Gavin Jarvis
Hi. My name is Gavin, I’m an introvert, and I don’t watch the Super Bowl alone. This is a letter to the introverts, religious or not, to never watch it alone either.
I feel the objections before we start, because getting introverts to use their social battery for a non-mandatory function feels like a direct assault.
“I don’t do well in large groups!” “I don’t like football!” “I’m looking forward to the three hours that I won’t get texted at all!” All valid points, but you will gain much more by spending time with others.
All humans are relational. We need community to flourish. This seems too foundational to ignore or avoid, yet there are times in our lives that it’s just hard to connect with others. We need a low-risk, high-reward opportunity to build relationships.
Enter today’s game, which 72% of Americans (and 80% of men) plan on watching. Going to someone’s place or inviting them to yours to watch TV doesn’t feel like a revolutionary act, but relationships are built in the side-by-side, day-to-day, ordinary-ness of life.
Watching TV with someone while snacking and laughing at ads makes for an easy and fun way to start or build a friendship with almost anyone. Are you in a solid place but know someone who has been down? Invite them over! Are you a man weighed down by the cares in your life? What a great way to rest in the company of other men for a moment. It doesn’t have to be a huge group, fellow introvert, the community is good for you.
“Wait a minute,” one of you hypothetically says: “this is a faith column! What does this have to do with faith?!” A lot! Writing as a Christian, I worship Jesus. As an introvert, I am drawn to the times that Jesus hid and spent time in prayer. Jesus was also the life of the party. In Jesus, God is revealed as the meal sharing, drink-bringing, people-pursuing, fun-having friend of sinners.
He didn’t just sit on a hill and wait for people to come to him, he went after them. He won people over table by table. Everyone wanted to be with him. After he rose from the dead, he ate with people another three times!
Christians often struggle with relationships, and maybe that’s because we’ve focused on the “spend time alone” parts of our faith to the expense of hospitality and being with others. (These, by the way, are also part of the Christian faith). The Super Bowl is a super easy way to begin practicing hospitality like Jesus did.
And to the Christian introvert: the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead can give life to your social battery. Do all things to the glory of God, including laughter-filled, conversation-rich, relational building Super Bowl watching with others.
Who knows? Maybe it will even lead to a friendship with the God who welcomed us in Jesus.
Gavin Jarvis is the lead pastor of Living Stones Church in Carson City, livingstoneschurches.com/carson.