Today I danced in heaven.
I visited Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles.
I’ve been reading and re-reading, and re-reading Tattoos on the Heart, a book by Gregory Boyle, SJ. Getting a chance to see the places he talks about in his book, and maybe meeting him, was first on my priority list coming to L.A. The book is all about compassion, real gritty compassion for the most feared and despised people: gang members or “gangbangers” as they are called. By really loving them, and offering job training, standing with them in their woundedness, and never flinching from telling the truth with love and boundless humor and compassion, Fr. Greg has helped thousands of men and women leave the life of gangs and find true community, joy and happiness.
It was only for an hour; but I was there with angels, and the redeemed. Everywhere people caught my eye, smiled, engaged in conversation. I was welcomed as I’ve never been welcomed in any church. An obvious visitor, they wanted to find out who I was, where I came from, was I getting the help I needed. They offered to help me in any way.
“Joseph” took me and another visitor on a short tour of the Homeboy Industries facility. We saw where they take off tattoos; Joseph showed his forearm to prove the effectiveness of the laser treatments. We visited the bakery and saw where they made the cakes and breads the sold in their coffee shop and sell to other institutions in the city. We saw the classrooms, and studied the list of classes they offer. People gave us spontaneous testimonies about the classes, the impact on their lives. We walked through the counseling areas, peered into the development office, the Executive director’s office: every office except the counseling offices has a glass wall, so you can see everybody. Talk about transparency.
I waited outside Greg Boyle’s office hoping for an impromptu encounter. But the man was swamped. First it was a trio of ladies in tweeds and pearls who were there on some kind of business; I guessed foundations or media folks. As they walked out, I started to edge forward but he was engulfed in a bear hug by a young man (covered with tattoos), maybe half a dozen young men crowded around and went into his office. Greg gave one of them a credit card and car keys out of his pocket. It astounded me, and nearly brought me to tears. By this time there was a long line waiting to get in so I went shopping instead of bothering Greg. I was pawing through stacks of t-shirts, but could only find 2XL. Finally a young man said “Hey man, watcha lookin’ for?” I said I wanted a simple large. These were in a cupboard behind him, and he offered me a choice from half dozen. I chose one that had the Homeboy logo and motto “Jobs Not Jails.”
Then I visited the Homegirls Café, staffed by women just out of prison I’d been told by Joseph. The young woman at the counter gave me the widest smile and most enthusiastic welcome. When I ordered a chocolate cookie, she warned me: “It’s VEGAN!” But I insisted (it was delicious). So was the gargantuan cappuccino—total bill was $4.95. Starbucks has real competition.
The other patrons of the café, maybe Homeboy employees or hopefuls, smiled at me, nodded in a friendly way. I watched a young man help his tiny son get a scooter up and going.
This is what love does. It restores people to full humanity.
I found myself thinking the energy of the place must be a bit like the crowds around Jesus. Healing was in the air. They had stories to tell, joy to share. Hope brimmed out everywhere.
Walking out of there I felt I’d just been to one of those “thin” places they talk about in Celtic spirituality, places where heaven and earth meet. But it wasn’t the building, it was the people.
All of them, all of us are the temples of the Spirit.
This I think is the message of the Easter Season: heaven and earth meet in Jesus Christ. We are baptized into Christ, heaven and earth meets in us. Whenever I encounter something as lovely and real as this I feel elated and deeply grateful.
I learned a lot from my visit. Perhaps better, I was reminded of a lot, and challenged to love and keep on loving, not counting the cost. Cynicism, boredom, indifference, harboring grudges, these things can have no place if I really want to be part of making God’s kingdom known and experienced in the world. Standing with the outcasts, loving them like Jesus: loving them like Fr. Greg and now the whole staff of Homeboys, there is no place I’d rather be. Its home!
And there’s no place like home.
