"I know you're very busy, but..."

I started my first job in computing in October 1980, the year of the info bubble. My firm took on LOADS of new graduates and for some months had nothing for us to do. We were given desks near the entrance to the office suite and told to look busy. This was important because if clients visited and saw us loafing or reading the Beano this would give the impression that the firm didn't have enough work. Of course, it was perfectly in order to loaf or to read the Beano as long as we looked busy. (After a couple of weeks we got assigned to projects, one by one..)

One of my pet hates as a busy pastor was to have people say to me "I know you're very busy, but.." It's true, I had a lot to do but after all I was there for people, and if I didn't have time for people then I was too busy. Not only that but think of all the people who wanted to dicuss things with me but decided they couldn't because I was too busy. Anyway, people shouldn't have to begin their conversation with the pastor by apologising for talking to him !

So I decided to try and change my behaviour to try and look less busy than I was so that people would feel I was more available.

Being busy - what's that all about anyway ? Busy doesn't necessarily mean productive or effective. You can be, as the song says, "Busy doing nothing, working the whole day through, trying to find lots of things not to do..."

The Saviour doesn't say 'Hey chaps, look busy !'. He says, 'Turn the whole world upside down with my message'.

Now in France I have to relearn this. After the services there's always lots of things to pack away and I am aware of the danger of little feet knocking the church's expensive equipment to the floor. But if I am busy packing away I miss out on being there for people. Perhaps the people are more valuable then the church's expensive equipment after all...