Article Published In the Albany Herald Newspaper Interfaith Column
Written By David Campbell, Vision Steward, SoHA: Sanctuary of Healing Arts
Trust is an essential part of every relationship. It’s the invisible thread that binds us to one another and to the world around us. When trust is present, we feel safe, supported, and connected. We trust that our needs will be met. We trust that those who appear to be our friends truly hold our best interests at heart. When we trust in a Great Spirit—God, Source, or the Divine by any name—we can relax into the present moment, knowing that, in some deeper way, everything is okay.
But life has a way of testing that trust.
A friend bends the truth. Someone steals from us. A person we’ve placed on a pedestal disappoints us. A loved one dies too soon. Or the world seems to fall into chaos. These experiences can shake us deeply. When trust is broken in one part of our life, it can feel like nothing is safe. We may question everything—even our connection to Spirit.
When trust is lost, we may withdraw from others or pretend we’re okay when we’re not. We mask ourselves and go through the motions, but feel disconnected. Yet these painful moments can also be sacred invitations: to deepen our inner listening, to be honest about what we’re feeling, and to grow in compassion for ourselves and others.
This is a deeply human struggle: how do we learn to trust again when something inside says we can’t trust anyone or anything?
To trust again is not to ignore the pain—it is to walk through it with eyes open, heart softened, and a spirit willing to grow from the experience. We begin to see new life in the rubble. We begin to feel the quiet presence of love—still here, still holding us.
People will lie to you. It’s part of the human experience. So when it happens to you again, don’t be surprised—or even angry. If we can meet breaches of trust with compassion, we begin to see what’s often hidden: unwitnessed pain, maladaptive communication strategies, generational wounds, and our mutual longing to be safe and loved. Allow for grace with boundaries. We are ALL in the process of learning.
There is a meditation posture in the Buddhist tradition where the right hand—representing compassion—rests inside the left hand—representing wisdom. It reminds me that discernment and healthy boundaries are essential for navigating relationships with an open heart.
So trust your heart. Trust that love triumphs over hate. Trust that when life doesn’t go as planned, it may be guiding you to a deeper truth. Trust that even when things fall apart, you are held in a greater flow of wisdom and care.
Even when discernment tells you that a relationship must radically transform because of a breach of trust, let yourself be a good listener. Ask gently, “What’s really going on here?” Let love and compassion lead you. Listen for opportunities to have compassion for the other as well as for yourself.
Sometimes, the most painful breaches of trust can remind us to return to what is eternal, to surrender to what is. The natural rhythm of life—day following night, birth following death—teaches us that change is not the enemy. Even a destructive forest fire has a sacred role; devastating at first, yet it clears the way for seeds to sprout and new life to emerge.
Let your love radiate. Even tough love, when rooted in wisdom and compassion, provides a path for healing. When trust is broken, sit with it, pray about it, and when the time comes, let it go and hold gratitude for the experience and the person who gifted you a lesson as your treasured teacher.
David Campbell is the vision steward of SoHA: Sanctuary of Healing Arts in Philomath OR. www.SoHA.center
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