Band of Survivors Team Update 9

Today we ate delicious breakfast. It is always a nice thing to eat breakfast. I think we had pop tarts.

Then Kirsten W, Cathleen and I went to the store to buy food for everyone. Everyone else went to Salvationism 2 with David W. When I came back later, during the class, it was really interesting. We are reading The General Next to God, a historical account by Richard Collier, and discussing that during our Salvationism classes. The chapters we went over were about things like the Skeleton Army, and Frederick Tucker-Booth, also known as Fakir Sing (AKA the “Lion of God”).

The Skeleton Army did not like the Salvation Army. They sprang up in opposition to the Salvation Army, and would throw things like dead cats and mud and rotten food and bricks at the Salvationists as they marched through town on the way to a meeting. “Through it all Booth stood bolt upright in his carriage, mud and dead cats hurtling past him, his face a graven mask as he barked crisp orders.” (106)

Tucker was a civil-servant in India when he heard God’s call to the Salvation Army, and he went to England for a while. Then he returned to India with a group of Salvationists. When they arrived on September 19 1882, the “Police-superintendent Harry Brewin loomed in view. “When,” he asked Tucker point-blank, “will the other members of the party land?” Puzzled, Tucker replied, “We are the whole of the Army.” For a moment Brewin was speechless. Martial advance billing had claimed the Salvation Army would “storm” India- but how could three men and a girl provoke bloody riots? “We were expecting you to arrive a thousand strong,” he explained sheepishly.” (92)

This was a time of intense ‘incarnational ministry.’ Tucker demanded that when a Salvationist came to India he or she leave England for good. There was no chance to return when things were too difficult. They also left their English dress behind, adopting instead an Indian style of clothing, with army colours. This was culturally necessary, because as one Indian put it, “We will accept Christ when He takes off His hat, trousers and boots.” (95)

Some notable quotes from General Next To God:
“The best men in my Army are the women” –General William Booth
“If the Devil doesn’t attack us, we ought to attack him.” –Ada Smith

Then in the afternoon we went to the Blue Island corps to practice marching for the Fourth of July parade. We first practiced in the gym of the building, but needed to march farther to get the full effect. So we went to a park down the street, and marched around and around it. This caused a bit of a stir at the nearby swimming pool. As we marched past, children crowded to the fence to watch with great expectation.

I had a prayer shift that afternoon. It was one of the best ones. God was speaking to me about my heart’s condition.

“When we ask Jesus into our hearts, we are asking for love to come into our hearts: we are asking for the embodiment of Love. We want to be such an embodiment. Help me to truly worship you in spirit and truth. I pray you would give me ears to listen to _____ and hear what they truly need.

God, I’ve told people this is what you wanted for my summer, and I am beginning to see more and more why. This is hard Lord, such a time of trial and testing. And maybe all of life will be like this. But it will lead to being gold. The story of Paul’s eyes [Acts 9:18] and the scales falling away, the story of Eustace’s dragon scales coming off [the Voyage of the Dawn Treader, by C.S. Lewis]: This is me father, my heart is coated in these scales. I know you care and love these kids, but my heart is scaled over. Break the crust off my heart. Give me renewed love. I knew I needed to grow in prayer and discipleship (how to) and boldness in sharing Christ, but you don’t look at those things, do you? You see my heart. Those are the exercises that work the kinks out, that get the scales off. Those are the cleansing blood to wash my sin away.” Amen.

Kirsten Aho