As you would expect in a house of 30 men there has to be a measure of discipline – most are recovering drug addicts, some are 18 year olds here on a Probation Order rather than going to prison – and also some rules to govern the day. When you walk into the house the ‘House Rules’ are displayed and surprisingly there are only two. ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength’ and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Whoever came up with those ‘rules’ did, I think, a pretty good job!
Most of the other ‘rules’ remain unwritten but there is a clear code of conduct that is adhered to despite nothing being written down. When it is ‘Quiet Time’ (or ‘Father Time’ as it is affectionately called) everyone is quiet. When it is work duty, everyone works. When it is worship, everyone worships. At meal times everyone helps get the room ready and clears up. We wait for everyone to be present and then someone prays and as the ‘Ar-mun’ is said with passion and urgency by all, the sound of chopsticks fills the air and the eager speed-eating begins.
There is a deep respect for one another’s personal space (which isn’t a great deal!) and property and a genuine serving attitude and care for and to one another. This is seen especially during prayer times when Brother will pray with Brother sensing God’s prompting and speaking God’s words directly to them. In the time I have been here I have not heard a voice raised in anger or seen fists raised in aggression. There is a peace but certainly not quiet! Except at lights out time, 10.00pm.
Dare I say that there is a sense of the holy here?
The only other written rule is outside every bedroom dormitory. It says, ‘Please take off your shoes.’ And it happens, the shoes are left behind, in no particular order, but shoes are removed. It is a great rule, except when you get up in the middle of the night and have to negotiate them in order to get to the bathroom!
‘Take off your shoes, for this is holy ground.’ (Exodus 3:5) There is a sense of the holy here. Holy in terms of ‘set apart’, ‘special’, ‘this is where God is’. I think all three descriptions apply. I’ve had to learn to ‘take off my shoes’, not only as I go into the bedroom, but all over the House. It has humbled me and lifted me, I get a feeling that God is in this place.
I was humbled so much when I went to J’s house with him on Monday. He took me to Tai Po where he lived before entering the Brothers’ House 9 months ago and where his wife and 2 children live with his parents. The flat was on the tenth floor of a 15 floor block and was typical of flats in HK. My best guess is that it is no more than 30 square metres – 6m x 5m – probably less and has 2 small bedrooms, a small living room, even smaller kitchen and bathroom. Three adults and 2 young children live there. It was a humbling experience to have a feast placed in front of me. Thankfully I could tell what I was eating and it was very tasty! J has an opportunity to continue to allow God to change him and I know that his biggest prayer is that his whole family will come to know Jesus Christ. There was a special moment as the two of us went into the bedroom and prayed with and for his children. That was the first time he had done that! It was a start and I will be continuing to pray for him and his whole family.
As we left the small flat, I put my shoes back on. Once again I had been on holy ground.
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