Listening Posts
By John Brett
When Saint Francis listened to the wolf of Gubbio and discovered her hunger, when he listened to Gubbio’s citizens and uncovered their fear, his listening provided an opening for transformation, transformation both individual and collective. One of the central ways that Gubbio creates community and provides care for its guests is through offering such a listening ear. Long a place where guests might speak with a chaplain, Gubbio has begun to explore the possibility of expanding the ways in which we accompany our guests in the spirit of Saint Francis.
A sister organization in the Tenderloin has inspired this exploration through a new initiative. Karolyn Stenlund, who has served as a chaplain at Gubbio, and the Rev. Barbara F. Meyers, both spiritual directors, write:
“People who live on the streets or who are otherwise vulnerable are often ignored with few chances to share their sacred stories. To address this need [we] will soon start a pilot project sponsored by the Faithful Fools Street Ministry which will involve creating a space where vulnerable and marginalized people can come and be listened to for free without judgment. We will be using volunteer-oriented models designed by the widely-known international organization Sidewalk Talk and the Listening Post organization in Anchorage, Alaska.
This service will initially begin on Thursday afternoons at the city park on the corner of Hyde and Turk in the Tenderloin district in San Francisco, and will cohabit that space and work with the St. Francis Living Room organization. This project will begin on Thursday, October 19 and will continue as a pilot project for 6 months.”
Gubbio applauds this new effort, and invites you to consider if you might have time during your weekdays to offer a listening presence in our sanctuaries. We are preparing to offer a simple training, both online through Sidewalk Talk and in-person, for those motivated to serve at “listening posts” at Gubbio. If you might like to volunteer as a listener, please contact volunteer@thegubbioproject.org, and we will work to match your schedule to spaces available.