A widow and her revolver

The event took place in a previous pastorate more years ago than I care to count. I was visiting an elderly church member in a smaller town in North Texas. It was certainly not my first visit, but I had never encountered what I did that particular day. Nor have I since encountered any thing like it. I noticed that someone had placed a pistol in plain sight on a nearby window sill. Since my hostess was a widow who lived alone, I assumed that dear old Mrs. Reeves had placed the pistol there herself. Texas being a big gun-owner state, even back then, it is not unusual for a person to keep one in the house for protection, but we do not usually display them in such a way. Well, I began to question her about this loaded revolver. "What are you doing with this gun in your window?" I asked. Mrs. Reeves answered emphatically, "I am going to shoot that old man next door." I did not find out why she wanted to do away with the "old man next door" but I continued to probe. "What? You can't to that," I quickly replied. "Whatever he has done, you can't just shoot him. The Bible teaches us to love our neighbors." Mrs. Reeves did not hesitate to say, "The Bible says nothing about loving the old devil!"