Homeboy Industries has chosen to stand with the 'demonized' so that the demonizing will stop; it stands with the 'disposable' so that the day will come when we stop throwing people away.

I want to be prophetic and take stands and stand with those on the margins, and I want to laugh as much as I can.

Gangs are bastions of conditional love, and one of the ways to counteract it is to offer community, which will always trump gang, and that's what happens at Homeboy Industries.

Businesses have come and gone at Homeboy Industries. We have had starts and stops, but anything worth doing is worth failing at. We started Homeboy Plumbing. That didn't go so well. Who knew? People didn't want gang members in their homes. I just didn't see that coming.

If you are paying attention, then the day is going to be pretty joyful, and a lot of delight will fill it.

I always have a funny story at communion time that underscores that no one is perfect, and that communion is not for perfect people but for hungry people.