Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion

Boyle opens this chapter by reminiscing on the many times he has baptized gangsters. One was George, who had long been a gang member with his brother Cisco. George had just been awarded his GED and was to be baptized on the same day, but what he did not know was that Cisco had been shot and killed the day prior. Boyle baptized George, and then broke the bad news to him afterwards. George was devastated, but he remained committed to walking the right path. Boyle told George that he had “acquired resilience” (87).

Boyle then mentions Miguel, who worked on one of Homeboy Industries graffiti clean-up crews. Boyle asked Miguel what he did for Christmas, and Miguel said he invited homies to his apartment who had nowhere to go, all of whom were former enemies. Boyle was impressed, and Miguel was proud to say that he cooked a turkey for the gathering. Boyle asked Miguel how he had been so resilient in his life, and Miguel said it was because he found the goodness inside himself.

Boyle remembers back to a woman named Natalie who had started working for Homeboy Industries after a long stint in jail. She was an extremely combative person.