An old college friend suggested I read Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle. Wow. This is a good one.

Boyle is a Jesuit priest who works in a tough gang neighborhood of Los Angeles. This is a collection of stories that share the pain and suffering of the region, but also the grace and hope of the people living there. Boyle is an excellent story teller who is able to make you cry about the death of a teenage gang member while making you laugh at the humor of many of his conversations. Best of all, he brings each story back to an insight about the love of God. And particularly the love of God for the poor, the disenfranchised, and the lonely.

If you work with at-risk teens, or if you work with the poor, or if you work with any kind of violent or criminal element, you have got to read this book. If you do not work with any of those groups, then you most of all need to read this book. You need to understand the unique value in these kids, and to see them as God sees them. Boyle will help you do that.

Really loved this book. Shout out to Marla for recommending it. Thanks!