The arson last weekend in Northern Ireland — as Sen. George Mitchell was receiving the Liberty Medal for helping to broker peace there — only shows how difficult it was to obtain any agreement at all. The senator’s words last weekend brought hope that this latest bout of violence will not end the peace process.

“Seeking an end to conflict is not for the timid or the tentative,” Sen. Mitchell said last week in his acceptance remarks. “There must be a clear and determined policy not to yield to the men of violence … that means there must be an endless supply of patience and perseverance.”

The dozen church fire bombings in recent days would test anyone’s patience. Set in response to the planned marches by Protestant Orangemen through Catholic neighborhoods, the fires and the marches show how eager some people in Northern Ireland are to have the peace process fail. Sen. Mitchell’s commitment to seeing it through reflects the seriousness and skill he brought to representing Maine in the U.S. Senate, and certainly will serve him in his next role.

There’s all sorts of speculation about the former Maine senator: Will he be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? Is Vice President Al Gore worried that the senator will run for president? Could he become the next secretary of state? Political chatter is much like sports chatter: full of possibilities and intrigue about All-Stars, who usually are too busy doing their jobs extraordinarily well to be concerned with much else.

The award of the Liberty Medal isn’t speculation but a richly deserved recognition for Sen. Mitchell’s efforts to bring peace to a place that has had a smoldering war for decades. The Liberty Medal, which comes with a $100,000 award, was created 10 years ago by Greater Philadelphia First, a regional business and leadership organization. Its purpose is to recognize people and organizations that best represent the founding principles of the United States. Past winners include Lech Walesa, Jimmy Carter, Doctors Without Borders, Vaclav Havel and Shimon Peres and King Hussein.

Sen. Mitchell’s work, properly honored last weekend, is an inspiring example of what a lot of patience and perseverence can bring.