When I was a kid in middle school, I broke my left arm at the elbow.  It has never since been straight.  In my twenties and again in my thirties, I had orthoscopic surgery on my left knee.  For most of my life, I have favored my right side and now, in my sixties, I feel the cumulative strain of the imbalance and realize that I must give attention to strengthening my weaker side in hopes that I will not lean to, or rely on, one side but become straighter in my stance, walk, and movement.  While I attend to strengthening my left side with the goal of not having a weak side, I think about sides of me that pertain to politics, ecclesiology, spirituality, even sides of my personality and relationships that I allowed to atrophy over time.  I want them to become stronger, too, so that I will be more balanced in these areas.

Growing up in a household where a picture of the Kennedys hung next to a portrait of the Pope, which hung next to a photograph of my grandparents and an Irish coat of arms, I presumed that Irish, Catholic, and Democrat were all pretty much the same thing—part of my culture and heritage.  In college, my roommate was head of the local Young Republicans and a great supporter of Ronald Reagan who, that year, entered the presidential race.  I was interested because Reagan was in the same fraternity I joined; my friend was interested because he knew a lot about government (and Reagan’s stance to legalize marijuana didn’t hurt).  Unknowingly, I had always leaned left politically without giving it much thought.  My college experience helped broaden my sense of politics to not demonize the right side of American politics.  With no intent to betray my upbringing, I became more balanced and appreciative of both sides.

In my seminary years, I was quite naïve about church politics but as a young priest I learned that it is rampant and can often be cruel.  One’s right or left preference in the church is sometimes referred to as an ecclesiological bend; it sometimes leads to ecclesiological battles.  Because most people within church hierarchy tend to veer right, I appear to be on the left side of many issues; because many people in the pews seem to slant left, I seem to be on their right.  Our former bishop, Raymond Boland, was a moderate who joked that anyone in the middle of the road, like him, is an easy target for those who come from either side.  Fortunately, like him, I am not tortured by ideological thinking but unfortunately, like him also, I am bothered by those who cannot or will not respect points of view that differ from theirs or people who operate solely from one side.  Of this much I am sure: it does not offer dignity to our Christian name or nature when people of faith chastise or hate those on the other side of political issues.  Moving beyond right and left to consider what’s right and wrong will give us balance so that we are more likely to act for the common good.

Though those on the right tend to be more traditional than those on the left, most left-leaners also honor tradition; and while those on the left are more progressive, those skewed to the right also want positive progress.  Those that are liberal also desire to conserve our rich traditions, while those that are conservative want liberation from policies and procedures that hinder us.  When we become more respectful of others, we can celebrate what we have in common and lean straight so that we move forward together in significant ways.  I want my body to be straight.  To that end, I must pay attention to my weaker side.  Realizing that I tend to lean right on many political things and veer left on many ecclesial matters, I want to get straighter there, too.  I think that our church stands straight and balanced whenever we imitate the core teachings of Jesus.  Instead of thinking with the mind of the church, we would do well to think with the mind, and feel with the heart, of Jesus—then we’ll have a better chance to straighten up.

I recall an old liberal guy in his waning years talking about his funeral; by that time, he was dependent upon a cane to stand.  He instructed his funeral planner: “Tell ‘em I always leaned to the left.”  He believed that Jesus also leaned left in breaking with the traditions of His faith and culture.  Yet others point out how Jesus honored traditions, conserved the values of forebears, and lined up on the right side of many issues.  Though my intent is not to persuade readers to change political or ideological views that have been shaped by their upbringing, critical thought, compassion, and countless experiences, I do think that less ideology will bring forth better balance and a healthier outlook.  If we want God to work in and through us, we must be aware of, and offer attention to, the side of us that has been sedentary; when we strengthen what has atrophied, we can stand straighter and move forward better.