Conferences are not the natural habitat of introverts. Yes, you will find us there. We're the ones sitting or standing away from the main flow of traffic, looking through our program at what session to go to next. Of course if we came with a group, we'll gravitate toward them. We probably won't ask questions during the session but might approach the speaker afterward.
Whether introvert or not, I'm here at a conference now. I'm responsible to my employer (who sent me) to gain the information and training I can to do my job better. I'm responsible to contribute back to the professional community by giving a presentation or volunteering in some way (which I did not do this year). I'm told that you're supposed to network at conferences. That's one I generally fail at for some reason.
In thinking about how to be a Christian and an introvert-conference-goer, I thought about my current reading in the minor prophets, mostly from the time around the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the exile. A theme that is emphasized is that Judah went into exile because they were faithless and didn't follow God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Those that returned were called by the prophets to faithfulness. So for my part, I will try to be faithful to my responsibility to gain what I can here. That may not include lots of new folks in my "network" but plodding loyalty is a virtue in itself.
Image source: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1359540
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