Jesus and the Modern Outcast

My church, Trinity Lutheran Church, an ELCA congregation in Pembroke Pines, Florida, has passed a final step in becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation.  Last night, our church council unanimously voted to adopt the following statement of welcome:

Who is welcome here at TLC?
EVERYONE!
At Trinity Lutheran we practice radical hospitality…so
If you are Native American, Asian, Hispanic, Black, White, Bi-Racial or Multi-Racial......
If you are three days old, 30 years old, or 103 years old...
If you’ve never stepped foot in a church; or if you are Catholic or Prostestant, Buddhist or Jain, Jewish or Muslim, Hindu or Sikh, atheist, agnostic, or Christian, a seeker or spiritual or not quite sure...
If you are single, married, divorced, separated, or partnered...
If you are male or female, straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or queer...
If you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Socialist, Libertarian or of any or no political persuasion...
If you have, or had, addictions, phobias, regrets, or a criminal record...
If you own your home, rent, live with your parents, or with your children or with your friends, or are homeless...
If you are fully-abled, disabled or a person of differing abilities...
You are welcome here at TLC!

As I reflect on the statement, I think about how far we (by which I mean our local church and our national church) have come in what seems like a very short time.  This statement of inclusion along the spectrum of gender and sexual preference doesn't seem as radical as it once would have.

My local church has been moving to this position for many years, and along the way, I'm sure we've lost some more conservative members--perhaps that's why we have seen less pushback at this particular time.  In 2009, when the ELCA moved towards more inclusivity while also respecting the different views of members, our local church had conversations about what it all meant, and I remember some deep disapproval. 

Some of those members are still with us.  Have their opinions changed or have they decided to mute their disapproval?

As I reflect on this statement of welcome, I think about how easy it seems to welcome LGBTQ members of the community--but to genuinely welcome people with mental issues that are presenting in disruptive ways?  That might be harder.  We say we welcome people with criminal records--but for all crimes?

I think about the ministry of Jesus, his communion with the outcast.  If Jesus came back to live with us today, who would be the outcast?  If I wrote a Gospel today, who would be the demon possessed?  What would we say about a Jesus who broke bread with the child molester?  Would Jesus hang out with a person who planned to bomb a nightclub?