Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion

Redemption is a critical theme evident in every chapter of Tattoos on the Heart. As a Jesuit priest, Boyle extends his understanding of the redemptive power of Christ towards every aspect of his life. Boyle’s desire to help the marginal and less fortunate redeem themselves in society underlay his creation of Homeboy Industries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping gang members change their lives for the better through education and employment opportunities. When Boyle left his mission trip in Bolivia, he could have asked to serve anywhere. Boyle, however, specifically asked to work with those who needed redemption most and happily began work in Los Angeles’ gang territory. Unlike society at large, which wrote gang members off as monsters incapable of redemption and change, Boyle approached gang members with open arms, offering them the one thing they didn’t expect: respect.

After Boyle showers help and hope onto gang members, they all begin to excel in their various personal endeavors. To this effect, Boyle’s outreach efforts show that demonizing gang members and ostracizing them from society only makes matters worse for everyone. More than anything, Boyle shows in the narrative that the gang members themselves want change and will actively strive for it when given the chance.