When Sara Kyoungah White reads about trends in female Christian hospitality, she’s thankful for the challenge to welcome others. But she also feels like she’ll never meet the standard that her extroverted sisters in Christ have set.
“Perhaps the most difficult area for me as an introverted Christian woman and pastor’s wife has been the biblical call to hospitality and our culture’s interpretation of this calling,” writes White.
As people who draw energy from being alone, the idea of hosting frequent large gatherings or instituting an open-door policy is a non-starter for many introverts. But that doesn’t mean they are unable to be hospitable, or, as White points out, free to dismiss it.
“Being an introvert does not exempt me from following Christ in loving my neighbors, but it also does not mean I have to love others just like extroverts do. The gospel doesn’t always have to come with an actual house key—but it does have to come with a key to our hearts.”
God has given each person a certain capacity for hospitality—one that may look like weekly dinner parties or may not. The outward expression of hospitality is not necessarily the point. At its heart, hospitality is about taking a posture toward others that is observent, unhurried, and loving. And that’s something everyone, no matter what their personality profile says, can cultivate.
