that makes intelligence sacred.
In many wisdom traditions, knowledge and love are two sides of the same coin. In Christian theology, gnosis is not mere information but an embodied knowing that transforms how we live. In Indigenous cosmologies, learning from Earth is a matter of kinship, not utility. In Buddhist practice, insight into impermanence becomes compassion for all beings. Across these lineages, knowing the world is a sacred act, and turning away from evidence is a spiritual betrayal.
The dismantling of NCAR is not merely a policy choice. It is a symptom of an inner condition: a will to ignore what calls to us, a refusal to let the truth of our interdependence settle into conscience. It is an invitation — though a costly one — to face that condition and ask: What do we truly belong to?
We are woven into vast systems of weather, ocean, atmosphere, and living beings. Our choices ripple outward. The denial of climate reality is denial of kinship with the generations that come after us. It is denial of our participation in the ongoing creation of the world.
Knowing is not safe. Knowing demands change. But change is where human beings become more than fear itself.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What does knowing ask of you — personally, communally, spiritually — in this moment?
Where in your life are you tempted to look away from evidence because it feels too costly?
How might openness to truth deepen your sense of connection with Earth and with others?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer For the Courage to See
Beloved Source of Truth and Tenderness, Grant us eyes that are neither blinded by fear nor hardened into denial. Help us to receive the world as it actually is — not as we wish it were — so that our hearts may respond with care instead of indifference. Where we have chosen comfort over clarity, where we have protected ego instead of evidence, give us the courage to repent and repair. Teach us that to know is not to lose innocence, but to gain wisdom, compassion, and shared purpose. May we steward knowledge generously, so that life — in all its forms — may flourish. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Bearing Witness
For the next week, practice bearing witness to facts that disturb or challenge you.
Each day, choose one reliable source of scientific or social evidence (a report, data set, expert statement).
Read it slowly. Notice your immediate emotional reactions — discomfort, denial, fear, agitation.
Sit with those feelings without judging them. Breathe. Let your body register what your mind already knows.
Then ask: What does this truth invite me to care about? What action (big or small) could honor this knowing?
Do this not as self-critique, but as sacred practice, noticing how truth shapes your capacity for compassion, responsibility, and hope.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
January 6, 13, 20, 2026 - Protest and Action Chaplaincy Training with Rev. Anna Golladay. This live, online training offers a framework for providing compassionate, grounded spiritual care during protests, advocacy gatherings, and social movements. Learn more here.
January 15, 2026, 7-8pm EST - FREE Online Webinar: When the Internet Hurts: The Hidden Online Dangers Facing Our Teens and How Faith Communities Can Respond, Join me in conversation with Sharon Winkler, survivor parent and nationally respected youth online-safety advocate. Sharon’s son, Alex, died at age 17 after experiencing cyberbullying and algorithmically targeted pro-suicide content. Since then, Sharon has dedicated her life to helping parents, educators, and faith leaders recognize online dangers and build safer communities for young people. Register here.
February 11th and 25, 2026 - Join Our “Building a Culture of Leadership Within Congregations” Cohort facilitated by Rabbi Benjamin Ross and me! A two-session course for ministers and faith leaders ready to strengthen how their congregations and ministries identify, develop, and support leaders. Learn more here.
July 19-24, 2026 - Join me and 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.
Fun Things My Friends Are Up To…
I get to work with such amazing, creative people. This new section is my way of celebrating them—no paid promotions, just joy in what they’re creating.
My friend and Buddhist teacher, Isa Gucciardi’s center, the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, has just released their 2026 calendar of events. I can’t recommend her courses enough. Check them out here.
Have you heard that Dr. Matthew Fox is taking a group to Italy?!? It’s a week-long retreat in Sardinia on May 25-30, 2026 focused on the theme of Awakening the Divine Human, rooted in the teachings of Matthew, C.G. Jung, and the ancient wisdom of the land. I so wish I could go, but I am already booked. You should consider it.
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.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/12/17/trump-national-center-atmospheric-research-climate/
Thank you Cameron, I think.
Trump and his gang continue to destroy America and, in doing so, are also destroying the world order because much of it depended on America.
However, the American People are just standing by and watching.
SCOTUS ALLOWED Texas to redraw its voting map, more boat attacks by Hegseth and more people losing healthcare, jobs, homes and so on and so on.
Call it what you will, until the American People stand up and say NO, it will get worse. Come November, if there is an election, they will win.
What do you/we know about Gaza? I’m surprised it wasn’t mentioned in your initial paragraph. Like it is off your radar, Cameron. It befuddles me that in the list of deaths and tragedies you don’t mention Palestinians.
Otherwise I love your posts.