Outside the Dallas courtroom, outraged protestors shouted their disagreement with the verdict, “No justice, no peace!” Inside the courtroom, off-duty police officer, 31-year old Amber Guyger was being led away to begin serving her 10-year sentence for killing 26-year old, Botham Jean in his own apartment.
We all remember this very sad shooting back in September of 2018 because it should have never happened. Amber thought she was entering her own apartment when she wrongly deduced she was being robbed. Right apartment number, wrong floor.
But what had been too quickly forgotten was something else that transpired inside that courtroom on that somber day. While on the witness stand, the deceased’s soft-spoken 18-year old brother, Brandt, spoke the most unexpected. He looked directly at Amber and said, “I want the best for you … and the best would be, give your life to Christ… I love you as a person.” Then he uttered the unimaginable. He turned to Judge Tammy Kemp and asked, “I don’t know if this is possible, but can I give her a hug, please – please?” Their embrace will be forever etched in many of our minds.
Then the equally unimaginable happened. Judge Kemp herself arose from her bench, walked down to the defense table, spoke a few private words to Ms. Guyger and then she too hugged her and presented her a Bible.
Step into Brandt Jean’s shoes for a moment on that witness stand. Can you picture yourself offering so magnanimous a display of Mercy? Would you have been so forgiving, so Christ-like under his circumstances?
When we see such rare displays of mercy, we’re given a glimpse of how God acts all the time. Why not turn out or tune in this Sunday morning to hear more about “Our Mind-Blowing God of All-Mercy?”
