"There’s a major difference between having a tribal mindset and a missionary mindset. The highest value of a tribally minded person is self-protection. They ask questions like: Since I feel the safest around those who are just like me, how can I protect myself from those who are different than I am? So they intentionally surround themselves with people who think the way they think, like the things they like, and despise the things they despise. As a result, they live with a sense of superiority, looking down on those who are not like them (for half my life I was convinced that surfers like me were far cooler than anyone on the face of this earth).
In contrast to a tribal minded person, the highest value of a missionary minded person is not self-protection but self-sacrifice. A missionary minded person is a person that exists, not primarily for himself but for others. She is a person that is willing to set aside personal preferences in service to those whose preferences are different than hers. Missionaries are people who are willing to be inconvenienced, discomforted, and spent for the well-being of others. The Gospel of Jesus Christ demands that we be missionary minded, because the gospel is the story of God sacrificing himself for others."
Here from my cheap seats is the problem in dividing the two groups and talking in extremes. First, the Bible talks at length about our necessity to be connected to other Christians. Jesus says that others will know that we are His disciples if we have love for one another, this meaning primarily other disciples [John 13:35]. Paul agrees saying in Galatians 6:10 that, "as we have opportunity to do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
We are called to be tribal in gathering around ourselves other believers for our encouragement, support and in loving them we display our Savior to the watching world. However, there should be no sense or thought of superiority because it by grace expressed through the Cross that Christians can experience relationship with one another and reflect the love to which we are called. And when this happens, Christians should realize the call and joy to share this great message with those around them that don't know this.
It really is about avoiding extremes in this discussion and really it's about being a tribal missionary. Tribal in being connected first to the church [the tribe] for instruction, encouragement and support and then being a missionary in going out everyday realizing the joy of sharing about the tribe and how to get connected to it through the Master.
