Year 2, week 43: Barking to the Choir

This week's book:
Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship
By Greg Boyle

It's father's day time and this week's book works for the holiday. Barking to the choir is Boyle's second book about his work with former gang members, many of which have done jail time. Boyle is a Jesuit priest who runs Homeboy and Homegirl Industries in LA. The bakeries and tattoo removal businesses help former "bad boys and girls" to get on the right track and get out of the gang mindset that they have been put into. Although Boyle is a man of God, the book doesn't really read like a Christian themed book, or at least in my opinion. It's more a book of second chances.

The reason I think this is a good book for around father's day is that so many of the stories of the people looking for a second chance never had good father (or mother) figures in their lives. Many of the men and women have spoken the words "I wish you could have been my dad" to Boyle. I look at so many of the people in this book and their lives could have been on a different path if they had someone at home that loved them and showed them how to treat others well. I personally know I have married and have been raised by people that have the highest respect for others. I unfortunately lost my mother a little over six and a half years ago, but she saved thousands of children in the foster system and had been abused by people that were supposed to be the people who loved and protected them. My father and step dad are insanely supportive and loving men. My in laws would give the shirts off their backs and have worked in the school system in their hometown. All of the people who have had a hand in raising me have shown me how to respect others and remind me that I am loved. The man I love and have decided to have children with is the most respective and honest gentleman I have always met. I am reminded constantly that our son has a perfect role model of how he should act and treat others, and our little girl will never have daddy issues because the first man in her life has nothing but love and respect. If either of our kiddos fall for a boy someday, that boy will have big shoes to fill because that hubby is pretty near perfect!

But back to the book, I would definitely recommend looking into Greg Boyle and his work. I didn't completely enjoy the way the book was organized; I think it would make a great documentary or I would like to see him speak at one of his many speaking engagements, but I am definitely glad I read the book.