Church in Philadelphia Vandalized with Homophobic Slurs and Nazi Symbols

The quaint neighborhood of Mayfair in northeast Philadelphia was disturbed this past week by an act of hate targeting St. John’s Lutheran Church. In the early hours of Thursday May 9th, vandals descended upon the property destroying and defacing parts of the church building and grounds. This church is known in the community for its welcoming and affirming stance towards LGBTQ people. The vandalism seemed to be motivated by homophobia and anti-LGBTQ sentiment. In this article we talk about Church in Philadelphia Vandalized with Homophobic Slurs and Nazi Symbols.

When members of the church arrived on Thursday morning they were shocked to discover the damage. Spray painted on the sidewalk and steps in bright red paint were anti-LGBTQ slurs and symbols of hate such as Nazi Symbols. The flagpole flying the rainbow-colored progress pride flag had been snapped off and the flag itself was stolen. In total at least $400 worth of damage was done.

Confronting Hate in a Community of Love and Inclusion

For a community and a church grounded in messages of love, tolerance and inclusion, this unprompted act of hate was difficult to comprehend. The pastor of St. John’s, Daniel K. Eisenberg, expressed his sadness frustration and upset in a social media post. He articulated how the church commitment to welcome people of all gender identities and sexual orientations is rooted in their Christian faith and desire to model the radical love and embrace that Jesus extended.

Affirming St. John’s Commitment to Diversity

The vandalism seemed to be a direct response to St. John’s proclamation of welcome and celebration of diversity. Over the past couple of years the church leadership made decisive votes to openly welcome LGBTQ people in all aspects of congregational life – to be married in the church, to be considered for leadership roles and to be fully embraced as children of God. In this way the vandalism confirmed the importance of their public witness of inclusion.

Pastor Eisenberg named that incidents like this require faithful courage and a willingness to take risks for the sake of the Gospel. Following Jesus is not always easy or comfortable. The Ascension Day texts studied at the church just days after the vandalism included Jesus call for his disciples to be witnesses to God’s love, even when it involves hardship. The pastor expressed his pride in the St. John’s community for making commitments to inclusion and living out their faith so boldly.

St. John’s Community Rises Stronger Against Hate

While upsetting this act of vandalism seemed to embolden the leadership and community of St. John. They came together unified in their commitment to be a safe welcoming and affirming space for LGBTQ people in their neighborhood. Within hours of discovering the graffiti and damage, teams of church members gathered to clean and restore the property. They painted over the hurtful slurs and symbols, replacing them with vibrant colors and messages of love and hope.

In his social media message Pastor Eisenberg expressed thanks to the police officers who responded quickly and took the vandalism seriously by filing a detailed report. He also shared his deep appreciation for all of the supportive people across the larger community who reached out in solidarity.

As the investigation into this hate crime continues the members of St. John’s Lutheran Church remain committed to being witnesses of radical welcome and inclusion in their community. They hope this incident can spark more conversations – in Mayfair Philadelphia and beyond – about the importance of affirming diversity and standing unified against all forms of hate. I sincerely hope you find this “Church in Philadelphia Vandalized with Homophobic Slurs and Nazi Symbols” article helpful.