The Love of Christ in a Dallas Courtroom

I am a Christian. But I’ll be honest. I don’t know if I could do what the brother of Botham Jean did today in a Dallas, Texas courtroom.

At the sentencing phase of former Dallas Police officer Amber Guyger’s murder trial, Botham’s brother, Brandt, asked the judge if he could hug Amber. She said yes. And the world saw what the love of Jesus Christ looks like in human form.

18 year old Brandt  Jean took the most horrific event imaginable and used it to show the world what true love means. It means forgiving all things. It means wanting the best for others. It means abandoning all the selfish, bitter, self-seeking traits that make us human.

While strangers outside the courthouse screamed for revenge, the brother of the man innocently shot and killed in his own home, used the horrific event to introduce his brother’s killer to the all consuming love of Jesus Christ. He asked her to give her life to Christ because he knew his brother Botham would have wanted the same.

““I love you just like anyone else,” Brandt said. “I’m not going to say I hope you rot and die… I personally want the best for you and I wasn’t going to ever say this in front of my family or anyone but I don’t even want you to go to jail. I want the best for you because I know that’s exactly what Botham would want you to do  and the best would be to give your life to Christ.”

Many believe Jesus Christ gave his life for our sins and through that act, we are able to live and love as Jesus would have us love one another. Today in a Dallas, Texas courtroom, we heard and saw Jesus through the words and actions of a heartbroken, young man.

May God Bless him and his family, in a mighty, mighty way.