Description

In a time when division and conflict seem to define the world, Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle offers a powerful vision of unity and compassion—an uplifting message for fans of Anne Lamott, Mary Oliver, and Richard Rohr.

For more than thirty years, Boyle has dedicated his life to transforming communities through Homeboy Industries, the world’s largest gang-intervention program. Built on two fundamental beliefs—first, that every person is inherently good, and second, that we all belong to one another—Homeboy Industries fosters connection and healing. Boyle sees these principles as the foundation for a new way of looking at the world, one that moves beyond division and punishment toward a more inclusive and caring society. As Pooka, a former gang member, simply states, “Here, love is our lens. It is how we see things.”

In *Cherished Belonging*, Boyle reflects on the roots of Christianity as a movement centered on equality, liberation, and peace. He reminds us that early Christianity was a way of living rather than a set of rigid beliefs. His vision of community is one where people come together to support, heal, and uplift one another—a world where kindness is not just an ideal but a bold and transformative act. As Marcus, one of the program’s participants, once told a classroom of young students, “If love was a place, it would be Homeboy.”

Through deeply moving and often humorous stories, Boyle’s *Cherished Belonging* inspires us to recognize and nurture the connections in our own lives. He believes that compassion is the answer to every question, and his storytelling reveals how love is the light that touches everything around us.