September 5, 2026
Saturday, September 5
In 2018, a young female officer with the Dallas police department returned to her apartment building at around 10 PM after her shift. According to her testimony, she was distracted because she was talking on the cell phone to her partner, so she didn’t realize she had gotten off the elevator on the wrong floor. The door of what she thought was her unit was ajar, so she walked in and was surprised to see a black man in her living room. She pulled her service revolver and shot him twice in the chest, killing him. Only later did she realize she had walked into his apartment, not hers.
The man’s name was Botham Jean. He was a native of St Lucia in the Caribbean, but had moved to Dallas to work as an accountant at Price Waterhouse. When shot, he was sitting on his own couch, eating ice cream and watching TV. The officer was found guilty of murder and sentenced to ten years in prison. During the sentencing phase of the trial, the victim’s brother, Brandt Jean, took the stand and told the officer that he forgave her for what she had done. He asked the judge’s permission to give her a hug, and permission was granted. If you watch the video, you see a young woman come running into the frame and throw herself into the arms of this young man. He holds her for nearly a minute, and you can hear weeping in the courtroom. It’s one of the more powerful things you’ll ever see.
There were protests in the streets of Dallas over this killing. People were angry that an innocent man had been senselessly killed. But unlike in other such incidents, the protests did not devolve into violence. The city healed, and I believe it was in large part because of this young man’s amazing gesture. His forgiveness, his absorbing of the cost, let the steam out of a community’s anger. How could he do this? In his statement, you hear the reason: “I know I can speak for myself — I forgive you, and I know if you go to God and ask him, he will forgive you. I want the best for you, because I know that's exactly what Botham would want you to do — to give your life to Christ."
Brandt Jean knew that justice needed to be served. But he wanted no vengeance. He forgave the woman who killed his brother out of gross negligence at best. But why? Because of Jesus. He knew that when Jesus looked at his sin, as well as yours and mine and even that officer’s, He identified with us. He said, “Your sin is now my sin. I take responsibility for it.” He absorbed the cost when He died on the cross. And He set us free forever. When we forgive as we have been forgiven, we allow our own hearts to heal. We heal the hearts of others around us. And we show people the love of Christ that can set them free forever. That’s what forgiveness is.
There’s only one thing in the world that can produce that: Nothing But the Blood of Jesus.
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
