Father Greg Boyle, the Founder of Homeboy Industries, shares his profound experiences working with former gang members in Los Angeles. He emphasizes the importance of seeing unshakable goodness in others, highlighting the transformative power of compassion and community. Boyle discusses how healing can replace punishment within the carceral system and the joy that arises from genuine connections. Their conversation punctuates the significance of unconditional love and the role of empathy in overcoming shame and trauma, fostering a deeper understanding of faith and joy.
Father Greg Boyle emphasizes recognizing the inherent goodness in individuals as crucial for fostering resilience and community healing.
The podcast discusses how unconditional love, rather than punishment, transforms lives by helping individuals bond and overcome their struggles.
Deep dives
The Mission of Homeboy Industries
Homeboy Industries is an organization founded by Father Greg Boyle to assist former gang members in their reintegration into society. The organization provides various services, including job training, tattoo removal, and therapy, with the aim of fostering a sense of belonging. Each year, around 10,000 individuals walk through their doors, seeking to reimagine their lives beyond gang affiliation. Father Boyle emphasizes that his approach focuses not on potential but on recognizing the inherent goodness within each individual, which is essential for building resilience and community.
Healing Through Compassion and Community
Father Boyle shares powerful lessons about healing through compassion and the importance of community in transforming lives. He believes that individuals, often perceived as bad due to their actions, are ultimately wounded and in need of healing, not punishment. The participants at Homeboy Industries learn to bond over shared struggles, moving past adversarial histories to form deeper connections. This collective process underscores the idea that trust and healing can emerge from understanding and mutual support among those previously seen as enemies.
Finding Joy Beyond Perfectionism
Father Boyle challenges the culture of perfectionism and the notion that individuals must measure up to be deemed worthy of love and acceptance. He believes in embracing the idea that goodness is inherent, and that everyone is capable of joy rather than merely striving for perfection. This perspective shifts the focus from achieving a certain 'ideal' to fostering a loving community, where individuals feel cherished for who they are. This approach encourages seeking joy in every cranny of existence, especially in the connections formed with others.
The Transformative Power of Love
The discussion highlights how unconditional love can be a transformative force in navigating complex social issues and personal struggles. Father Boyle articulates that love should not be conditional or based on behavior, but rather an integral part of human interaction that fosters healing and understanding. He illustrates this with stories of individuals overcoming addiction and despair, revealing that support and connection can lead to profound change. Ultimately, the message is that when individuals are seen and supported without judgment, they can rediscover their inherent goodness and potential for joy.
Sometimes you really need someone to believe that you are good. Unshakably good. Over 30 years ago, Father Greg Boyle started working with gang members in Los Angeles through Homeboy Industries. The lessons that he learns from whom he calls “homies” are contagious. Every day, they teach him about what it means to heal, to belong to one another, to practice compassion, and to relearn how to feel good again to God and others. These are just some of the transcendent truths that he has to share with us today.
In this conversation, Kate and Greg discuss:
what it means to see unshakable goodness in others
what it would mean for our carceral system if we sought to heal instead of punish