Conversation starters, incomplete thoughts, and links from Adam S. McHugh, author of Introverts in the Church

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Cognitive Dissonance

Hmm, I didn't expect this one. What do you think?

"Before I learned that I was an introvert, I thought I was at least shy and possibly antisocial. At other people’s parties, I stayed in the kitchen with the help. At my own parties, I was the help. When the story of Martha and Mary came up in church, no one had to tell me why Martha stayed in the kitchen while her sister Mary sat at Jesus’s feet. Martha was an introvert. She found chopping potatoes far less exhausting than talking to people, and besides, she could hear everything they were saying right where she was without having to come up with something to say herself."

Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World

7 comments:

  1. Hmm. I think it implies that Jesus was ignorant of introversion (or that He considers it a sin).

    I also think it leaves out the part where Martha was all ticked off at Mary for leaving her with all the work to do.

    As an introvert, I'm more than happy to leave the socializing to those who do it well, even if it means more "real work" for me.
    ReplyDelete
  2. I think it's a bit of a stretch.

    -Keith
    ReplyDelete
  3. Haha! Eisegesis at its finest!

    Interestingly enough, some experts have identified some of the Apostles as introverts, including John, the "disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7; 21:20). John is thought to have been an INFP in the Jungian scheme.
    ReplyDelete
  4. The cognitive dissonance for me is that I think MARY shows introverted tendencies in that passage, sitting at Jesus' feet and listening quietly. I can't really comment on Martha's personality, since feeling compelled to serve and work frenetically is not a personality trait.
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  5. I agree that the exegesis is dubious. If Martha liked being in the kitchen partly for the solitude, she wouldn't have complained about Mary not being in there with her.

    However, I think there's something to the idea that an introvert would prefer service done behind the scenes and/or alone, with no pressure to interact with people. I remember being very pleased once at a chance to serve a church by changing light bulbs, completely by myself in the building and with no pressure to communicate with someone else.
    ReplyDelete
  6. I think it's a bit of a stretch.

    -Keith
    ReplyDelete
  7. Hmm. I think it implies that Jesus was ignorant of introversion (or that He considers it a sin).

    I also think it leaves out the part where Martha was all ticked off at Mary for leaving her with all the work to do.

    As an introvert, I'm more than happy to leave the socializing to those who do it well, even if it means more "real work" for me.
    ReplyDelete

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Claremont, CA, United States
Adam S. McHugh is the author of Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture. He is an ordained Presbyterian minister, spiritual director, chaplain, speaker, and retreat leader. He has been published in The Washington Post, The Christian Century, RELEVANT Magazine, Psychology Today, and Leadership Journal, among other publications. He is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College and Princeton Theological Seminary. On February 28, 2012 he will serve as guest chaplain in the U.S. House of Representatives. He lives in Claremont, CA.

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