Arson at the Governor's Mansion

A 38-year-old suspect is in custody and will be charged with arson and attempted murder after allegedly breaking into the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion and lighting it on fire. The mansion sustained significant damage, but nobody was injured, as Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were evacuated in the middle of the night along with their guests.

Analysis and eternal perspective: While a motive for the attack is not yet known, political violence has been a regular marker of our times. It is present on both ends of the political spectrum—this attack was on a Democrat official thought to be a White House contender while the current Republican president has had multiple attempts on his life—and it is incumbent on Jesus followers of all political persuasions to consider how we can combat it by being ambassadors of peace (Is. 33:7; Ps. 34:14).

It is a rare gift to be afforded the opportunity of self-governance. It is a gift that, yes, was paid for through the shedding of blood, but one that is to be preserved through the exercise of productive engagement in public debate. Political violence—no matter the ideological aim—does great harm to the pursuit of a free and flourishing society. 

As Jesus followers, we should know this better than anyone. Jesus was wrongfully accused and had every reason to allow his disciples to quite literally fight back (Peter didn’t ask for permission but lashed out and cut off the ear of one of Jesus’ enemies). But quite to the contrary, Jesus told the disciples to put away their swords and then healed the wound caused by Peter’s outburst (Lk. 22:49-51; Jn. 18:10-11; Matt. 26:51-55).

This is an area ripe for your engagement and mine. Political divides run very deep in our day. You feel them, as do I. Their substance often includes impactful components worthy of thoughtful engagement. But as we grapple with substance, what if we also actively worked to bind up the wounds—both literal and figurative—of our political opponents? What if we actively advanced substantive arguments of merit while unequivocally opposing violent actions and rhetoric? It is a low bar, but the temptation to be silent can be very strong.

We can and should lead the way. We can do so by following the example of Jesus.

The following article originally appeared in Thann’s “The Equipped” Weekly Newsletter. For more information on Thann’s weekly email, click here.