Just read an interesting quote from an article in the print version of Relevant Magazine, discussing the "third way" of the Gospel as an anecdote that resolves the tension between liberalism and conservatism:
Jesus was more conservative than today's conservatives, because He thought that no one at all escapes the charge of being a great sinner. He recognized that sinners are not just hte drug-dealers and pornographers, but also the decent upright citizens who you'd let babysit your kids, but who have the same heart of darkness as ever other fallen person. Yet, Jesus is more liberal than today's liberals, since He is not scandalized by any kind of sin. Modern liberals are inclusive at the surface, but deeply offended and distrustful of people with traditional belief systems. These are the liberal's pariahs, the ones they smirk at, or, at best, patronize. But Jesus didn't smirk at anyone - He ernestly dealt with people who were deeply different than Him - not to leave them where they were, which is also the liberal tendency, but in order to redeem them.
I think there's a lot of truth in that quote, but I'm not sure what to do with it. Thoughts?