The Purpose Gap

In The Purpose Gap, Patrick B. Reyes reflects on a family member's death after a long struggle with incarceration and homelessness. Reyes asks himself why his cousin's life had turned out so differently from his own, and he realizes that it was a matter of conditions. The book is a guide that moves from why the purpose gap exists, how to overcome it, and what the world looks like when we work to close the gap.

Reyes writes about the purpose gap, which is the combination of conditions that create a gap between those who can achieve their dreams and find lives of meaning and purpose, and those who must overcome great adversity just to imagine a better life. He wrote this book for those who want to eradicate this gap and build new worlds where our children can thrive.

The book is a love letter to the dispossessed, marginalized, ignored, the Chicano and broader Latinx/e/o/a community, Black, Indigenous, and people of color. It is also for those whose lives of meaning and purpose have been cut short through violence and incarceration, and for those whose imagination about the meaning and purpose of their lives is limited by the personal and systemic pains of hunger, poverty, and abuse.

Reyes provides studies, stories, and visions that provide insights about how to create conditions for people to thrive in your community. He draws on spiritual and intellectual wellsprings to close the purpose gap.

The book is a valuable resource for anyone who is seeking to live a meaningful and fulfilling life, especially in times of crisis and uncertainty. It is also a powerful reminder of the importance of solidarity and compassion in a world that often devalues and dehumanizes people based on their race, class, gender, or religion.