The Endings of Old Worlds
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
"See, I am making all things new." — Revelation 21:5
Last week, in a presentation, philosopher and psychologist Bayo Akomolafe asked a group of us: “What does ‘the end of the world’ mean to us?” It’s a question that won’t let me go.
The news cycles, the political chaos, the aching planet—they tell us something is ending. The “ending” feels existential, leaving many of us with anticipatory dread of what is heading our way (or already here). But maybe what’s harder to see is that endings are not singular events. They are fields. They are spaces where death and birth wrestle and breathe side by side. The “end of the world” isn’t a sudden cliff we fall off; it’s a series of thresholds, a practice of shedding and becoming.
The theologian Catherine Keller1 reminds us, "Apocalypse is not about destruction; it is about unveiling." Maybe that’s true here, too. What is ending is not just an old political regime or a certain idea of America or the “West”—it’s the myth that power could ever save us. It’s the illusion that institutions alone could guarantee justice, that comfort would keep us safe, that empires could last forever.
Endings are always happening.
Worlds are always breaking.
But worlds are also beginning, even if it’s harder to see.
The resurrection story Christians tell at Easter doesn’t happen because the old world was repaired. It happens because Love refused to stay buried. Resurrection didn’t patch the old system. It began something utterly new—and it began in wounded bodies, in broken places, among people who weren’t ready but who chose to Life anyway.
Maybe that’s what’s being asked of us now—not to deny that we are watching beloved worlds fall apart, but to practice staying awake enough to notice what new roots are stirring under the ash.
Maybe the "end of the world" is not the end of all things. Maybe it’s an invitation to see differently. To move differently. To belong differently. To honor a new field of becoming.
We don’t have to wait for a clean ending or a perfect beginning. We live in the thresholds. We live in the practice.
And even here—especially here—Spirit is making all things new.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
When you think of "the end of the world," what grief rises—and what unexpected hopes?
What small signs of new beginnings can you notice around you?
How might you live differently if you saw endings not as failures, but as openings?
A Prayer for the Day
For Those Living at the Threshold
Holy Presence,
When our trusted maps fail us,
When the ground shifts and cracks beneath our feet,
Teach us to trust in what we cannot yet see.
Root us in love that endures beyond endings.
Awaken us to the tender green shoots rising through the rubble.
Shape us into people who do not flee the dark,
But who carry light, even here, even now.
Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Threshold Noticing
Today, take ten minutes to walk slowly—around your block, your garden, your living room. As you walk, notice what is in-between:
Cracks where weeds push through.
New leaves on old branches.
Ruins that still shelter life.
Breathe into the awareness that you, too, are a threshold. Bless what is ending. Welcome what is beginning. Let your walking become a prayer.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
May 19-22, 2025 - Preaching and Worship FREE Online Summit: From war to genocide to a global climate crisis to a nation that perpetuates racism, misogyny, transphobia, and more from the highest office in the land, how do we prepare a sermon, a liturgy, a song, a prayer? Learn from some of our best preachers. 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.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Keller
Yes, "loved refused to stay buried." That is our Resurrection song . . .now, if only I could find a tune! Thanks, Cameron, for making me listen to what is new around (and, perhaps, within) us. Phil Blackwell
Cameron, once again you bring me to my knees. I am a retired pastor still seeking to understand this new beginning in my life, and with what is going on around me, it just is more complicated and confusing. Today, you have given me new eyes to see that all that is crumbling might be some ends (some I want and others I don't) but also some wonderful new resurrection beginnings. Bless you for your wisdom and willingness to take the time to share!