Faith, Hope, and An American Pope

Faith, Hope, and An American Pope

Faith, Hope, and An American Pope

Dr. Lo Sprague

We in America find ourselves in a time of fragmentation and upheaval when the old norms of civility have gone missing, forced into hiding by a litany of anger and grievance that fills the air. We have been stunned and assaulted by the way cruelty has come to replace compassion in the Public Square and in the airwaves that surround us. We have been left to search for those who dare to show us how to hold onto our souls against this tide of self-centeredness and greed.

Our longed-for strength of goodness has been battered relentlessly but it has not disappeared. It lives on powerfully in the remarkable courage and faithfulness of many individuals and communities. Time and again they, like others, have chosen to resist turning against their neighbors even in the face of threats and amid their own staggering grief. They continue to do so in the shadow of a president who degrades our humanity at every turn in his efforts to eradicate any semblance of American decency.

In this context the very last thing millions of people around the world would have expected in the search for a new pope was that he would be an American. When the announcement came I was stunned. I could not have imagined it – or that my cheeks would be streaked with tears.

I’m not a Catholic – and yet, my heart was over-flowing with wonder. The Pope is an even larger figure than the President – a global figure of undisputed goodness and integrity: a perfect counter-balance to the darkness. The choice of Pope Leo XIV certainly seems like an answer to so very many prayers.

As I searched for the words to convey the depth of the hope that this new pope represents, I came across a sermon that my colleague, Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR preached to her congregation on the Sabbath following the announcement. It is in the form of a letter to Pope Leo XIV. With her permission, I am sharing it with you. It conveys far better than I can a sense of the enormity of both the task before him and the hope and prayers we in the faith communities and others bring to meet him.

https://ikar.org/events/a-letter-to-the-pope/

Introducing our New Executive Director, Rev. Kathy Cooper Ledesma

Introducing our New Executive Director, Rev. Kathy Cooper Ledesma

We are pleased to announce an exciting new chapter in the leadership of The Guibord Center. It is with great enthusiasm that we introduce the Reverend Kathy Cooper Ledesma as our new Executive Director.

Rev. Kathy brings a wealth of experience in nonprofit leadership, interfaith work, and community-building. We are confident that her leadership will continue to strengthen our mission and enhance our impact. 

An ordained minister in the United Methodist Church, Rev. Kathy’s career has been defined by pastoring to our most vulnerable communities. For the past 18 years, she served as the senior pastor of the Hollywood United Methodist Church (known for the two large AIDS ribbons on its tower) with unparalleled dedication and vision, and has been deeply involved in serving unhoused residents in the community. Prior to her work in Hollywood, she served as the Southern California staff of the California Council of Churches, Executive Director of the Interfaith Hunger Coalition, and led a bilingual church in Highland Park.

A long-time friend and colleague of the late Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord, Rev. Kathy exemplifies the courage and compassion needed to lead The Guibord Center into the future. She believes in embracing a spirituality that transcends all faith traditions and seeking the sacred among all people.

Rev. Kathy will be working closely with me as I continue in the role of President. As she takes on the day-to-day operations of The Guibord Center, I will be focused on our programming, outreach, and creative projects. Together, we will collaborate to build upon the foundational principles that have guided the organization. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership will bring to grow and expand our reach in meaningful ways. 

We are grateful for the continued support of our community during this transition. You will have an opportunity to meet Rev. Kathy at our upcoming Annual Dinner (details to follow soon) and you will be hearing from her directly in the coming weeks. To read Rev. Kathy’s full bio, please click here.

In gratitude,

Dr. Lo Sprague 

Rising From the Ashes

Rising From the Ashes

Rising From the Ashes

Photo of Masjid Al-Taqwa Mosque  in Alta Dena after the January Fires

The last few weeks have been a time of ash and ruin, hope and desperation – and acts of remarkable caring and compassion among friends and strangers alike. 

When the wildfires first started, I asked myself and others what The Guibord Center could do to help. Tragedy was just unfolding, and it was too soon. So I picked up the phone and began checking in. Texting. Listening.

As I connected with interfaith colleagues, word came back of damage that had hit nearly every faith tradition. Beloved churches, mosques, temples, and many other sacred places had burned to the ground. A colleague called. His community was planning an interfaith prayer service at his temple. Would I help and participate? Of course. 

We were all scrambling to do whatever we could. I attended one of the few in-person events that had not been cancelled, and spotted a colleague looking lost. Her organization had decided to bow out of the meeting but someone failed to tell her. As I made room for her at our table we talked. She informed me that a beloved mosque in Altadena had just burned to the ground. The leaders and congregation were in shock, feeling isolated and bereft. 

What became clear every passing day was that the fires weren’t happening to individuals alone, they were happening to our communities, neighborhoods, and extended families of faith. There was no place in our cities – no person –  left untouched. Even in neighborhoods that remained standing, people recognized they were only a shift in the wind from ruin. 

When I called a local bishop to ask about a Muslim group meeting in their space, she laughed, saying, “Well, we already have every square inch filled with… ”  and then listed four or five different faith communities already tucked in. It’s been like that. Whoever is still standing has opened their doors. 

When the fires began my goal was to find a way to bring hope and a sense of community to our city. It has already happened – in ways far, far bigger than any organization or individual could have planned. The goodness in us has risen and reached out. Now the question becomes, “How do we keep it intact?”

Although hearts and minds are still reeling, we now know from deep within that this experience of community is far more important and lifesaving than we could have imagined. We’ve discovered that we can and will get through whatever lies ahead – by doing it together.

 

Remembering Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, A True Pastor of the People

Remembering Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, A True Pastor of the People

This weekend Los Angeles lost a great leader in the passing of the Rev. Cecil “Chip” Murray, Pastor of Los Angeles’ oldest Black congregation First African Methodist Episcopal Church (FAME). We were honored to call him our dear friend, colleague, and Advisor to The Guibord Center.

In 2012, the Rev. Dr. Gwynne Guibord invited Rev. Murray to discuss his autobiography, Twice Tested by Fire: A Memoir of Faith and Service, his memoir about the inspiration and challenges that shaped his ministry. 

“I am here, on this stage, to bear witness that the Lord will make a path somehow,” said Rev. Murray during the interview, adding that “you can’t make a change from the outside. If you are going to make a difference, you have to get on the inside.”

Getting on the inside is exactly what Rev. Murray did as he brought the living presence of Jesus to a city in shambles. Widely credited with helping to heal a fractured metropolis in the aftermath of the 1992 LA Uprising, he preached the words we needed to hear, and he did the work of addressing injustice in the neighborhoods surrounding the church and beyond.

Rev. Murray passionately advocated for those who do not have a voice, working tirelessly to help the Black community take on “The Four Ps” of Poverty: Poverty of Pocket, Poverty of Family, Poverty of Education, and Poverty of Imaging.

Immediately after the uprising, Rev. Murray led FAME in creating a prison ministry, which partnered with USC, UCLA, Temple Isaiah and others to provide free legal counseling and create innovative outreach programs. He also created and fundraised for 13 housing projects that provided homes to more than 2,000 people, including individuals with physical disabilities, seniors, people living with HIV/AIDS, and those struggling to make ends meet. 

Rev. Murray also oversaw the creation of FAME Renaissance, a nonprofit focused on economic development programs, to support businesses from the ground up, raising $400 million for business incubation, loans, and mentoring. Among his many other contributions were medical outreach programs to Africa, youth programs, and HIV/AIDS programs at a time when basic compassion, let alone support, for those suffering was rare. 

Rev. Murray’s friendship, guidance, and faithful leadership will be sorely missed. He was a stalwart of the community, and we hope that we may all live on in how he treated and cared for one another. We give thanks for his extraordinary life.

A Moment of Reflection and Intention at the End of the Year

A Moment of Reflection and Intention at the End of the Year

A Moment of Reflection and Intention at the End of the Year

by Dr. Lo Sprague, President of The Guibord Center

As I sit here at year’s end, I find myself grappling with how to describe this past year at The Guibord Center. You know us for our commitment to bringing people together through events — from stunning, large public gatherings with diverse spiritual leaders to smaller programs set within the intimate heart of temples and synagogues, gurdwaras and mosques, churches, and ashrams. You have experienced our concerts of joyous, sacred music, the building of the Mandala of Compassion, and conversations where colleagues share how their faith provides tools for meeting some of today’s most complex challenges.

What you’ve never seen is our inward-facing work. In 2023, we spent most of our time and energy listening deeply and productively, making friends, making plans, building trust, coalitions, stamina, and strategies to use in the coming days. These spaces have become an intimate refuge and think tank for colleagues of different backgrounds. In these conversations, they can dream and plan or vent and rage and have their unspoken heartfelt concerns heard — and valued.

Weeks ago, a number of us began to meet following the horror of the October 7th massacre. Everyone was shaken to their core. We listened and wept and gradually began to create a program so that communities could grieve together. A lot of time and work had gone into this when one of the participants said quietly: “It’s too soon.” We all stopped. We thought about what she’d said. She was right. It was a great program, and it was too early. The deaths kept coming. Everything had to focus there. We had to postpone.

This is the heart and soul of interfaith work, activism, and standing with and for one another in times like these. We have to hear each other. The Guibord Center has always looked through a spiritual lens that sees situations and individuals as part of something sacred and larger than just ourselves. That’s the essence of our mission.

We have much planned for 2024. Bringing people together to challenge assumptions, embrace the sacred (in one another), and live out of the Spirituality that transforms the world is the most important thing we can do. We are rolling out programs that will lift your spirits and heal your heart. Our very special “Take Heart” program, which will be launched shortly, is part of that healing.

We end the year giving thanks for each of you, for those who serve on our board of directors and our advisory council, our strategic advisors, and our team of dedicated staff and volunteers, as well as our many friends and colleagues here in southern California and across the country – and this year, thanks to ANIMA – around the globe. Thank you for your support in so many forms. You have given not only your funds but also your time, tools and talent, your wisdom and valuable guidance, your perspectives, encouragement, and prayers that keep us going.