Gangs are a reality all around us. We have motorcycle gangs, prison gangs, and street gangs all intersect at joe’s Addiction. Though we have not been privy to the process, we were informed that Joe’s will be considered a neutral territory so long as respect is given. Though there have been tense moments, on the whole, we have had a great experience with all levels of gangs in our area. From enforcers who have decided to give up their gang patches to those who still are “in.” Most of the people we love are in a street gang. These gangs are defined as a collection of individuals who share a special name or image, endeavor to control certain domains (“turf”) in a group, and participate in an assortment of fierce or illicit practices.
Gangs are a problem in schools and communities throughout the world, but particularly here in the Southwestern United States. The number of Street youth gangs in our communities is growing rapidly and unabated.
Gang Presence
Individuals frequently accept gangs are a ‘major city’ issue. Truly gangs are available wherever in America, from major urban regions to encompassing rural areas and provincial groups. Gangs have been celebrated through music recordings, and motion pictures, and have advanced onto the web – facilitating sites, or making profile pages on well-known systems administration locales to bait initiates. Gangs are getting through racial, social, and financial boundaries to develop their enrollments. Youngsters from all monetary and social foundations have been pulled into gang life, Around here, kids from as early as age six or seven are already identifying with local gangs.
Gang Names and Nicknames
Gangs utilize different names to speak to their gang, team, or inner circle. The gang name may have reference to a usually known gang (Crips, Juggalos, Irish, Arian), while the inner circle name may have an association with the gang’s neighborhood (street name, geographic area). Most gang individuals receive epithets when they are selected to a gang. These epithets may recognize certain physical characteristics (Shorty, Forklift), describe an aptitude, or the enlist’s identity.
For more information: Addressing Community Gang Problems: A Practical Guide
Love Gang
The call to love our enemies is, without a doubt, the most difficult thing Jesus invited us to do. It makes no sense. The most natural thing is to hate back. To take an eye for an eye. To seek revenge upon the one who harms us. For gang members, the decision to not retaliate can be a life and death decision. It is a ridiculous call, and yet, as the cycle of violence is broken and Love spreads, the ripples of Love change the world.
Tear Drop
Some gang members in our community have a teardrop tattoo under their eye. For some, it represents the loss of someone they loved. It can also mean a person was raped in prison and then branded as a victim forever after. But for most around here, the teardrop is a symbol of having killed someone. For my gang friends, loving a member of a rival gang or a person of a different race, or resisting the urge for revenge are places where the rubber meets the road in this “Love thing.”
So many have lived on the broad road of violence that leads to destruction, and this Way of Love is an invitation to walk a narrow path that leads to life, and life abundant.
As pastor at Joe’s Addiction, I am often the one who teaches the words of Jesus to these who are steeped in violence. I am the one who issues the oft’ repeated call to love, to forgive, to believe the best, to give a second (or third, or fourth, or seventieth chance). I am often the one reminding people in our community that this is how we live. And I am the one who most often is modeling for them how to do it.
Love vs Hate
One day I give two dollars for bus fare to a man in our community who is harming others and causing a lot of fear in our homeless camp. I don’t want to. I am mad at him for being mean to my other friends. But it is hot . . . he has to make it to a probation meeting seven miles away . . . and, because love is kind, I give him two dollars. Several people in our community notice and wonder why. We have yet another talk about loving people who don’t deserve it. And we agree together that I did the right thing.
Loving ex-cons who have murdered and raped is not so hard for me. Loving people who steal from me is not hard either. But loving people whose ideology differs from mine, especially those who have “ghosted” me for not believing the way they do, is incredibly difficult. And honestly, much of the time, I don’t do it well.
Better Way
But we are committed to the Better Way. The Jesus Way of life. The Way of Love.
Martin Luther King preached a sermon on the topic of Loving Your Enemies. He said:
“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, ‘Love your enemies.’ It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love, they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says, love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies.”
I decided to try out an idea. I put a black stamp of a heart under my left eye where gang members place their teardrop tattoo. I wonder what the folks at Joe’s Addiction will think. The first day I wear it, Scooter notices and asks, “What’s that heart on your face about?”
“What do you think it means?” I ask.
He says, “Well, usually people put a teardrop there, and that means you’ve killed someone.” He tilts his head and rubs his chin. “But yours is a heart. A heart means love, so yours means love not killing?” I raise my eyebrows to let him know he’s close. “Loving people instead of killing them? Like loving your enemy?”
“Exactly,” I say.
He slaps his thigh and laughs, “You’re crazy, Miss Jamie.”
Brian Zahnd says, “Quite simply, we are disciples of the one who would rather die than kill his enemies.”
I have the same conversation numerous times in the month I wear the heart stamp, so one afternoon, standing in the coffee shop, I announce I have decided to have it permanently tattooed. One of the guys says, “Really?”
I tell him, “Yep. I’m ready to make a permanent statement that I am going to love my enemies.”
He smiles and says, “Then I’m gonna do it too.”
Another one stands up and chimes in, “You’re our O.G., if you do it, I’ll do it.”
Another stands. You can feel the excitement, the energy rising in the room. He says, “I want one too.”
The first one then says, “We’re gonna make a new gang: the Love Gang!”
Permanent Love
A tattoo on my face pretty much seals the deal on my departure from my fundamentalist religious upbringing. The heart also symbolizes my standing in solidarity with my community at Joe’s Addiction. For eleven years, these precious people have welcomed me into their world, into their neighborhood, into their homes, into their lives. They have become my family. My best, most loyal and supportive friends. I have experienced more love, more forgiveness, and more tolerance for my character flaws in this community than anywhere else in my life. I am humbled and so grateful. So this tattoo on my face is my way of saying I am all in, no reservations, no turning back. What started as “me” for “them,” has become “we.”
Nine of us go together to receive a tattoo of a heart on our face. We create a hand sign that combines the sign language of “I love you” and “Fuck you.” Our gang mantra is “I fucking love you.” Word has spread in the neighborhood that a new gang has come on the scene. The message is out that instead of fighting, instead of violence and hatred, we are here to spread Love. And the Love Gang continues to grow.
I had no idea when we decided to do this thing what a deep commitment it means for those who take the tattoo. I hear them, daily, reminding one another of their commitment to Love. “You can’t do that. You’re part of the Love Gang.” “Hey, remember Love, man.” Many times, when I become angry, one of them points to their heart tattoo and reminds me of my commitment to Love. We are learning to love together.
One of the Love Gang guys introduces me to another young man sitting in the coffee shop. He says, “This is our O.G.”
The kid asks, “What does O.G. mean?”
From another part of the room, someone says, “Original Gangster.”
Another one pipes up, “It can mean Old Gangster too.”
The kid looks surprised. Mike jumps in, “In her case, I think it just means Old Grandma!” The room explodes with “Awws” and “Ohhhs,” as they howl their love for their gang and for me.
Gang Evangelism
I walk up upon Forklift telling a new guy—a big man covered in tattoos from his chin down—all about his history and how he left the gang and violence to follow the Way of Love. I stand there and listen as he talks about the things he gave up and about the Love he has received in their place. He explains our heart tattoos and talks to the new guy about loving our enemies and how it makes the world better for everyone if we love instead of hate.
The new guy hangs his head and says, “I want to leave the violence, Dude. I keep tryin’ ta change myself, but I can’t seem to do it.” Then he looks at me and asks, “Will you pray for me?” I hardly ever do that kind of thing anymore. I told you my uneasiness with prayer these days, but I lay my hand on his shoulder. Forklift looks at me seriously and then puts his hand on the guy’s other shoulder and bows his head. We pray together. Tears roll down the new guy’s face, as I ask God to help him.
When I finish, I tell him we’d love to have him come around more often, and we will support him, as he begins to walk a different way. I tell him “We like you a lot.”
Forklift says, “Not just like. I love you, Homie.”
Forklift then says, “He’ll be getting the heart tattoo soon.”
The new guy nods and says, “I’ll get it put on my neck. I don’t want to mess up this pretty face.”
A few weeks after we got our tattoos, I am standing in the coffee shop showing our gang sign to someone. I’m explaining what the tattoo stands for and how we tell one another, “I fucking love you.” After I say these words, I hear a woman’s laughter behind me. I turn to see a husband and wife standing at the coffee table where the weekly Panera Bread donation is piled. I recognize them as folks who attended those city hall meetings and sided with those condemning Joe’s Addiction. “Oh! Sorry,” I say to them. She runs to me and hugs me. “I love it!” she says, “Thank you so much for all you do here in the community. We get bread from you every week. We are just so grateful for you.” I stand amazed.
