Cherished Belonging

September 2, 2024
Only a society that centers belonging can mend social division and tackle such problems as crime, homelessness, and mental illness, according to this compassionate if meandering account. Jesuit priest Boyle (Tattoos on the Heart) draws on his experience helming Homeboy Industries, a gang rehabilitation program, to argue that the idea of “good people and bad people” is useless and divisive. Instead, he suggests that “broken people” driven by despair and loneliness cause harm, and can be rehabilitated through “a culture... of cherished belonging” rooted in God’s love. Mostly calling for individual shifts in perspective, he discusses what it means to see God “everywhere and anywhere,” the centrality of love to faith, and how a culture of belonging empowers people to find purpose. Boyle’s efforts to fight mass incarceration are impressive (Homeboy Industries, which he founded 36 years ago, offers an employment and re-entry program for gang members, among other services) and his principles are sensitively illustrated through moving anecdotes. Unfortunately, those anecdotes sometimes get lost in the disorganized stream of musings, memories, and loose biblical analysis, and the lack of clear, actionable steps for reform may leave readers frustrated. Still, Boyle’s vision of a brighter, more empathetic world inspires.