Fire in our hearts - The Jesus Army

FIRE IN OUR HEARTS THE LORD TOOK HOLD OF BUGBROOKEThat’s right,’ said Rufus. ‘But I’ve found Jesus. Glory! You’vegot to come up and meet the Jesus People, Ralph.’‘Meet them! I’ll come up and meet them!’ said Ralph lookingagitated. ‘And I’ll find out who’s raking in the money!’Ralph turned up in order to sort Rufus out. Rufus had reallyflipped this time. Christianity! Krishna had turned Ralphoff — but Christianity! It reeked of all that was middle-class,imperialist and oppressive. Jesus was all right. He was forthe people. But the church! The church! It was the religiousfacade of capitalist materialism.Ralph sat next to Rufus in the upstairs lounge and sussedthem all out. Most of them were right straights, he thought,but they looked pretty happy and liberated. Even Jess wasgetting into it. It must be the first scene they’d ever agreedon! Ralph smiled cynically. Then he felt uneasy. He was alwaysgoing on about being free, breaking out, being yourself.But he wasn’t. He was bound up like everyone else — and heknew it. Oh, but not God. That was old hat.Out of the blue, a lady stood up. ‘The Lord tells me there isa young man here who is very cynical. But he wants you toknow that he really loves you and wants to set you free.’Ralph was stunned. He felt totally exposed — as if God waslooking inside him — and he started to crumble. After that hedidn’t say a word for two days. If he became a Christian, thenwhat about his ideals — equality, freedom, the brotherhoodof man?In the end he turned it over to God and, as he surrendered,a great peace came into his soul. The following evening helistened in amazement as Noel quoted a political idealist:81