Matthew Butler Killed at Zion Gate in Garland Texas

Matthew Butler, 28, owner of Zion Gate Recording studio along with Stephen Swan, 26, the studio sound engineer, were found shot to death outside Matthew’s studio in Garland Texas (outside of Dallas).

He was a Christian musician and owned his own recording studio and was apparently gunned down as they left after working late on Wednesday (see Dallas Morning News Article). The reason I am sharing this is that his wife, Jamie Butler, 22, only a day after the death of her husband, gave an almost uninterrupted testimony of and for her husband, live on Fox News on the Greta Van Susteren show (blog), On the Record (see entire transcript here | see video here).

I was really incredible to see and hear a live, nationally strong news corporation like Fox allow Jamie to speak, uninterrupted for the time she did.  She was strong and determined, a strength that could only be given to her by God Himself.  I say this after seeing someone who lost a loved one first hand.  Seeing how they reacted at the time of the tragedy was horrible.  For those in a different place in their life, who did or do not know the love of God that Jamie knows (see The Cry of a Lost Soul is Hard to Watch), it is a much different ending.

Butler: And so for these men out there that have done this, I would want them to know that my husband — we’re glad and ecstatic that they found them, but we want these men to know Christ and to know that no matter what, God died on the cross for them and that he will forgive them. And my husband, I know, is waiting at the gates of heaven, wanting to meet these men and saying, I forgive you, as well.

Greta let Jamie speak for almost 5 minutes (it seemed like) without saying a word. She went through his life, and his testimony for Christ, and their willingness to forgive the people who had done this. All this from someone who had just lost her husband at the age of 22.

Image caption from above: Members of Newsong: Eddie Carswell (percussion, vocals), Billy Goodwin (vocals, guitar), Michael O’Brien (vocals, piano, keyboards), Matt Butler (keyboards, organ, accordion, cello), Scotty Wilbanks (keyboards, saxophone)

I don’t think it was how I would have gone about it, but how do any of us know at a time like that. She was unwavering, forgiving, distraught, and ready to talk about how her husband’s life was lived to the fullest. I did not know him or his family but I love music, and the Lord, so when I saw the story it just made a connection with me. There have been several tragic testimonies given in the recent months. Tim Russert, and the two tragic accidents with Steven Curtis Chapman’s daughter and then the Burgess family (see my posts Steven Curtis Chapman, Prayers and Attacks on the Burgess Family? accordingly).

My prayers go out to Jamie Butler. She is busy now, and she probably has a lot of people around her, but it is the months ahead when she will need the most personal care by friends and family.