Introvert in a Sea of Noise: the red pill, part three

A simple definition of introversion/extroversion is:

Introverts recharge by spending time alone.

Extroverts recharge by being around people

Simple enough, right? Over the years, I feel like some people have misperceived me because I sing and am on stage, but then I get off the stage and can appear withdrawn and quiet. What people don't understand is that being an introvert doesn't necessarily mean that you are socially withdrawn or don't like being around people. It just means that eventually the energy 'tank' for the social interaction runs out, and to recharge you need to be alone and have quiet. The challenge for me is social interaction when my tank is empty. I lead worship for three worship services a weekend. I love leading and creatively planning services, but after the crowds of people, I need a recharge...so sometimes it means bolting for the door or else being snippy in social interaction. I'm growing in that area, but it can be tough!

Side note: interesting article from CNN about introverts in leadership. Click here

As a Christian, I tend to gravitate to the ecumenical crowd where there is still a connection to a liturgy of contemplation and a value in quiet. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm a charismatic too, which can make things weird sometimes. I guess that's why I've found a home in the Lutheran Renewal movement. One thing I've experienced in charismatic circles is that they may embrace intensity and 'radical' behavior, but may not value the times when that 'intensity' looks differently. (i.e. those who abandon to absolute solitude, fasting, etc.)

Susan Cain wrote in her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking , “Evangelicalism has taken the Extrovert Ideal to its logical extreme...If you don't love Jesus out loud, then it must not be real love. It's not enough to forge your own spiritual connection to the divine; it must be displayed publicly” (2012).

Look at those who have changed and shaped the world in the area of social justice. St. Francis of Assisi, Mother Teresa, even William Wilberforce, these people lived loudly in their impact on the world, yet they lived a lifestyle of withdrawing. I'm not saying, for sure, that these people were introvert or extrovert, just that effective Christian life involves withdrawing and solitude and we can see that pattern in the lives of these people, not to mention Jesus, who withdrew from the crowds regularly. So, we can learn much from those who thrive in the quiet. Activist writer Thomas Merton was also a Trappist Monk, and he had a point when he wrote: “If our life is poured out in useless words, we will never hear anything, never become anything, and in the end, because we have said everything before we had anything to say, we shall be left speechless at the moment of our greatest decision" (1956).

So, yes, I'm an introvert learning how to most effectively serve the Lord in a society that can (often) glorify extroversion. My intensity has its foundation in my inner life, which is where the Christian life starts. The passion with which I live externally is an expression, but not completely representative of the passion with which I live internally. I like to think before I answer, and like to live outwardly from a deep inward devotion to Christ. I know that I have weaknesses, but because I'm an introvert, I'm somewhat conscious of them, and am working on them.

Reference:

Cain, S. (2012). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking. NY: Crown Publishing Group.

Merton, T. (1956). Thoughts in Solitude. NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.