Here is something that happens quite often in ministry. I have had the custom of putting on an answering machine while I am out, then listening to messages and jotting down who called (I'll remember what it was about). This morning I stumbled upon an old list of callers. One person called me seven times in a row while I was out for the morning -- and called me many times besides.
OBSERVATION: When people are in a crisis, or panicked, they may call compulsively -- may even get angry that they do not receive instant attention. On the one hand, one cannot abandon ministry to the whole Church for the sake of one person. One needs to keep a balance. On the other hand, I treat passing phases (as this one was) with patience and compassion. People are not in a normal space, and this requires more than a normal response -- for a while.
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