Liberals vs Conservatives?????

In my society, the USA, my culture is all about slapping labels and
categorizing. As a general principle, I have tried to live my life in
opposition to the general tone of my society. My reasoning is that
things of this world are not applicable to the kingdom of heaven.

Another aspect of my culture is one that measures success in terms of
measurable accomplishments be that measurement one's wealth, career
position, getting elected bishop, number of committees one is asked to
chair, being named Senior Warden or whatever.

I find both of these concepts, the categorizing and the measures for
success, to be in opposition to living the Gospel. There is too much
either/ or thinking going in my society and in the Bible there is a
lot of both / and thinking.

On the liberal/conservative discussion, I think we very much need to
lose the labels and we need to live with the paradox that seemingly
opposite approaches both have something to offer and that maybe the
purpose of the opposites is to shake us up out of our complacency, be
it liberal complacency or conservative complacency.

It is no secret to anyone that the Episcopal Church is in dire straits over polarization, diatribe,
stereotyping, categorizing, etc. Each "side" is claiming that the Holy Spirit is on their side and there is always someone to point out the HS can't be on both sides when both sides are mutually exclusive alternatives.

What didn't get any press at our recent General Convention, is that every single day of the Convention, certain "liberals" and certain "conservatives" met for noon prayers and daily Eucharist. That is where the Holy Spirit acted, in those who came together. Those who shunned each other acted under the influence of some other spirit altogether and I am not qualified to identify which one. But, then, I believe everything we do is motivated by a spirit. The only question is this: which spirit?

In my opinion, the action of the Holy Spirit is not to be found in
endorsing this or that position, but to show us how significantly we
fail in love of neighbor because we are much too in love with our own
opinion and our own rights. Here in the USA we are in the position of
preferring our ideologies, be they liberal or conservative, over love.

It's ironic really, when I remember the Cold War and the great enemy
of the USA was an ideology, communism. Yet here we are, embracing
different forms of ideology.

Personally, I find value in classic conservatism and classic liberalism. I find no value in the post-modern neo-liberals and post-modern neo-conservatives. But I find even less value in slapping labels. I am so utterly weary of that. So exhausted by it.

I think the question Christians should address is not what is the
liberal approach to X or the conservative understanding of Z. The
challenge to Christians everywhere is to identify our need stereotype,
categorizes, separate, and repent of that behavior which only leads to
the sins of factionalism, divisiveness and judgementalism.