Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSCITY ON A HILLdling two worlds. Here, in Zion, we’ve so much to be gratefulfor, so much to offer.’It echoed the feeling of our hearts. ‘Jerusalem is our delight,’sang Mike ‘Rockfast’ Farrant in his new hymn, ‘And wewho mourned in Babylon, now cry aloud for joy!’What we had was rare. Together we had discovered richtruths. Together we had honoured New Testament revelationand together forged a new culture. Insularity had been inevitable,but now we wanted to open our hearts.Some Christians in other churches were enthusiastic butmany were increasingly suspicious. Tensions at Warwick Universityhighlighted this. Someone told the President of theStudent Union that we were like the Moonies. When Grahamtried to hire a room for a small student meeting, he got agrilling. The Christian Union were also nervous of us and feltwe were too elitist. We seemed to insist that lifestyle wasinseparable from the gospel. Indeed we did. Lifestyle wasthe issue.As we moved around with our ‘Jesus is Lord’ assemblies,some ministers were annoyed because we hadn’t consultedthem first. Others renewed their criticisms of us. It seemedthat the quiet days were coming to an end.In The Daily Star an article appeared: ‘CULT CRAZY — TheFacts Behind The Mindbenders’. After mentioning the Jonestownmassacre, it lumped us with Scientologists and the Childrenof God. Our mysterious sect shunned the outside worldand lived the spartan life; Noel fancied himself as a latterdayWesley; the men were bossy; the kids beaten; and thewomen (including doctors and teachers!) were chained to the186