It was after 10pm when the phone rang.

I had taken a pastorate on the outskirts of Sydney, and was starting to settle into this new vocation.

The caller had checked the entries in the phone book and arrive at B for Baptist – and on this attempt someone had answered. He outlined that he was sitting in an empty house, he had arrived home to find that his wife had left and all their possessions with her.

He had the phone in one hand and a gun in the other. When the conversation was over he intended to use the gun on himself.

He would not give a name or address, and did not want me or anyone to come.

My brain raced through what subject at College had covered this scenario.

We talked for probably an hour and I don’t really remember what subjects we covered.

Eventually he announced that he was going to hang up, and did.

I didn’t sleep well.

The next morning the police rang me. The officer explained that a man had come to the station last night to surrender his gun (and presumably seek help of some kind). The man, whose name I don’t know and would never meet, asked that the police contact me to convey the outcome of our conversation the previous night, that he was safe, and to thank me for listening to him.

For me, I suspect God was teaching me a lesson that I had been slow to learn: in the words of Colossians 4:6 “When you talk, you should always be kind and wise. Then you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.” ERV   and “…always be more willing to listen than to speak.” James 1:19 ERV

I pray that I may continue to be teachable.