OTR – Jamie Tworkowski
Jamie Tworkowski is the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms, a non-profit organization that helps people dealing with issues like depression, cutting, and suicide. It started as being the church for a girl named Renee and has morphed into a t-shirt company and so much more. Jamie has opened up a conversation that was often taboo to discuss; sadly even in churches. As a result, they are seeing more and more people address these issues and give hope a chance.
Jeremy: Tell us something odd/unique about you.
Jamie: I have a scar above my mouth and the scar arrived when I was thirteen and ran into a mailbox while playing football in the street. It was the street I grew up on and I caught the ball running full-speed, crashed into the mailbox, knocked the mailbox to the ground… I lost a tooth and needed stitches but I held on to the ball. The awesome part about it is that i held on to the ball.
Jeremy: Do you think people are born leaders or develop into leaders?
Jamie: I really don’t know. I do think people grow and change, that it’s possible to find gifts or begin to run after things later in life. I think God has a sense of humor and tends to surprise us in who he allows to lead. Also, I believe “leadership” can mean a lot of different things – it’s not just the guy up front with the microphone.
Jeremy: How can people put themselves into a position to influence our culture?
Jamie: Good question. I think we have to engage culture. We have to do our best to understand culture – the places people live, the things that matter to people, the needs they live with. I don’t think we can influence culture if we’re afraid of it, running away from it or simply trying to create (or join) some alternative culture. We have to meet people where they are, and we have to invest in things that are relative to the needs that real people really live with. Beyond that, I believe that most good ideas start small, and I believe that people respond to love and also to humility.
Jeremy: Why are you a follower of Jesus Christ?
Jamie: When I look at the world, when I look at my life and life’s biggest questions, the story of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ helps me make sense of a lot of those questions. His life and death are a picture of love and love helps me make sense of existence, purpose, relationships, community… so many things. And if the world is broken, then this presents a disconnect, a need… and this helps me understand that the story of Jesus is not just a good story or a nice philosophy. If the world is in fact broken, which it sure seems to be, and if Jesus was who He said He was, then His death on the cross and His victory over death, it changes everything.
Jeremy: What do you do personally to keep your spiritual life active and healthy?
Jamie: I don’t know that I would call my spiritual life particularly active or healthy. If I’m honest, I think I have a long way to go. If I am going to tell people that I am “in a relationship with Jesus,” then I should talk to Him more, and I should spend a whole lot more time trying to listen and trying to learn. For now, I am thankful for grace and also for music. I feel like I find God in songs quite a bit. Oh and for some reason, I feel like it’s easier for me to pray when I’m surfing. In surfing, there are a lot of moments of waiting for waves. I don’t know why but this is when it’s easiest for me to pray.
Jeremy: What is your hope for the future of the Church in America?
Jamie: That we would apologize for the mistakes we (as the Church) have made in the past, and that we would actually learn to behave and communicate in a way that represents Christ. By that, I mean a way that is inviting, a way that meets needs and learns how to love people.
Jeremy: Should we abandon the use of the word “Christian” for a better term? If so, what?
Jamie: I think we have to acknowledge the way the word has been abused and misrepresented for years and years. I was walking into a concert in Atlanta last Saturday night and there was a guy standing close to the front entrance, yelling at the people in line as they went in, basically telling people that they were going to Hell. An experience like that doesn’t make anyone in that line think “Wow, I really want to be a Christian.” or “Man, I should really check out a church tomorrow morning.” There’s just so many examples of really terrible things happening “in the name of God” and I think we have to begin by acknowledging the mistakes that have been made, the way the Church has offended people. There is a book called UNchristian by Gabe Lyons and David Kinnaman that speaks to this topic. The book is based on three years of research as to what people outside the Church actually think of the Church (or “Christians”). The results are eye opening and sobering to say the least – I think it’s an important book.
Jeremy: What blogs/websites do you regularly check?
Jamie: donaldmillerwords.com (Donald Miller’s website); aspworldtour.com (website for the professional surfing world tour. I have a few friends that compete on this tour.); worldprosurfers.com (another pro surfing site. My friend Dustin creates the video content for this site.); surfermag.com (I really like surfing); nba.com (I grew up playing basketball and rooting for the Orlando Magic.); johnmayer.com (I am a John Mayer fan and his blog is great.)
Jeremy: Which books have shaped your thinking?
Jamie: Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller is the big one for me. It changed a lot of things for me. I was just blown away by the combination of honesty and beauty, the things Don was saying the way that he was saying them. That book taught me so many things and moved me in so many ways – made me think and laugh and cry. Blue Like Jazz was the book that taught me that it might be okay to be honest, okay to ask questions. It was also the book that taught me about community, that people need other people. Maybe more than anything, it was the book that made me want to start writing.
Jeremy: What music moves you?
Jamie: My all-time favorites are U2, Coldplay, Jimmy Eat World, Switchfoot, Jeff Buckley and Ryan Adams. Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Ray Lamontagne. I saw him play in Atlanta last week and his voice is just incredible. The music is simple and some would say it’s sad but I find this amazing honesty in his lyrics. Imagery too – he is a great storyteller. My favorite Ray Lamontagne song is a song called “Jolene” and in that song, he sings “I still don’t know what love means.” For some reason, that line really hits me. It feels honest and true. Overall, I think it’s hard to explain why a certain band or song moves you, but I think we can all agree it’s great when it happens. I guess for me it usually has to do with something feeling true in the lyrics.
Jeremy: Any other thoughts or advice?
Jamie: You were created to love and to be loved, to know and to be known.
The following videos are from a different interview that Jeremy did with Jamie at the Third Format worship services at Central Christian Church.
Thanks for the heads up on the blog, Jeremy. Good stuff.
“NBC News, Washington”… As jamie et al were gathered around praying desperately for renee, do you think he ever though that those words would wind up a part of his story? Dream big….
And I really appreciate his response to “Why are you a follower of Jesus Christ?”
1 peter 3:15
Love this format!
In particular here are some things Jamie said that resonated with me…
“We have to meet people where they are, and we have to invest in things that are relative to the needs that real people really live with. Beyond that, I believe that most good ideas start small, and I believe that people respond to love and also to humility.” AMEN!
“I feel like I find God in songs quite a bit. Oh and for some reason, I feel like it’s easier for me to pray when I’m surfing. In surfing, there are a lot of moments of waiting for waves. I don’t know why but this is when it’s easiest for me to pray.” Me too, but while I’m running (still haven’t tried surfing…but it’s on my bucket list!) God + music + running = Energized & Alive!!! Talk about a win-win!
“There’s just so many examples of really terrible things happening “in the name of God” and I think we have to begin by acknowledging the mistakes that have been made, the way the Church has offended people.” So incredibly true!
“…people need other people.” That says it all.
“Ray Lamontagne…his voice is just incredible. The music is simple…I find this amazing honesty in his lyrics. Imagery too – he is a great storyteller.” BingO, Jamie : ) !! I love Ray L.’s music!
Great interview.
I didn’t get to see him when he was at 3F, I was out of town.
I like this new concept you’re doing with “Off the record”
Have a great day, Jeremy!
I really appreciated his honesty about his spiritual life. It’s a difficult topic to be honest about. And what he said about the church is something that’s been playing in my heart over and over throughout the last few years. We’re so arrogant and preachy that people avoid church. It sucks. Great interview keep them coming.
Z
I really liked Jamie’s responses. I feel like you can hear his heart through his words. I really like his answer about not trying to “create” a culture, but to be apart of the one that you already live in. I always feel like people are looking at what others are doing around their city or country and they want to duplicate the same exact thing wherever they are. This won’t necessarily work because a person must do things based on where they live. They must engage people exactly where they are at.
The second thing that really got me thinking is his response to whether we should abandon the word Christian. Growing up not believing in Christ, I truly think people who think they are doing God’s work by preaching to you that you are going to hell and therefore you should respond to Christ, are doing more harm than good. I think the Church as a whole needs to work really hard to make up for the damage that is caused by people who do that. The sad reality is it will take so much more prayer and work to get that one person who was preached to that they are going to hell to be open to the idea that Jesus actually loves them and wants to know them. I became a follower of Jesus, not because I was afraid of going to hell, but through relationships with people I began to see and understand who Jesus was and what he was and is about. After that, I believe true transformation happens because I invited Jesus in to my heart.
Jamie, thanks for being real and honest! It is refreshing!
I like what he says about us needing to apologize for the mistakes of the past. That takes the ultimate humility, to admit that the very thing we’ve intertwined our lives with is not something whose history we can wholly condone, to make that separation between the imperfect church and our perfect God. It is in our nature to want to defend that which we are a part of, but it is in God’s will for us to consider others before ourselves and do all we can to show love and mercy to those around us.
That guy is cool.
Some more thoughts…it’s change agents like Jamie that genuinely challenge me and cause me to aspire to be more, to be a change agent myself. We all have the capacity to be that and we all have varying spheres of influence to effect change. Anybody can be a change agent, just look at two teens who are making a huge impact…Zach Hunter, a 15 year old abolitionist and activist who spends much of his time working to end slavery around the world. And 14 year old Austin Gutwein, founder of Hoops of Hope. I’m so in awe of these guys! They saw a need and chose to do something about it. They’re a new generation of voices emerging that’s being responsive and obedient to God’s call.
Back to Jamie….as he said he never intentionally set out to be a change agent to start a non-profit, but through his and his friends actions, that brought about change in one person’s life and the crescendo of that is very much apparent and on-going today. All it takes is one person acting and choosing to make a difference in another person’s life. It’s the one of 99 parable in action!
Great interview! I kinda feel like I just sat down with Jamie for coffee. Wouldn’t that be a trip! HA! The thing that stood out to me the most is how Jamie said he would like to see the church representing Christ. That the people in the church would project Christ like characteristics. By being that I think we would all learn to love one another more. I think with that love we would choose to meet people where they are and be by their side no matter what they have going on. As humans we try to “fix” when we are not capable. We should just love then let Christ do the rest!
Jamie you are a huge inspiration! You can tell how much love you have to offer to the world and we could all learn from that. Your honesty about where you are in your faith is great. I honestly feel that in your position you would not feel that way. It brings you to my level and I appreciate that. Jamie heres to always striving to be closer to Christ and more like Him. Nothin’ but love Jamie
I think the two most interesting parts of this were about how to influence culture and about a better term for christian. I definitely agree that you can’t run from culture cause it makes so much of an impact in people’s lives and how decisions are made. The other thing about christians and the word “christian” has such a bad tag with it. But the people who are giving the word “christian” a bad rap really aren’t christians at all in the true sense. Jamie, thanks for being real with people, showing them you can be deep into culture (things some christians classify as edgy) and still be who God needs you to be!
Man that was a good interview. I liked all of it, i enjoy hearing from Jamie
Great interview. I loved the question about the future of the church. Its something I think about a lot especially with 3F. I completely agree that we should apologize for the past. We could all do a better job at communicating Christ’s love and most of us could be a better example of a Christian. Well said Jamie.
Awesome interview! I really enjoyed reading Jamie’s responses. I really liked what he said about engaging in culture and meeting people where they are….I totally agree!
“You were created to love and to be loved, to know and to be known.”
Wow! That says it all. What godly wisdom from a guy who is truly walking the walk. Thank you Jeremy for taking the time to reach out and ask important questions to leaders who are making a positive difference in our culture today. Thank you Jamie for the example you have set and the wisdom you share.
Thanks jeremy for the opportunity to get into jamie’s head a bit . . .I loved the question re: what do you do to keep your spiritual life active and healthy? So many times we think it is all about the intellectual aspect or the knowledge we have of the Bible . . .it’s cool to to see how transparent jamie is. His response is so relatable, “i love talking to God when I am surfing”
ok…so i am anonymous! ha! still trying to figure out the blog world
This is a great format and I love hearing from influencers such as Jamie. He is right, we need to engage in our culture and try to understand it and then respond in love, not intimidation. There are so many Renee’s in this world that need the authentic love of Christ through all of us, how serious are we about doing something? Thanks Jeremy and Jamie for sharing. Jamie, I love your heart!
thanks for this jer…I learned…and that what’s important
I love Jamie for what he’s done, and I have been wodnering about that scar for awhile.
But “morphed into a t-shirt company?” I have to disagree with you there. Saving lives > t-shirt company.
Other than that, though.
*Other than that, though, great.
Thanks for the Jer, nice to hear from somebody who’s kicking it and taking names