An organization that aims to prevent depression, self-harm, and suicide, a very relevant cause considering 18 million Americans are burdened with depression. What To Write love on Her Arms desires to stop hits close to home for many. Daughters have addictions, nephews injure themselves, and family members take their lives. Suicide is a leading cause of death for those ages 15-24. To Write Love is an online based company designed to aid those who want to come out of the pit.
How does one fight and win the battle against despair? Its starts with hope. On TWLOHA.com, they describe what they do as “a bridge of hope.” YouTube offers a touching video that tells what began the organization in February 2006. The narrator and founder Jamie Tworkowski tells the story from his personal standpoint. It’s about the five days he spent with an addict/cutter before she was eligible for professional help. It’s Jamie’s heartfelt pre-rehab journey with this girl. He talks about the day and night support of friends. He talks about church services and those that prayed for his friend each of those five days. “They tell her she’s beautiful and I think its God reminding her” Jamie says. TWLOHA is listed as a 501c.3 but they state specifically they are not a Christian organization, their goal is to solely provide hope.
The world is a scary place that will frighten anyone who allows it. People are afraid of labels, and being put into categories, calling TWLOHA ‘Christian’ could turn people off. True, but no matter what it’s called, someone ain’t gonna like it. The neutral stance To Write Love has doesn’t sit well in the heart because, although a light is being provided to those engulfed in darkness, it could shine so much brighter. Why settle for a ray of sun when a window could be opened?
To Write Love on Her Arms declares; hope is real and human life matters. Those things which are in fact true create more questions than answers. What is hope? Is it heard or touched, seen or felt? Why does life matter, to who? See the inevitable wondering that’s created? Telling a person there is more to life and that they do have value, should not be done if an explanation ceases to follow. A pushed car won’t travel as far as one with gas in the tank. It takes more than a kick start. If those above questions do not have concrete answers there indubitably is a problem.
“God is in the business of redemption” To Write Love on Her Arms says. That’s making a statement. To pull someone out of quicksand, the rescuer must be on sturdy ground. When dealing with the issues of self-injury and depression, it is never right to sugar-coat the solution. Of course proper discernment should always be exercised. People, struggling openly or not, need real, tangible love. Personally, no other source fulfills that need like Christ. Mentioning God just to appease the masses and cover all bases is not the way to go about it. What’s important is to be godly. Human life does matter; it matters to Jesus first and foremost. People are worth something, God says so. These are not TWLOHA originated concepts-they belong to Jesus, the reason Jamie and his team thought to do this outreach in the first place. They started with God, from what the founder says, but if He is no longer the reason the entire concept shifts.
Saying hope is real but not telling the rest is a vain use of God’s name. Hope is not a thing, hope is not an idea, hope is not a feeling, hope is a person and His name is Jesus. Not wanting to offend is understandable, but not offering a desperate person loving truth is inexcusable. To Write Love on Her Arms is a good cause that is near and dear. However, making their beliefs sound ‘Gospel-esque’ then denying any church affiliation does not make sense. Being lukewarm is useless.
Providing hope with no answer is short-lived. Those who have smacked rock bottom crave something deeper. It is up to those that have that soul-reaching depth to determine where to start. A band-aid wouldn’t repair a punctured artery; it’s like giving someone a cup of coffee when what they really need is a good night’s sleep. To Write Love is full of good intentions and plenty of people to offer encouragement, they’re definitely worthy of prayers.
The TWOHA story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sOV68yLLpw
Mindless Peace 