Most of my readers know that I feel the institutional church has lost its way. It hangs on to a Jesus that doesn’t make much sense in the twenty-first century.
During my sixty-eight years of ministry, I have become convinced that Jesus’s main message was to live agape, with unconditional love and total forgiveness of self and others, so that we can be a healing force for ourselves and those going through some hell in their lives.
My rewards for promoting agape: I am persona non grata in all Christian churches. I am seen as a crazy ninety-three-year-old heretic. A Follower in exile. A porkchop in Israel.
But I know that I am right!
Why am I so cocky? Come with me to the ministry of Homeboys Industry, started by Father Greg Boyle (a Jesuit) some thirty years ago in east Los Angeles in a gang-infested area whose main economy seemed to be based on burying dead gang members and innocent victims, about one thousand a year.
Father Greg published his book Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times in 2024 (Avid Reader Press, 210 pages), and I just finished reading it a second time. The Kin-Dom (no kings in this kingdom) of God is here.
It is a powerful book. Father Greg doesn’t believe (neither do I) that there is any such thing as a bad person. All humanity is good. Unfortunately, some good people have mental illness and do bad things. The cure is to train thousands of therapists who know how to listen. Make sure they are in every community in our country. The service is free to all. It will cost money, but we’ll cover that cost by having fewer police, jails, mental institutions, homeless, prisons, and funerals for innocent victims.
Let me share some of Father Greg’s wisdom. I hope you find his thoughts provocative and maybe even transforming.
“I told the crowd that the unwavering principles held at Homeboy Industries were the following: (1) Everyone is unshakably good (no exceptions) and (2) we belong to each other (no exceptions)” (page 2). This kind of thinking can change the course of civilization!
Remember the saying, “God doesn’t make junk.”
“At Homeboy Industries, we’re always trying to pry the criminal justice system away from violence and punishment, over policing and mass incarceration, and bend it toward healing, repair, and restoration” (page 10).
“Jesus says plainly, ‘My joy yours. Your joy complete.’ This is all God wants for us. Being connected to this God of love is to know flourishing joy and fearlessness” (page 28).
My two cents: Jesus was not about groveling in the dirt or constantly reminding ourselves how awful we are. The church was and still is about that.
Here are some other quotes from his book:
“Unfit to be president, but worthy of our compassion” (page 68).
“If you’re afraid of dying, you’ll be afraid of living” (page 72). Think about that!
“We ask ourselves each day . . . What would love have me do today?” (page 157).
“Healthy people are able to love. . . . When folks aren’t healthy, they want to dominate” (page 159).
“Psychologist Albert Ellis points out that there are three errors in human thinking. First, when something negative happens we ignore all the positive that surrounds it. Second, we don’t just focus on the negative; we exaggerate it. We ‘awfulize’ it. And finally, we tend to overgeneralize. We will say, ‘You NEVER,’ and ‘He ALWAYS'” (page 163). This made me ask myself, Is that me?
“Pope Francis . . . will be remembered for having failed to teach the Catholic faith. Francis was too busy proclaiming the gospel of Jesus” (page 174).
The author interviewed the Dalai Lama and wrote this about him. “He seemed to be answering a question about the mark and measure of all ‘authentic religion.’ He ponders the question, repeats it in his labored English, then he places both hands over his heart, pauses and says, ‘Warmheartedness'” (page 175).
“I found myself saying the other day to one of the senior staff, ‘What’s the point of healing, belonging?’ I asked myself: If we allow people to live in tents on Main Street, are we honoring their civil rights, or are we ignoring that they belong to us?” (page 199).
“As homie Gabriel puts it: ‘Here, we breathe kinship.’ Then we can imagine a fresh movement of resurrection communities when cherishing is what we do for a living” (page 200).
I know the Kin-Dom that Jesus talked about two thousand years ago is alive and well in East Los Angeles. If agape became our guiding principle, it could be alive and well worldwide.
PeaceLoveJoyHopeKindness
Bil
Get my book at Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon!
P.S. People often ask me provocative questions about current events, both religious and secular. I have found that some of these questions are being asked universally. I’ll be periodically alternating regular articles with one of those questions and my answer. I invite you to send me your question to bilaulenbach@yahoo.com.
Great article, Bil.
Thanks.
Rick M.
Having heard some “Homeboy Graduates” at a Women 4 Orange County meeting a couple years ago, I cannot help but agree with Boyle’s particular slant on living one’s faith. Good article, Bil.
I love the story of Father Grrgory Boyle and what he has done in east Los Angeles. His work with young gang members who were absolutely lost is a miracle.
But I cannot compare them to the people who sit in D.C.—middle age and older who know full well the consequences of their actions and words. And they keep ramping up their vicious and violent activities that are immeasurably destructive to the people in our country and worldwide INNOCENT people. I insist that we do not have the time to do all you suggest—it will take decades if not centuries for it to play out. We are now trying desperately to save both Christianity and Democracy. At this moment I do not believe in saving the Christianity that I see most places around this country, Jesus is one thing: Christianity is far removed from him as you preach. It is growing worse daily. Wht do we do?