"I AM: Proud"--Tattoos Tell Stories That Matter to Pastor Dave Bitler

Ed.: As part of Studio B Art Gallery's "I AM: Proud" project, local writers, artists, and members of the community were encouraged to respond to the theme.

by Dave Bitler*

I don’t own a motorcycle, nor have I ever ridden one. I don’t have a tattoo, nor have I ever planned on getting one. Yet, as a pastor, I have been to three motorcycle rallies to ask people about the stories behind their tattoos. I’ve been to Sturgis, SD once, and to Daytona Beach, FL twice. I am not unique in this. In fact, in my travels I have encountered many pastors attending events like this who are there to present the Gospel to anyone who will listen. I go, along with a great team of other pastors and researchers, for a different reason. Instead of going to speak, we go to listen. The reason we go to listen is because stories matter.

Space does not permit me to tell you of all the heart-wrenching tales of loved ones lost or the joyous rapture of celebrating important people and events … and everything in between. But what I would like to tell is one story from my most recent trip to Bike Week in Daytona Beach this past March.

Being something of veteran at this, I take joy in helping other pastors and researchers learn how to do interviews in a crazy environment like a motorcycle rally. On this trip, my goal was to help a pastor from Tennessee learn how to do interviews in a way that worked with his own personality. This was important because I had strong suspicion that this type of environment might overwhelm him … and I was correct.

We arrived in downtown Daytona Beach on a Tuesday evening and found a place to park a couple of blocks from Main Street. For a while, all we did was walk around so my friend could get comfortable with the surroundings. If you’ve never been to an event like this, let’s just say it is loud and boisterous. Lights, images and sounds bombard all your senses, and my friend was quickly becoming overwhelmed. We decided to find a place to grab some dinner, so we chose a diner not far from the ocean. We were given a table in a quieter area of the restaurant. What happened next changed everything for my friend.

Shortly after being seated, we were met by our beautiful and bubbly server, I’ll call Amber. Amber has several tattoos, and I had a feeling this would be a great interview for my friend, so I sat back and waited. It wasn’t long before my friend complimented her tattoos and asked her if any of them had a story. One thing that I have learned about tattoos is that they are often spring-loaded. If you gently open one story, you will likely be flooded by more. This is what happened with Amber. She quickly told us about the tattoo in remembrance of her stepfather, the man who raised her, but sadly he passed away during the Covid-19 pandemic.

But Amber was just getting started. She went on to tell us about the tattoos she has for each of her children.

This led to the most important part of her story. She told us that she used to be a drug addict, but she came to Daytona Beach to get clean. This statement simply floored my friend. He grew up in Florida and was always told that Daytona Beach was the place where people went to run away. Now, here is Amber, talking about coming here to get clean. She told us that she now has an apartment near the restaurant and has an ongoing relationship with her two kids and her husband. “But”, she said, “I didn’t get clean for them. I got clean for me. I knew I had to get clean for me.”

At this point, I had to step in and speak the words that I knew her stepfather wanted her to hear. With tears in my eyes, I looked at her and said, “I’m proud of you.” I could tell by her reaction that I had said enough. Before we left the diner, Amber gave both of us big hugs.

Indeed, I am proud of Amber. Her story matters to me, and I pray that she continues to thrive. I am also proud of my friend who took the risk to ask Amber about her story, and oh did that risk come with a big reward. That interview gave him the confidence to spend the next several days honing his asking and listening skills. These skills will help him minister to his community in Tennessee.

Stories matter. The pastors who went to Daytona Beach to speak first, likely never got to hear Amber’s story. You see, in seminary, pastors are taught how to preach and teach. Maybe we should also put a focus on the importance of listening. I admit, I was not always a great listener. Tattoos have taught me the importance of being quick to listen and slow to speak. I want to do better. I don’t want to miss the Ambers of the world. Her story blessed my heart.

* Dave Bitler is Pastor of St. John-Hill Church in Boyertown, PA. He is also a Tattoo Storyhunter and Evangelism Resident with Evangelize Today Ministries.

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