"Jesus Moment" at Colorado Springs Church Where Gunman's Parents Visit for First Time With Family of Murdered Sisters and Security Guard

Teresa Neumann : Jan 11, 2008
Staff - WorldNetDaily

Parents released Assam from any guilt or remorse over what she had to do. It was "the greatest testimony of forgiveness I've ever seen."

(Colorado Springs, Co.)—Over the Christmas holidays, New Life Church Pastor Brady Boyd says he was praying about the shooting tragedy at his church last month when he felt like he was supposed to contact gunman Matthew Murray's parents to see "if they wanted to come to the church campus, see the location where the attack happened, and grieve for the loss of their son, who committed suicide after being shot by a volunteer security patrol team member."

According to a WorldNetDaily (WND) report, the family accepted the invitation, and the private meeting that followed at the church (survivors of the Works' family and security guard Jeanne Assam were also present), was what Boyd described as a "Jesus moment," and "the greatest testimony of forgiveness I've ever seen."

Boyd told his congregation: "I called them [Ron and Loretta Murray] and asked, would you like to come to the New Life campus and see the place where your son passed away? When someone's gone through a tragedy, it's very important to see the place where it happened," adding the Murray's had wanted to, but didn't want to "invade" the church still recovering from the attack."

Following that meeting, where Boyd retraced the steps of their son as he was on his rampage, the Murray's released the following statement (in part): "Words cannot adequately express our deep, deep gratitude to David and Marie Works, Pastor Brady Boyd, Jeanne Assam, and the entire New Life Church family. God is good and our entire experience last Thursday was filled with His loving and healing presence...The depth of our sorrow and our grief is greater than we can possibly describe."

Boyd was also quoted as saying that when the Murrays met Assam, they "released her from any guilt or remorse over what she had had to do."