Confession time: I don’t like cops.

I bristle at the notion that a costume and a shiny badge bestow a person with power and privilege the rest of us don’t enjoy.

And make no mistake, a state-issued gun and badge do indeed bestow the holder with power and privilege.  We see it when a cop beats a person to a pulp, or even shoots them in cold blood, and gets off with a paid vacation. And we see it in the way the hoi polloi genuflects before the “thin blue line.”

More fundamentally, police officers facilitate state violence. They engage in acts of aggression on behalf of the politicians and the citizens who harness their power to impose their will on society. They harass peaceful people and lock them in cages for the “crimes” of ingesting the wrong substance, selling the wrong product, or owning the wrong weapon.

Many people defend cops, arguing they’re “just doing their jobs” But nobody put a gun to their head and made them put a gun to my head. Nobody forced them to serve as the state’s enforcement arm. Nobody made them facilitate government coercion, force and violence.

So no, I don’t like cops.

But I don’t hate them either.

A lot of libertarians do. I see the vitriol on social media and I hear the scorn heaped upon law enforcement at libertarian events. Some even argue we would be justified in committing acts of violence against cops in the name of self-defense. Based on the libertarian understanding of the justified use of force, they might be correct.

And you know, the hatred might even be fair.

But it isn’t right.

Jesus implores us to love our neighbor. He doesn’t make an exception if our neighbor happens to be a cop.

Law enforcement functions as a cog in the wheel in the cycle of violence. The only way to end violence is to break the cycle. That requires mercy, grace and forgiveness.

Brandt Jean showed us what that looks like.

Amber Guyger was a Dallas police officer. She walked into an apartment and shot the unarmed resident dead. She said she thought she was entering her own unit and believed  26-year-old Botham Jean was an intruder.

Botham was Brandt’s brother.

Surprisingly, prosecutors charged Guyger with murder.  Not even the Thin Blue Line could protect her. A jury found her guilty. But it only sentenced her to 10 years in prison – the minimum.

The Thin Blue Line was just thick enough.

But then something amazing happened. Eighteen-year-old Brandt forgave his brother’s killer. He embraced Guyger in the courtroom and told her he wanted the best for her.

He showed mercy.

He exemplified grace.

He followed the example of his savior.

Brandt’s words to Guyger are worth repeating.

If you truly are sorry, I can speak for myself, I forgive, and I know if you go to God and ask him, he will forgive you.

And I don’t think anyone can say it—again I’m speaking for myself—but I love you just like anyone else.

And I’m not gonna say I hope you rot and die just like my brother did, but I presently 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.

I’m not going to say anything else.

I think giving your life to Christ would be the best thing that Botham would want you to do.

Again I love you as a person and I don’t wish anything bad on you.

I don’t know if this is possible, but can I give her a hug, please?

Please?

And they embraced.

In that moment, Brandt Jean shattered the cycle of violence and hatred.

A lot of people are not particularly pleased with Brandt’s public display of grace. They say Guyger doesn’t deserve forgiveness. Even some Christians bristle at Brand’s forgiving embrace. They say, “She wasn’t repentant.”

I don’t know if she repented or not. And she may well not “deserve” forgiveness. But that misses the point. Forgiveness is not for the other person.

Brandt set himself free by letting go of the anger, bitterness and hate. He shattered the cycle of violence and retribution. He shone light into the darkness.

Hatred poisons your heart. Violence begets violence. Brandt showed us a better way.