Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSAWAKE O ZION!the city of truth, was defiant and secure, a place of joy andcreativity. Like a precious jewel she shone in all her coloursand distinctions. But only through the cross could such abeauty be born.In the afternoon we walked around in twos and threes. Herein sunny Sussex was an opportunity to get to know one anothermore deeply. ‘Let us open up ourselves to one another,without fear of being hurt or turned away,’ 33 was the themesong of the fortnight. Friendships deepened as we confessedhidden faults and fears. Hopes and aspirations were sharedand we exposed the real ‘us’.God showed us that we were like a broad river flowing along.All looked well, but below the surface were dividing partitions.The river moved on to a waterfall where it cascadeddown a cliff and was dashed on the rocks below. In the turbulence,the partitions were broken up and then a swift, strongriver began to cut its course down the mountainside.So we, as a body, were to experience a new ‘brokenness’bringing oneness. We were a remarkable mix of straights,freaks, professionals, and village folks. God was determinedto break down any remaining barriers. Class divisions werenow a thing of the past and there were some hilarious attemptsto prove it! Rufus came in one morning sporting ajacket and tie, while Victor followed in a boiler suit! Jessieappeared in a tweed skirt. She’d lent her hippy cheeseclothsto Val the schoolteacher! Whether freak or straight, biker orBeethoven addict, we let these things go and joined the flow!Noel stood up in the morning meeting and there were afew more smiles — he was wearing an orange kaftan!130