Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTSCITY ON A HILLWe walked into the crammed Octagon. Jim chuckled at theposh decor we had inherited. (I assured him that even withour ‘mansions’, we were poorer than the average Englishman.)Pete Matt, our family spokesman and holiday-schoolheadmaster, was holding forth and soon the questions turnedto discipline. Carol smiled sweetly as one of the childrentugged at her hair.‘Yes, we do train our kids quite carefully,’ she said. ‘Peteand I find that our children need the security of being underour authority. They need a lot of love and care and we try tospend as much time with them as we can. Of course, lovemeans that we sometimes have to discipline them.’‘Yes, said Pete: ‘Proverbs 29:15 says, “A child left to himselfdisgraces his mother.” I think society is quite blind inthis area, and we see the fruit of it on the streets.’‘What about toys?’ asked another.‘Ugh!’ said Pete, ‘Consumerism gone mad!’ We like simplecreative things like Lego and Meccano... and word games.’‘And pots and pans!’ added Carol.‘So why don’t you have your own school?’ asked one personperched precariously on the window seat.‘Too expensive and too much hassle!’ said matter-of-factPete with a twinkle in his eyes. ‘Apart from which they needto handle the world. We’re not a desert island, you know!’‘Look!’ whispered Jim, ‘I’ve got some questions for the admingroup.’‘Hang on,’ I said, ‘they all change soon.’Afterwards, we moved next door to one of the old bars whereIan ‘Insight’ answered Jim’s questions about joining.202