A Second Assassination Attempt

For the second time in a little more than two months, a shooter attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump. According to law enforcement, the shooter—who has since been identified and taken into custody—arrived in the early morning hours at the golf course Trump would play later in the day and camped out for nearly 12 hours before being noticed by Secret Service agents. The would-be shooter fled after being fired at by agents and was arrested after a short pursuit.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both condemned the attack and joined former President Trump in calling for cooler heads to prevail.

Analysis and eternal perspective: If there were previously any doubt (which seems unlikely, given the extremely close call several weeks ago), it is now doubly clear we are in the midst of an exceptionally harrowing moment, and one in which every precaution against further violence must be taken. It is a moment where additional attacks must be expected, and in which there is no justification for being caught by surprise. There may be varying opinions about the cause or who is to blame, but there can be no denying the reality of the violent tinderbox of the moment. With less than seven weeks until the election, the protective security around all the candidates must be vigilant, and we as Jesus followers should be in fervent prayer for the safety and protection of the candidates and those around them.

We should also do a self-assessment about what we are contributing to the current political environment. While each of the candidates is issuing similar calls for calm, those admonitions ring more than a bit hollow when offered against the backdrop of campaign rhetoric that is clearly contributing to the current unrest.

However, while both campaigns should do self-reflection, and while they should be held accountable for their words and actions, it is unlikely for there to be an about-face at this stage. Further, as we often remind ourselves here at The Equipped, the freedom to debate and vigorously dissent is a cornerstone of a truly free people. A call to neutrality or an elimination of all passion in the public sphere is hardly the answer.

But for you and me, as Jesus followers, free debate is also anything but a license to lay aside the biblical admonitions to control our tongues rather than allow them to control us. On the defensive side of this instruction, Proverbs 18:21 reminds us, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” As you and I speak truth, do we do it in love, or are we aiming our words destructively? I’ll answer for myself in this regard: I often fall short of this standard.

The tremendous news is that the alternative we have is bursting with life-giving potential. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” When you stand on and speak from the Word of God, it is not simply “cooler heads prevailing.” Very much to the contrary, that Word is alive and active and powerful to pierce through the toxic environment and reach the spirit and soul of those currently captured by this vitriolic moment in history.

It is easy to see calls for civility as sacrificing the edge in a cultural debate. The Truth—straight from scripture—is that by standing on the Word of God in a life-giving way, we are unleashing a power and a love far greater than our own. That is the path for traversing these next seven weeks alongside our neighbors who may hold differing political views.

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