Justice Served Love

On September 6th, 2018, an off-duty Dallas police officer, Amber Guyger entered Botham Jean’s apartment mistaking it as her own. She mistook Botham Jean for a burglar, and shot and killed him. Over a year removed from the incident, on October 1st, 2019 she was found guilty of murder and the next day was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Since the sentencing there has been a video going around of Judge Tammy Kemp, of the Amber Guyger case hugging the defendant (Guyger), but the video has been grossly manipulated, which proves to me the person who edited the video has an agenda to mislead. So here is my attempt to correct misinformation and highlight the Truth that should convict us all to righteousness.

In the unedited video of the exchange between Judge Kemp and Ms. Guyger, Jude Kemp is actually seen giving Ms. Guyger her personal bible and praying with her. Her words as the Judge approaches the defendant were “You can have mine. I have 3 or 4 more at home. This is your job for the next month (as she points to the book of John and then reads John 3:16 to her).”

Kemp gave Guyger a Bible and directed her to read John 3:16 after official sentencing.

Judge Kemp did this strategically after what Brandt Jean (the victim’s brother) said to Amber Guyger. He told Ms. Guyger, “I forgive you… I love you… I want what’s best for you… and what’s best for you is to give your life to Christ.”

Botham Jean's brother asked the judge to allow him to hug Amber Guyger in the courtroom after she was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Justice is a central theme in the gospel, God is perfectly just. Discipline is a good thing, but never outside of the other attributes of God (righteousness, love, goodness, etc). The attributes of God are ever present, even as He exercises one, He simultaneously and necessarily exercise the others. When God brings justice, He does so righteously, He does so in love, He does it because He, and it, are good.

Unfortunately, these type of events in our society have caused much pain. Which can lead to anger, especially when it seems that many do not care about or simply choose to ignore the pain that exists. Yet, justice coupled with anger is murder in your heart. Then, we have only done to Ms. Guyger what she has done to the victim (Botham Jean).

Matthew 5:21-22 "You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER ' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.