Thursday, July 26, 2018

Near Suicide

This one is about a more dramatic incident of ministry. A congregant called me, saying that he was about to commit suicide. I wanted to keep him talking, but he had set an alarm clock -- which went off -- and he put the phone down. Yet while he and I were still talking, I sent my late wife Mirjam to his door. Then I called an off-duty fireman. Both arrived at the door at the same time -- as did the police. The door was locked, and there was no response. Mirjam told the police to break the door down. They said no, they were not minded to damage any property. The fireman asked Mirjam for her shoe, and smashed the glass with the heel. They found our congregant hanging from a cord, and blue in the face. But they revived him. OBSERVATION: Mirjam was ill for a week after that.

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