Businesses have come and gone at Homeboy Industries. We have had starts and stops, but anything worth doing is worth failing at. We started Homeboy Plumbing. That didn't go so well. Who knew? People didn't want gang members in their homes. I just didn't see that coming.
Young people can change and grow. Every parent knows that.
Homeboy Industries has chosen to stand with the 'demonized' so that the demonizing will stop; it stands with the 'disposable' so that the day will come when we stop throwing people away.
Jesus did not only serve the needs of the people, but truly hoped that the people and Jesus would be one.
People have to see that there is a high degree of complexity about belonging to a gang. It's a symptom, not a problem.
I always have a funny story at communion time that underscores that no one is perfect, and that communion is not for perfect people but for hungry people.
People have started to see that 'smart on crime' rather than 'tough on crime' makes sense.
My church is in the detention facilities where I preside and celebrate the Eucharist. To me that's the church. That's the people of God.