March 18, 2012 In Person Talk Author of “Tattoos on the Heart”

I know I already sent out a post this week, but I couldn’t hold out on sharing this opportunity with you! Out of my most recent readings, “Tattoos on the Heart” by Father Gregory Boyle is the one that stands out for me. He will be speaking for FREE at the Camarillo Community Center on March 18 at 2pm. This is a book about compassion, serving those who are left behind by society, and more than that, it is a book about the joys and challenges of reconciling one’s belief in a loving, creative God with the violence, sorrow and hopelessness found in gang neighborhoods.

If you don’t recognize Father Greg’s name, he is the creative force behind Homeboy Industries, a revolutionary job training service that has rehabilitated thousands of gang members in the city of Los Angeles, the gang capital of the world. I picked up this book in November, thinking that it would about social justice. “Tattoos on the Heart” is and yet it is so much more. It is a personal book of Father Greg’s spiritual beliefs, interwoven with stories of gang members who have made a difference in his life, regardless of whether they lived or were killed. I found myself moved to tears at how these kids light up when seen through the eyes and heart of someone who sees them as beautiful souls, rather than worthless, damaged goods. I found myself laughing until I cried at how Father Greg started his tattoo removal program in response to a kid who had “FUCK THE WORLD” emblazoned across his forehead and was at a genuine loss as to why no one would hire him. Stark reality, huh?

This is a rare opportunity to hear Father Greg speak in person, as hosted by the Camarillo Library. I promise that you will leave his talk having laughed and cried, having been moved to the depths of your heart and challenged to the edges of your mental constructs. Right now, he is my inspiration to look more closely at what beliefs I may have that continue to numb me to stark reality of the widening socio-economic gap that I can see around me. Ultimately, his message is about finding the common ground and remembering that we “belong to each other”.

Shop & Purchase Click on the button if you would like to purchase a copy of this remarkable book. Scroll down to my Amazon Store and you will find it filed under “Inspiration for My Spirit”.

Sincerely,

 
 

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