This BROKE Me! Face to Face with My Children's Killer

A Drunk-Driving Tragedy and the Abdallah Family’s Loss

Five years ago Samuel Davidson intoxicated and under the influence crashed his car into seven children.

Anthony Angelina.

Sienna and their cousin Veronique.

Lost their lives. This is my worst nightmare.

Kali. I can't even imagine, you know what these parents are going through if I lost my boys. I You know, I've lost people close to me I've been in situations and Held people and watched them go as I hold on to them and It's I sometimes have nightmares about losing my children and this happens.

This really happened, you know, and Then this this father comes face to face with the one who did it. You know who who ended his children's lives. I can't even imagine I can't fathom what that would be like.

But this man does. And this man loves the Lord.

Today the father of three of those children will come face to face with the man responsible. It's made possible by a program called restorative justice run by corrective services, New South Wales. I would reckon he's thinking walking here right now because he'd be leaving his cell.

I think he'd be nervous.

Usually.

People are up for revenge.

So.

It's a second chance.

They've met before so Danny and Samuel aren't new to each other. But this moment is and while the cameras are no surprise They're making everything more intense.

Yeah, so This family suffers one of the worst tragedies imaginable. This man Samuel was driving under the influence three times over the legal limit wasted on alcohol and drugs and crashes into their children as they were walking to go get ice cream and now they're gone and Samuel has been sentenced to 20 years 15 no parole.

Right, but Danny and his wife Leila. Shortly afterward they did something shocking. They forgave Samuel and They welcomed him into their family and now Samuel and Danny are about to meet.

Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Christian Witness

How's it going?

Good to see you. You well? Yeah, I'm well. Yeah, you're looking good. Thank you. So are you?

See that right there is scandalous to the world. It is absolutely shocking to see such a thing from the world's perspective. You know, I mean how how can that kind of embrace take place after what that man did to his children.

I promise you friends. This is one of the most powerful arguments for Christianity that I've ever seen. You know, it's it's right here. Thank you for.

Agreeing to this because I know it's not easy and it's a pretty big deal to do. Takes a bit of courage. Yep.

He's impacted my life. Just as much as my parents have just as much as my siblings and just as much as my children and my wife. He's in that same circle and.

What do I do with that. I'll grab some chairs and why don't we head out there? Yeah, no worries. I.

Didn't want to turn it into bitterness and anger and pray but I actually wanted to do the opposite.

So if you pushed him out of that circle.

He's in that circle. I can't push him out.

Who talks like this? You know, I mean, I mean does does this sound so utterly foreign to your ears. Even some of us in the church, you know, if we're being honest, does this sound like words from a visitor from another planet?

Because the justifiable reaction from the world's eyes is don't you ever come near me again, right? You have destroyed my family and taken everything from me go away from me and I never want to see your face again.

How many would say that you know, but this man and his wife have not only Forgiven this man. They've welcomed him into their family. Like how how is this possible?

Religion has become a cornerstone of Samuel's life.

Trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. He says it's guided him through the trauma and.

Unanswered questions of that day. I think that yeah, it's not religion.

You know, I know what this news organization is trying to do, but let's properly identify what's happening here. It's Christianity. Which is total surrender to Jesus Christ. That leads to something like this, you know, look at this.

So this article was written one year after the tragic event. Took place the accident. Look at what Danny and Leila his wife were saying shortly after they lost their children. Leila Abdallah if it wasn't for my faith, I wouldn't be standing where I am today.

God uses you in the midst of your suffering. Leila Abdallah tells me this week. One year ago. Most of us met Leila and her husband Danny for the first time and under terrible circumstances. The couple lives in Sydney and They became headline news after three of their six children.

Were taken like that by a drunk driver on February 1. Anthony 13 years old. Angela 12 Sienna 8 years old had been riding their bikes to get an ice cream and They died at the scene alongside their cousin Veronique 11 years old.

Trying to describe to someone. What being in the midst of suffering looks like you might get point you might point to the grief and pain of the Abdallah family. Yet when you catch even just a glimpse of the torment experienced by Leila during the past year, there's something else that stands out.

The way she and her husband have responded to what so many of us would consider. Unimaginable when you read the Bible Jesus said carry your cross and follow me. He didn't say we're gonna have a good life.

He asked us to carry the cross says Leila who's been a Christian all of her life. When Jesus walked this earth, he demonstrated to us how we should live our lives. For me, I look up to him. I think that if Jesus carried the cross then I'm going to look to him.

Look at the glory awaiting us in heaven, and I want to carry my cross with dignity and a smile. Danny and Leila I want to be like you. This is what it looks like ladies and gentlemen. To live out your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

It's beautiful. It's powerful. It's compelling. Everything that Jesus said everything that he taught. Lived out loud for the whole world to see and not in a manner that invites a spotlight, but just because it's all true.

Because it's all real and it will lead to healing. You know and and look look at what happened Samuel now. He's praying alongside Danny.

I'm just blown away by this. I can see it boy. The attitude of no one seemed long enough. And it's just.

It's phenomenal. Have you seen it happen like this before? No. No, so it is extraordinary. That's correct. Yeah. Yeah, and how powerful is that?

It's powerful because People see it. It's a message and what is growing from it in society and even in the prison. The respect that they have for Sam in this situation is unheard of really it's unheard of here.

What's it meant to him? Do you think to Sam? Yeah, you can see it on him, you know. Like I say, it's a total transformation. Of a man that was broken To where he is now. It's just nothing short of a miracle.

So I believe in miracles. They still happen and Sam Is a miracle in this situation. When he gets out, he'll be a trailblazer. I firmly believe that he will share the good news not by preaching it but by living it through what he's experienced and learned.

The Light of the World and the Tree of Life

That's nice Sam. That was awesome. Thank you. Bye. I was mad on the drive here with Danny. He said an extraordinary thing to me. Which completely surprised me. Do you think he deserves to be in jail for as long as he is?

That's a good question. Look it was up to me. I'll bring him out tomorrow. I know the guy really. Justice is to have my kids back. That's all. If you got one day or you got a hundred years, I'm not gonna it's not gonna change how I feel.

He said that if he had his way He'd have you out of here in a flash.

Yeah, that's really going the extra mile. He's just he's one in a million just absolutely amazing man and.

Hard question, but do you think you deserve that? I.

I don't think I deserve that. Yeah, it was an accident and I didn't mean it but I'm at fault and I've done that so I don't believe I deserve any. Him even talking to me was a blessing. I Was just happy with that so Yeah, he keeps amazing me.

I he's just an incredible person and I just want to be everything like him. That's it, man.

That's it. He just wants to be everything like him. This is the most powerful video I've seen in a very long time, this is everything. And I just wanted to show you a few minutes of this just moved me.

It's very stirring. This is what it looks like to walk out your faith in Jesus Christ. And to let others See that light emanate through you. This is what Jesus meant when he said this you are the light of the world.

A City set on a hill cannot be hidden nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. But on a stand and it gives light to all in the house in the same way. Let your light shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven.

I.

Mean you have to ask the question. What is that light that Jesus is referring to you ever thought about that? What what does he mean when he starts talking about lights and Lamps and putting it on a stand, you know, I mean These are all Jewish images that connect to the temple.

Ladies and gentlemen when a Jew in the first century thinks of a lamp on a lamp stand They're probably gonna think of the menorah, which was in the temple. In the temple, there was a gigantic menorah that was fashioned into the shape of a tree.

Did you know this? By the way, there's some Christian company or Organization or something like that. They travel around To churches and various venues and they build a Recreation of the tabernacle in the wilderness, you know, I'm talking about my family and I went to one of these.

It's fascinating. It's a it's a it meant to be an accurate replica of the tabernacle in the wilderness and when you walk around you get to.

See.

What the Israelites saw based on the descriptors from the scripture, you know. And then when you walk into the holy place, which is right outside the Holy of Holies you see the menorah standing there.

It's tall. Have you ever seen a menorah before it just it looks like a tree. It looks like it's got you know. The trunk and then out of the trunk come all these various branches right and then on each end of the branch.

So to speak it's lit with fire. Wait a second. What is the menorah in the temple meant to represent? The tree of life in the Garden of Eden. That's why it's there in the temple where God's presence dwells.

So Jesus is in this moment with his disciples. He's recalling the image to say you my disciples are meant to be the human representation of the tree of life or or eternal life right, Jesus is saying that the people of God are meant to live out their relationship with God in the kingdom of God and when that happens when this type of Lifestyle of faith is lived out.

It leads to eternal life for those who see its light and they come to Christ. The light continues to shine brighter and brighter as new souls and new souls and new souls receive that flame. That light is the eternal life that Jesus Christ offers.

Now think about that if a follower of Jesus Christ takes this seriously, right? Lives this out uniquely obeying Jesus Christ and his teaching what is going to happen in one of the worst kinds of tragedy imaginable.

Forgiveness and reconciliation. Those will flow right. This is not theoretical ladies and gentlemen. This is what it looks like when Christians live by their faith. Let's pray for them. Let's pray for the Abdullah's for the families of the other victims.

Let's pray for Samuel, you know that he stays close to the Lord. The reality is that there are people all over suffering from various tragedies. My goodness. Let's pray and let's keep praying and let's also pray that you know.

Should we be faced with tragedy one day ourselves that we can be like our brother and sister here. They are an inspiration to us all. All right friends a short video, but golly. So powerful, what do you think about this Christian act of forgiveness?

This is not a powerful witness for Christ, you know. Let me know in the comments below. I'd love to get your thoughts. Hey, that's it friends. I'm gonna return soon with more videos. But in the meantime, I'll say bye for now.