FIRE IN OUR HEARTS
AWAKE O ZION!
to move in unity as ‘one new man’ (Eph 2:15), we touched the very heart of Zion. John and Steve were drawing the brothers together. They were all very real as they opened their hearts to each other, and discipled one another fearlessly. Above all, they made brotherhood enjoyable. At New Creation Hall, Pete was producing paintings of community life and writing songs from the Scriptures — ‘We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren’ (1 John 3:16). Wesley’s hymns also expressed our heart: Mollify our harsher will, Each to each our tempers suit... We valued individual character and refused the trend towards unisex, which we saw as unbiblical and psychologically off-beam. Equality between the sexes wasn’t the point. Rather, it was being the personality God intended. Women began to enjoy their femininity more and developed a strong sense of sisterhood. Brothers found that their manly sharing produced manliness and appreciated the friendship and reality of brotherhood. ‘As iron sharpens iron,’ said the wise man, ‘so one man sharpens another’ (Prov 27:17). There were outward changes, too. Brothers lost their flowing locks and some grew beards. Sisters let their hair grow. Biblically, it spoke of their ‘covering’ (1 Cor 11:3— 11). At Harlestone Road the sisters converted their jeans into denim skirts. One sister felt the Lord telling her to get a dress, but couldn’t afford one. Out of the blue her mother gave her £10. 141