Tattoos on the Heart

"Destined to become a classic of both urban reportage and contemporary spirituality" ( "Los Angeles Times" )-- "Tattoos on the Heart" is a series of parables about kinship and redemption from pastor, activist, and renowned speaker, Father Gregory Boyle--now in paperback.
For twenty years, Father Gregory Boyle has run Homeboy Industries, a gang-intervention program located in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles--also known as the gang capital of the world. In "Tattoos on the Heart," he has distilled his experience working in the ghetto into a breathtaking series of parables inspired by faith.
From giant, tattooed Cesar, shopping at JC Penney fresh out of prison, we learn how to feel worthy of God's love. From ten-year-old Pipi we learn the importance of being known and acknowledged. From Lulu we understand the kind of patience necessary to rescue someone from the dark--as Father Boyle phrases it, we can only shine a flashlight on a light switch in a darkened room.
This is a motivating look at how to stay faithful in spite of failure, how to meet the world with a loving heart, and how to conquer shame with boundless, restorative love.