The Love Heard ‘Round the World
In 2019, the younger brother of a man who was shot by a former Dallas Police officer stunned the world when, instead of condemning Botham Jean’s killer for shooting him in his own apartment by mistake, said something so outrageous, so ridiculous, so weird, that he must have been an authentic believer in Jesus Christ.
What did Brandt Jean say to Amber Guyger in the courtroom after she was sentenced to ten years in prison for murder?
“I hope you go to God with all the guilt, all the bad things you may have done in the past…if you truly are sorry…I forgive you, and I know if you go to God and ask him, he will forgive you. I love you just like anyone else. I personally want the best for you. I don’t even want you to go to jail; I want the best for you. And the best would be to give your life to Christ. I think giving your life to Christ would be the best thing that Botham would want you to do. Again, I love you…and I don’t wish anything bad on you.”
What Brandt said was nothing short of supernatural. It makes no human sense at all. Unconditional forgiveness? That’s crazy!
King Louis of France said, “Nothing smells so sweet as the dead body of your enemy.”
Author Heinrich Heine declared, “We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.”
Forgiveness is not natural, yet nothing characterizes the new nature of a born-again believer more than forgiveness, because nothing characterized the nature of our Lord and Savior more than forgiveness.
As Jesus hung on the cross—nailed there, hands and feet—after being scourged, beaten and mocked for crimes he did not commit, his last words to his murderers were, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:24)
“Forgive”: to give up resentment against or the desire to punish; to stop being angry with; to pardon. To give up all claim to punish; to overlook.
That’s what Brandt Jean did.
That’s what an Amish community did in 2006 when a shooter killed ten young girls execution-style in their own one room schoolhouse.