Faces of the West County: The Rev. Christy Laborda Harris

The rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal talks about the upcoming election, what Christianity really means, and a surprising development at the church

Christy Laborda Harris stands in front of—surprise!—a new cafe called The Playground, which is currently under construction on church property. (Photo by Steve Einstein)

As this fraught election period comes to a merciful conclusion, I went out in search of a local conservative/Republican/maybe Trump-supporting individual who was willing to speak about how they were feeling and what they were thinking. It can’t be easy having that point of view in this liberal bastion that is Sebastopol and West County. After not finding such a person, I approached a friend, who I knew fit my criteria. He initially agreed to speak with me but then changed his mind. He wasn’t quite ready to come out of the closet, so to speak. He didn’t want to be identified as the face of the Republican Party (and I don’t blame him!) in these parts and was actually a bit scared. 

So I went to someone I knew on the other side of the political divide. She is a local political activist, who is very much in the same progressive camp that many others here in Sebastopol identify with. Surprisingly, she had the same trepidation that my conservative friend expressed. She too was a bit scared to speak out and be identified publicly. 

I found both their reactions to be more than a bit sad and somewhat alarming. Had we really gotten to a point where we couldn’t speak openly about our differences? 

By chance, I was walking Rosie through the grounds of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church and came upon the priest, Christy Laborda Harris. It occurred to me that she may be the voice of reason that I was actually looking for during this trying national debate and might be able to help all of us make better sense of things. Maybe she could even calm us all down a bit?  I was delighted when she agreed to speak with me. 

Here’s what she had to say.

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Where and when were you born? 

Outside Philadelphia, in 1981. I’m 43. 

So, did your heart sink when the Phillies were eliminated a few weeks ago? 

Na. That’s baseball, right? I wasn’t following it. I’ve become more of a Giants fan, sort of by marriage. My husband brought me to the joy of listening to games on the radio back in 2010. Neither of us had TVs back then!

Who else is in your family? 

There’s my husband of 13 years, Kai, and two kids. Alma is nine, and Gabriel is seven. 

How long have you lived here and how did you get here? 

I’ve been here 13 and a half years. We’re here ever since St. Stephen’s chose me (I had applied), in March of 2011, to be their next priest. I was only 29 and the first female priest to serve at St. Stephen’s. 

My husband grew up in Santa Rosa and still has family there, so he was thrilled to come back to the area. 

What did you think you’d be as a kid?

I never knew as a kid, but I was pre-med as an undergrad at Haverford College, though my degree is actually from Bryn Mawr. My parents were both in medicine. My father was a physician, and my mother was a nurse. But I actually majored in Religious Studies. 

What drew you to the Episcopal Church? 

I grew up Episcopal. My maternal aunt is actually a priest, so I grew up knowing that becoming a priest was an option for women. Anyhow, I was at an ecumenical gathering over New Year’s during my senior year, and a theologian speaker, Frederick Buechner, said something that really struck me. He described vocation as the intersection of what you’re passionate about and how your gifts can best be used to impact the world. That helped me narrow things down going forward. 

That makes good sense. You have landed in a really sweet church community—by now, partly of your making. We’re sitting right now in a lovely outdoor area that’s new and innovative. What’s going on here at St. Stephen’s with this project? 

We are opening what we’ve named The Playground Cafe. It will be an outdoor restaurant, open to the public, beside a children’s play area, with a vision for providing a space to build community and relationships. 

So it’s no simple cafe. 

People will hopefully have an opportunity to connect with each other in a deeper way. We need not be on the same spiritual journey to learn from one another and journey deeper with each other. 

What are you going to do to promote that rather lofty goal? 

Good question. We’re creating a welcoming space for everyone, including children. We’re not programming anything, but we’ll share what we’re offering here at the church. People can see more about our vision for the place at our website for the cafe. (theplaygroundsebastopol.org)

Let’s talk current events. Where do you get your news from? 

NPR in the morning, when I can. The New York Times online, as well as the Press Democrat. And perhaps the most accurate of all media outlets, The Sebastopol Times! 

Yeah, right! Okay, let’s talk newspapers and responsibility. The Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post are being criticized these last few days for deciding not to endorse anyone in the presidential race. Many say/think that this is the most consequential election in our history or at least recent history, and that this year in particular, they have a duty to be clear about what they’re thinking and have concluded. So here’s my real question. Don’t you have that same obligation? 

Yes, I do, and the church does as well—the broader Episcopal Church, and not just St. Stephen’s. I’d add, as a priest of the church, that we have a great responsibility, especially in our preaching and services, and I take it very seriously. I believe preachers are called to preach politics in the true sense of the term—“of the people or the city”—but not partisan politics. 

I believe that Jesus was political. He spoke about the community’s responsibilities and their impact on individual lives. My job is never to endorse a candidate, but instead to speak as a chosen leader in our tradition and to teach about what Jesus and the “God of Scripture” had to say about our communities and how we treat each other. 

What would Jesus say today? 

He’d be alarmed by many of the things being advocated for in his name. Jesus of scripture is consistently concerned with the most vulnerable and marginalized and those who are outcast. He is concerned about the under-resourced, foreigners and refugees among us, and of course about justice and equality in our society. Maybe above all, he taught love of the other. 

He teaches those of us who strive to follow in his way that we too need to be concerned with these vulnerable populations and should do everything in our power to care for them. 

In the Jewish vernacular, I’d now ask, so nu? 

What do you mean? 

So what’s Jesus’ conclusion about this election? 

I think he’d be grieved by the fear and the “othering,” and the calls for abandoning the most vulnerable. The “Christian” agenda and priorities you hear about most in the news are not what many of us understand it to mean to be a follower of Christ. 

Okay, enough said. I think I got it. 

How can we best cope with all the anxiety that this election and these times are bringing up in us? 

It’s important that we turn to the practices that ground us in ourselves and keep us connected to others. Running does it for me. It’s a form of prayer for me. We like to say that in good worship, we begin in one place and end in another. Something should shift or open up for you. Running (as well as worship) does that for me. It could be silence or cooking or gardening. Anything really. 

What gives you confidence that everything is going to be alright? 

I still believe that love wins. And I see how much people care for each other. 

What do you think the most important issue is for us here in Sebastopol? 

Our finances are a big concern. It impacts our ability to care for the people of this place. So I guess I’m voting yes on U. 

Okay. A few easy ones.

Favorite hiking trail? 

These days that would be the Kortum Trail out along the ocean. Mostly because it’s an easy one for young kids like ours. 

Book? 

We’re reading through the Harry Potter series at home these days. I love it. 

Mimi’s ice cream flavor? 

I’ve got to go with the mud. 

Charity? 

Besides our church and the kids’ school, we support CHOPS Teen Club in Santa Rosa. My husband is on the board there. It’s his way of giving back. 

Thanks so much, Christy. I hope our readers will find your words comforting. And much luck to all of us as we face a truly consequential week ahead. 

If it helps, our sanctuary will be open for prayer and candle lighting, Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. 

We actually have three separate services offered on election day itself. 

• At 8 am, we’ll have our more traditional communion. 

• At 12:30 pm, we’ll have a service with more poetry and chanting. 

• Then at 5 pm, we’ll have our ancient service of chanted Evensong. 

It’s all an attempt to stay grounded and prayerful and connected. Hopefully it will help us address our fears. 

Wow. Again, many thanks to you and to the wonderful resource that St. Stephen’s is in our community. 

St Stephen’s can be found at 500 Robinson Rd. here in Sebastopol. Plenty of free parking!

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