The Elephant’s Debt evolves as the first significant changes are brought to “Your Story.”
When this website was first conceived, the authors believed that “Your Story” would be a crucial component of the site, offering space and compassion to those who were hurting or confused. But over the past two weeks, as the stories of those who have left and those who have stayed have been posted, we have come to a different conclusion. While we maintain our original assertion that everyone’s story matters, we have come to realize that the internet may not be the best place to form a community of people who may need to heal.
Furthermore, some wise and well-meaning friends, including friends who disagree with the very nature of the website, have helpfully point out the simple fact that we do not personally know each and every person commenting on the site. As a result, we may be giving a platform to people who are not committed to speaking the whole truth.
While we may not necessarily agree with this critique, and while we may believe that it too easily dismisses the often-painful concerns of people who are genuinely trying to help, we do not want to undercut the credibility of the argument we have advanced by allowing for the conversation to be sidetracked.
Therefore, as of today, we are pulling all comments from the “Your Story” tab. In the future, this tab will be reserved for any pastors, elders, or significant ministry partners that would like to publicly validate the concerns that have been raised by this site. If you are such an individual, please feel free to post your story with your full name and dates of service; and we will approve it for publication.
Finally, we return to our original assertion. We truly believe that your story matters. So to those of you who were considerate and brave enough to share a piece of your journey, we thank you for your willingness to lead others by speaking truth. Moreover, we pray that you would continue to speak, bringing your much-needed voice to the conversation that is occurring both within the walls of Harvest and outside of them. As for those who are struggling and hurting, we thank you for your transparency; and we pray that God would bring healing to you even as you courageously continue to seek a community of believers that can help you personally walk through the often arduous process of healing and forgiveness.
Your brothers in Christ,
Scott Bryant and Ryan Mahoney
