Be light in darkness, or just add more light to light?

I recently shared in an interesting discussion about cutting-edge mission.  It was with a pastor that I believe is more comfortable living in membership maintenance than in dangerous discipleship.

I asked, "What if a bartender and a stripper, who both worked in the same "den of darkness," were to come to faith in Jesus because one of their customers lovingly and boldly saw the "bad bar" as their sphere of influence to share the "good news?"

In other words, should we be the light of Christ in order to break the blindness of darkness, or only stay with other Christians, thus adding more light to light?

Here's a possibility: How about the bartender keep his job while now working as a "minister of Jesus" to the folks who belly-up to his counter?  His labor is now his act of worship!  After all, if he leaves the bar and just works inside the church, who is going to be the light of Christ in that particular den of darkness?

What if the stripper comes to faith?  Should she leave her job and with it her new influence over her colleagues?

My pastor friend struggled with this question.  I see it, however, as a good struggle, for it jabs at the desire for church to only serve as a comfortable place, away from such tough stuff of life.

Here are some missional thoughts for church planters...and anyone else.  Yes, sometimes it is best to simply leave the past behind and follow Jesus out of hell, period.  Leave the bar and never go back for a variety of good reasons.  Sometimes, however, it is best to follow Jesus back into hell and bust its locked gates with kingdom keys.  Could the stripper leave her job but seek to keep a friendship with the other gals in order to speak peace into them?  Perhaps.  Those friends, after all, are more likely to listen to her share in her living room about Jesus than listen to me from the church stage!   How about the bartender?  Can he keep his employment and still be a Christian?  Of course.  

Scripture says Jesus ate with tax collectors and prostitutes and the religious types mocked and hated him for it.  Why?  They didn't understand that Jesus came to the world not to wipe-it-out, but to win- it-into his kingdom reign.  Thus, the cross and the resurrection--- light conquering darkness.  The way I see it with a "missional mindset," is if we are following Jesus (and that is the definition of discipleship) then we are naturally becoming more supernatural like him as well.  We can then do what he does with his power and his authority to cast out demons and give hope to the hopeless.  We may, or may not, seek to intensionally be in dark places all the time so that God's light can shine brightest, but let's AT LEAST be ready at all times to share the hope we have in Jesus!

As I have shared before, a missional life is better than just doing missional stuff.  That's because your life IS the mission!