By Sister R.Goring

FOREWORD

Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is a movement which is only just beginning to impinge on the consciousness of this country, although it is very well known in certain parts of Africa. Anyone who has been raised in the context of traditional churchmanship will find much about it that is familiar, for the practical teachings of Jesus Christ occupy a central position in it. In fact, as Brotherhood’s founder has said many times, there is only one teaching that really matters, and if only it was taken seriously all the world's problems would disappear overnight.

That teaching is ‘Love one another’.

HOW THE MOVEMENT BEGAN

The movement really began with the birth of its founder, whose name is Olumba Olumba Obu. This name sounds strange to European ears, but in the part of Africa where he was born in 1918, it is fairly common. Olumba's birthplace was the village of Biakpan in Cross River State, Eastern Nigeria. By all accounts he was a remarkably gifted child, although his formal education consisted of only two years in primary school. But his sense of mission emerged early: when he was only five he said to his father: ‘Call me Teacher’. The first people he taught were the children with whom he played and went to school.

At the age of eight he went to Calabar, the nearest large town of the region, to be apprenticed to his uncle in the cloth trade and then, when he was eighteen, he set up his own stall in Calabar market. At first he was very successful because, unlike all the other traders, he was honest and gave value for money. People flocked to his stall and he sold more in one week than others did in two months. In his spare time he went round preaching, teaching and healing, and ‘Mr Obu’, on his bicycle, with his Bible in a bag slung over his back, was a familiar sight in the streets of Calabar at that time.

However, his generosity towards the more needy of his customers - sometimes giving his merchandise away - and his unwillingness to pursue his debtors in the law courts, meant that eventually his business began to fail. But by this time he knew what his real calling was, and at about the age of 26 he embarked upon his full-time ministry.

‘At God’s appointed time, when I had to attend to my call, I forsook everything and followed God.’

He had by now acquired a considerable local reputation as a spiritual teacher and above all as a healer, the healing being done simply through prayer. Somewhere along the line he got married - a number of his now adult children are involved in the work of Brotherhood - and in due course, as well as visiting people, he invited them to his own home.

As the numbers attending the meetings increased it became necessary to find bigger premises in which to hold healing sessions and morning and evening prayers. No. 8 Eton Street was the centre for a time but then, as more and more people came flocking in and the place became too small to hold them, a plot of land with a larger house on it was bought at 26 Mbukpa Road. Brother E.B. Eye, one of the original members who joined while still at school, tells what happened next.

The first day the Father performed baptism was two days to 8 August 1958. He did baptism twice: I think it was on the 6th and 7th. Then in the evening of August 8th he asked everybody to wear white. That was the first outing and the Father moved the entire Brotherhood from Eton Street to 26 Mbukpa Road that night. People talked but what could they do, and as far as I can remember there were no attacks - members just marched peacefully with the Father leading the line.

So 8 August 1958 marks the point at which Brotherhood of the Cross and Star came out into the open as a distinct, recognisable movement.

BROTHERHOOD ESTABLISHED

A brand new building was soon erected at 26 Mbukpa Road by voluntary labour, but it was not long before even this was not big enough. Fortunately some more land was available nearby at 34 Ambo Street, and more buildings were erected there: a healing home, an elementary school, a guest house, administrative offices, printing press, bookstore, and the large Pentecostal assembly hall, complete with public address system. The ever increasing numbers continue to put pressure on the available resources so that there is always more building going on to keep pace with the movement's expansion. This has all taken place over the last 35 years.

Since the establishment of Brotherhood Olumba has lived consistently 'over the shop' and has not moved from Calabar, although he was once under strong pressure to go to the United States. But in spite of the attractions of the West, he has stayed put, and the simplicity of his lifestyle has not altered. It seems that when, in the early 1940's, he was called to his life of service, he was specifically told to discard all unnecessary possessions, to go barefoot and not to use any form of transport.

This latter ruling was once challenged by a number of zealous brethren who thought that their Leader's status would be enhanced by being driven in a prestigious car. They duly raised the funds, purchased a fine Mercedes and drove it proudly up to the door of the Bethel.

'Come, Papa! Here is your car!' Smiling, Olumba stepped into the car and the driver switched on the ignition. It wouldn't start. Again and again they tried, with the same result. Regretfully they called it a day and Olumba got out again. The engine immediately roared into life. Needless to say, the experiment was not repeated.

In the early days, Olumba was personally in charge of everything that went on at every level, and he was as likely to be seen sweeping out the Bethel or, on one memorable occasion, cleaning the flooded latrines after a particularly heavy downpour - as to be conducting worship from the altar. This came as a surprise to some of his wealthier visitors: more than one of them, on their first visit, mistook this humbly dressed man for a servant.

FATHER'S GOSPELS

These days most of the administrative work is done by his son Roland and his daughter Helen, but he himself conducts three services a day, every day of the year at 5 a.m., 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. At the 10 o'clock service he delivers a long sermon completely without preparation, spoken in Efik, the local language, and translated on the spot by an interpreter - the only problem being that there are often jokes and asides

which do not find their way into the translation. These sermons –‘Father's gospels’ - are recorded, transcribed and published either in the form of booklets or in the in-house periodical. The New Kingdom Trumpet and they are, generally speaking, the main vehicles for the teachings of Brotherhood.

It is important to remember that these published 'gospels', being transcriptions of on-the-spot translations,

Is the product of an oral tradition: they are meant to be taken in by the ear rather than the eye. This means that, from a reader's point of view, they do leave something to be desired. There is often a great deal of repetition and occasional lapses in the English. There are some ambiguities: it is not always clear whether that particular interpreter had fully grasped the point, which Olumba was making. This does not necessarily matter too much, since if the point is an important one it is bound to crop up in a different form somewhere else.

'You should be very observant,' points out Olumba, 'that all the preachings I deliver from January to December are from myself. I have not read from any book; neither have I read them from the Bible, and I have put them into practice. They are therefore nothing but the truth. I thank God for the Holy Bible. It has helped me a little, for, when I speak, I quote from the Bible. If the Bible were not available people would have questioned the source of the teaching.

OLUMBA TODAY

Most of the remaining time Olumba spends in the vestry receiving visitors, giving his blessing and praying over the sick. He reportedly sleeps very little and his meals are minimal, consisting mainly of fruit. Now advanced in years, he radiates energy and goodwill. He is ready to rebuke if this is what is required, but prefers to do it with kindness and humour - in a word, with love.

This is the main theme of his preaching: 'love one another' - to which he returns again and again, backed always by appropriate quotations from the Bible. This he seems to know by heart, although from time to time attempts have been made to catch him out.

'Here is a test,' says Apostle Gorji Dinka, 'that many of us have made on Leader Olumba Olumba Obu. When he cites a section of the Bible, someone will jump up quickly to read it. But instead of reading the correct portion, read a totally different part of the Bible. The Holy Father, Leader Olumba Olumba Obu, will stop you patiently, and tell you the book and verse you are reading, and redirect you to what you should read.

Many things have been said about him: a great deal in his praise and much also which is decidedly uncomplimentary.

What does he say about himself?

'Brethren, 1 have examined myself very well. I do not have any power of my own. I am not a preacher; neither am I the doer of anything... You must know that this is the time to give God his due glory. Do not seek glory any more because the One that has legal right has come to rule.

'Do not go to preach Olumba Olumba Obu, but preach the Holy Spirit. Do not preach about any human being.

Preach the Holy Spirit, for that is what has eluded many people in the world today. Do not look on me. Only look on the Holy Spirit, because personally I only look on to the Holy Spirit. He is the one who does all the works.

THE SPIRITUAL SCIIOOL

It is clear from what Olumba says that Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is not a derivative sect or breakaway movement of any kind. The teachings are channelled directly through Olumba himself: the Bible is simply used to confirm their spiritual authenticity, demonstrating that they are in line with teachings already established and understood. He also emphasises repeatedly that Brotherhood is not a church or a religion. The alternative title, 'Christ's Universal School of Practical Christianity', describes it more accurately as a 'spiritual school' - in other words, a practical programme of spiritual development.

The movement in the early days was just the group of people who gathered in Olumba's house to listen and to learn. Most of these had very little moral or spiritual education of any kind, even if they were nominally Christians. Many, indeed, came straight from paganism. Olumba in effect was having to start from scratch, teaching not only the basics of Christianity but also the fundamental truths embodied in the Old Testament including monotheism, monogamy and the essential moral structure of the Ten Commandments. He is still having to do this today. This is why, to Western ears, some of the pronouncements may sound rather heavy-handed: Jehovah and the prophets rather than the gentler spirit of Christ; teachings that belong to the Age of the Father rather than to the Age of the Son. Patiently, day in, day out, he instils the basic moral principles of life into people to whom even the thought-world of first-century Palestine represents considerable sophistication. But the practicalities of the Christian way of life are spelt out with equal insistence. Mere lip service is given short shrift: it is no good dressing up in white, dancing and singing and shouting 'Olumba' if at the same time you are conducting a shady business deal or harbouring a grudge against your neighbour. 'Why do ye call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?'

FATHER. SON, HOLY SPIRIT

Olumba makes the point that Jesus Christ had only three years in which to communicate to his disciples the basics of the spiritual life. There was a great deal more, which he might have taught them if he had had the time. But in any case they could only take on board as much as was appropriate to their level of spiritual development. ‘I have yet many things to say to you, but, you cannot bear them now. Howbeit when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; hut whatsoever he shall hear, that he shall speak: and he will shew you things to come.’ [John 16:12-13]

There is therefore a considerable body of Brotherhood teaching which has no counterpart in either the Old or the New Testament, although it is grounded in this tradition and follows on logically from it. This is the teaching of the Age of the Spirit and it is directly relevant to our time. However, whenever Olumba preaches, all three stages of teaching will always be present so that, whatever stage of spiritual development you may be at, you will always find something in it for you - and ample opportunity to revise things you may have forgotten.

BAPTISM

But the receiving and understanding of verbal teaching is only one part of the total programme of spiritual growth and development. The programme begins with baptism, by total immersion. The whole question of baptism into Brotherhood can sometimes raise problems for those who are already baptised Christians; clearly it is not a difficulty if you have come straight from paganism or from another faith such as Islam. Perhaps the best way of explaining the need for it is to use an analogy drawn from education. To be baptised into the Christian church, one might say, is equivalent to passing the entrance to secondary school. Spiritually speaking, baptism into Brotherhood might be seen as the equivalent to university entrance: an initiation into a further stage of spiritual development. Brotherhood, in other words, is Stage Three of the operation of which Christianity has been Stage Two.

Baptism is certainly seen by Olumba as the essential prerequisite to any spiritual growth. The reasons are simple and practical. Every human personality is potentially a highly efficient channel for the divine energy known as the Holy Spirit. But these channels are always getting blocked by the various distractions of everyday living, which an earlier generation lumped together under the name of 'sin'. The practice of acknowledging, identifying and locating these blockages - called 'confession' - means that they can then be removed. Once the channel has been cleared, the way is open for the process of baptism to establish a direct connection with the source of divine energy, with results varying from gradual, imperceptible changes in attitude to a dramatic improvement in health. Baptism also establishes demarcation line between the here-and-now and the earlier stages of a person's life, which means that it is no longer possible to get drawn back into earlier patterns. The benefits may not be apparent at once, but it will eventually become clear that remarkable inward changes are taking place.

'During the past few weeks,' wrote a new English member, Phillip Barber, 'we have received some mighty

revelations... The Father has conferred the gift of Christ-consciousness on us both, moving us to true son and daughtership. It was such a wonderful experience. Going beyond words. It's like a bridge to the Holiest or holies: part of the Christ revealed in us. The ministry, which he has given us only, he can understand. He has not yet revealed our true assignment: whatever it is will bring great glory to the Father and many of the lost. I have felt the joy in heaven and on earth of this revelation.

Not everyone will have such an experience: indeed many people, having been baptised, will at first feel nothing at all and wonder what all the fuss is about - for each person, as a unique individual, is bound to respond in a different way. But once you are baptised into Brotherhood the way is open to you to discover your spiritual gifts and to exercise them.

ORGANISATION

Any Brotherhood member - man, woman or child - may, if it is appropriate, offer prayers, preach, heal, conduct services and baptise new members, for everyone has full access to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Although in any Brotherhood gathering you will see people in different coloured sashes - turbans, as they are called - indicating different orders such as prophet, apostle, pastor, deaconess and even bishop - from the spiritual point of view everyone is on a level and has an equal right to speak. It is fully recognised that the testimony of one of the humbler members may sometimes carry more weight spiritually than the pronouncements of those who are in seemingly more authoritative positions.

Having said that, it is also a fact that order and organisation are essential components of Brotherhood. For it should not be forgotten that orderliness is another of the attributes of the Holy Spirit. So, in the Bethel, the seating is always arranged in the same way so that everyone knows where to sit: men, women, elders, choir, those who have been ordained, each has a place and so confusion is avoided.

Nothing is more undesirable than confusion, which produces a climate of uncertainty and conflict that is inimical to the Holy Spirit. An ordered framework is essential when, as in Brotherhood, you are continually breaking new ground.

The Bethel, the primary unit of Brotherhood organisation, is simply a development of the original meetings as they were held in Olumba's home: 'Beth-El' is Hebrew for 'House of God'. The size may vary from a small room in someone's house to the 'cathedrals' that are now to be found in Lagos and Ibadan. But whatever the size of the building, the style and organisation is still that of family worship, and in addition to the elder in charge of the Bethel, there is always a Mother who looks after the domestic aspects and organises the feasts which are such an essential part of Brotherhood life and worship. This is just one of the ways in which the woman's role - one of the movement's greatest strengths – is fully acknowledged and celebrated.

WORSHlP

There are different sorts of worship services according to circumstances, ranging from the full Sunday service complete with sermon to the simple form used by people in their own homes. But somewhere near the beginning always comes Psalm l: 'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly'; and somewhere near the end comes Psalm 23: ''The Lord is my shepherd', followed by the Lord's Prayer. This provides a familiar framework to whatever else may be going on in between: hymns, prayers, choruses, perhaps a sermon. Prayers are always extempore and the sermon too, known as the gospel, is delivered without any preparation whatsoever. The only notes you are likely to see in the preacher's pulpit would be a record of the three short texts which are read at intervals during the sermon and provide a breathing-space for the preacher while it becomes clear what he - or she - is going to say next.

This extempore preaching is not as remarkable as it may seem: it is simply a practical demonstration of what being in Brotherhood is about. Since by your baptism you have been connected directly to the Holy Spirit, the words you speak come not from yourself but from the Spirit. What you say is often related to the needs of those present, which you yourself may not know anything about. But a testimony from someone later on may show that some of the things you said were exactly what that particular person needed to know.

THE MUSICAL TRADITION

Another essential ingredient in worship is the singing, which Olumba recognises as having a very special role in strengthening spiritual witness and spreading the Brotherhood message. The New Kingdom Trumpet of May 1995, Brotherhood's monthly newspaper, reported from Calabar:

'A total of 186 choirs participated in the choral competition during the recently concluded April Pentecostal Assembly...

The report, wisely, does not do more than outline what by any standards is a remarkable musical phenomenon. The basis of the singing - voices only, no instruments - is of course the vigorous tradition of communal music-making, which exists throughout Africa and among the black Diaspora.

But this has been enhanced and strengthened by the inspiration and discipline deriving from Brotherhood. The result is formidable: a never-ending stream of original songs and choruses in styles varying from classical European to the frankly vernacular. Equally impressive is the stamina of the singers. Whether rejoicing in the Bethel or going 'on outing' - a dancing, singing procession usually accompanied by the

distribution of leaflets - the singing keeps going with inexhaustible fervour, with an invigorating effect on all that come in contact with it. It is also seen as a prime agent in the healing process, and there are a number of choruses, which are specifically used for this purpose. The explanation, again, is simple and practical and has to do with the generation and maintenance of a high level of energy, which enlivens, strengthens and heals. The therapeutic value of music generally is well known - it is one of the better-known activities of the Holy Spirit - and in Brotherhood it is used consciously to its fullest extent.

HEALING

As many Brotherhood members will testify, the reason for their joining in the first place is that they or someone in their family were cured of some quite serious physical condition. It was, after all, through his healing activities that Olumba first became well known. As he is the first to point out, though, the healing is not done by him but by the Holy Spirit, for which he is the channel. And since all Brotherhood members, through baptism, are connected directly to the Holy Spirit, they also can be agents of healing - and there are many remarkable stories of healings that have taken place through Brotherhood members. But in reports of such work the wording is always 'The Father healed such- and-such a person', in recognition of the fact that all healing comes only from God.

There is an understanding in Brotherhood that the underlying cause of all sickness is spiritual; therefore any attempt to treat an illness by purely physical means will not ultimately be successful. So the use of pills and drugs, whether derived from Western scientific practice or from traditional African medicine - still plying a profitable trade - is not given any encouragement. It is a matter of common experience that the need for medication tends to disappear once people have joined Brotherhood. The spiritual adjustment that takes place after baptism undoubtedly has a benevolent physical effect.

TEACHINGS ABOUT FOOD

'I used to wonder', said Olumba in one of his sermons, 'why I did not eat meat or fish or fowl; and I could not find any answer. I was a born vegetarian. I tried to eat meat because I wondered how one could live without eating meat, and still I could not eat meat. 1 am preaching about myself. Right from childhood my food has consisted of maize, yam, beans and fruit alone. I do not know anything about fish or meat. And I am free. I am not telling you that 1 purposely did this in order to acquire power but I was just, born like that with an abhorrence of eating meat and fish'.

Brotherhood in its early days was not a vegetarian movement, and it was only gradually that the concept took hold. Even now it is not obligatory: like other Brotherhood practices it is 'as the Spirit directs'. Nevertheless, the Spirit, as expressed through Olumba's teaching, points very definitely in that direction.

'If we start to live on fruit, we will no longer cut down trees, kill animals and fishes and birds, and death will be gone. Who is the person that has peace? Who is the wisest man? It is he who eats fruit.'

In fact, he is advocating veganism: 'Egg is a bird. Milk is taken from an animal and so is part of an animal. Do not eat any of these things; they are not meant for man.'

REVERENCE FOR LIFE

'Do you not know that the animal is human?' he goes on.

'God your Creator also created goats, hens and all the animals. He first created them before creating you. Your brethren are the animals. Any animal is your brother, and you are a brother to the animals. If any cut is inflicted on you, blood will come out. Blood will also come out if a cut is inflicted on a goat or a hen. If you compare, the blood looks alike. You have instincts, and they too have instincts.

But since God has given you the power of superintendency over them, you should cater for their welfare. You are not told to kill them. Because of this role, God gave the reasoning faculty, which is the likeness of God in man. That is the only aspect in which men surpass animals.

Like the poet Shelley in his treatises on vegetarianism, he says that what you eat affects your behaviour - and if you do decide to eat meat you can expect trouble. 'You should know that whoever is joined to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord but whoever is joined to the flesh is one spirit with the flesh. Right now that you are eating meat and other flesh, do you not see how you are behaving as animals? There is no reason in you, and you go about behaving, as you like. These animals you have eaten rise up and wage war with you in spirit. They take court action against you before the Father of you all; you are found guilty, and when you complain that you did not know he was your brother, it is too late.

On the other hand, great are the benefits of vegetarianism: 'when you refrain from meat and fish, you will no longer know anger and troubled heart. You will experience real bliss and peace in your innermost heart. You will always be happy because the Father dwells in you and you in him. You will see his glory every day... If you begin today to refrain from meat and fish, you will ever remain young, healthy and beautiful. All your bodily faculties will remain intact.

THE FEAST

There are those who may feel it to be rather strange that someone who is the founder of a 'spiritual school' should spend so much time talking about food. But food plays an essential part in Brotherhood worship. Every service concludes with a feast, which is in fact a communion or love- feast. It is not without significance that while traditional Christian communion consists of a sip of wine and; small piece of bread or wafer, the Brotherhood feast takes the form of a full-blown meal: while one offers you a taste of the Kingdom, the other offers you as much as you can consume.

It is really no more and no less than an extension of the family meal table, and has the same unifying effect.

'Do not underrate this feast,' says Olumba. 'It brings you new life and binds you together. There should be no division in the Bethel. Realise that you are members of one family.

When the various parts of the service have run their course the conductor will ask, 'Is there a feast7', after which a special hymn, which most people know by heart, is sung.

In the kitchen one of the sisters offers a prayer over the food, and then two texts are recited:

'I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which 1 will give for the life of the world.' (John 6:51]

'The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we

break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread.' [I Corinthians 10:16-17]

Then out come the sisters with trays of fruit and sandwiches until everyone's plate is loaded. The fruit is

always served first, and after that comes the hot stew. By this time, having worshipped together and then eaten together, a sense of well being permeates the congregation; all are relaxed and at ease. There is a feeling that the benefits you are receiving are spiritual as well as physical.

Whenever there is a need to promote love and unity a feast is recommended, on the basis that once you have eaten together in the bond of the Spirit you can no longer be strangers to one another. 'Celebrate the feast everywhere,' says Olumba. 'Fruits should not be lacking in your house, in your offices, in your cars, everywhere. Now people do not eat alone. All eat with angels.' In other words, never refuse hospitality to anyone, for you may be entertaining angels unawares. Small informal get-togethers or great gatherings -

the blessing is the same.

FASTING

Vegetarianism and veganism are already part of many Western people's lifestyles. Something less familiar is the practice of fasting, except to those who know something about Nature Cure and recognise it as an effective way of dealing with many types of illness.

Fasting along Brotherhood lines, however, is something else. To begin with, it is dry fasting: no food, no drink. But, even more than vegetarianism, it is part of the Brotherhood lifestyle.

'If you want to receive the power of God and desire to be used by the Holy Spirit for his service, you have to fast and pray. Fasting and prayer are the key to this Kingdom.

Why orthodox churches have no power and do not even believe that any power exists now is that they do not fast and pray,' says Olumba. And a senior Brotherhood member, Paul Ugochukwu, in the official handbook Enquire Within, declares: 'Any Brotherhood member who does not fast has not yet started.

Every Thursday is a fast day; the fasting runs from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is usual to have a short period of confession and prayer before breaking the fast in the evening - and nothing tastes so good as that first piece of juicy fruit.

To the Western mind, brought up on a culture of sufficiency, the whole concept of fasting has come to seem strange, even abhorrent. Food represents so many things: love, security, comfort, relaxation... What is the point of depriving yourself voluntarily of something so obviously good? Is it not, in fact, from medical point of view, downright dangerous? But the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Are not a large proportion of the diseases in Western society the result of over-consumption?

THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING

Many brethren embark upon their fasting without much idea of the point of it all, or what it will entail. This is just something you do if you are in Brotherhood: in rational terms it doesn't make sense. But you learn things as you go along.

For example: when you are fasting you tire more easily. Therefore you plan your day so that there is not too much happening in it. If you do have a very busy day there is no need to worry: none of this is obligatory, so you can break your fast early if you need to. But these adjustments to your life mean that you start to treat this day differently from the rest of your week: it becomes a time set aside, and somehow different in kind from the other aspects of your life. Because you are slightly weaker physically, you tend to spend more time sitting, resting, perhaps reading: more time to stand and stare': time which we do not usually allow ourselves in our hyperactive ordinary lives.

There actually is more time, too. You start to realise how many hours are normally spent in preparing and eating meals - and how much energy this all consumes. You become aware of the extent to which the rhythm of your ordinary life is governed by your intake of food - just as much as when you were a baby, having to be fed at regular intervals. One of the results of fasting, therefore, is to modify that rhythm - which is largely unconscious and therefore extremely powerful - so that it becomes less dominant in your life. Then you can respond to the rhythm of a different drum'.

This is the world of the Spirit, the ultimate source of all energy. The signals, which it emits, are so often obscured by the cruder rhythms of ordinary life - which for the sake of convenience can be described as 'the world' - that many people do not hear them at all. But as the sounds of the world' become weaker, so it becomes easier to detect the signals sent out by the Spirit. As you tune in to the Spirit, so you receive spiritual energy: therefore, even if you are feeling physically weak, spiritually you are being strengthened, so that ultimately your total feeling of well-being is increased. This is not theory but a matter of practical experience. It is also why, in Brotherhood, instead of saying 'I am fasting', you say 'I am with the Father'.

THE BIG ONE

Thursday fasting is just the thin end of the wedge. Three times a year there are the Pentecostals: periods of about 4 weeks of 'six-to-six' fasting. And just before each of these comes The Big One. When brethren talk about 'the dry fasting' everyone knows what this means. It represents the three days and nights - seventy-two hours all told – that Jesus Christ spent in the grave. It is a period of three days and nights without food or liquid of any kind, and it is not an easy assignment.

Shock-horror for the medical establishment? Irreparable damage to kidneys?... All that can be said is that

a substantial number of people have been doing this regularly for over thirty years. If serious medical problems were involved, wouldn't these have surfaced by now? It should also be pointed out that none of this is obligatory, and also that there are numbers of people, such as pregnant women, children and people with certain medical conditions who are not expected to fast: it is all 'as the Spirit directs'. It is always a challenge, and no one enjoys it. So what's the point of it? One day's deprivation is bad enough - but three..!

Perhaps one could say that it's like the difference between taking a day off work and having a long weekend. Because more time is available, it is possible to be in touch to a greater extent with the life of the Spirit. As the distractions and trivialities get stripped away, you are more in contact with the essentials. A lot of this happens without your even being aware of it. But the results are interesting: quite important decisions have sometimes emerged as a result of the reflection that has taken place during this time. It is as if connections are made which do not happen in a more 'ordinary' state of mind. The Spirit is able to act directly, without encumbrance: transmission is clearer, more effective.

'A sister had a revelation during the dry fasting,' we are sometimes told. Now we can understand what this means. Another way of putting it is to say that a force-field gets set up during this period which enables a great deal of spiritual work to be achieved very quickly.

A PRACTICAL APPROACH

Food, feasting, fasting: this represents a very physical approach to a spiritual situation. How can the physical act on the spiritual in this way? Should it not be the other way round?

The answer is that the basis of Brotherhood is always practical, not theoretical. There used to be a school of thought which taught that everything to do with the body was bad and everything to do with the soul was good - and it took hold very strongly in European Christian culture. It all really turned on a misinterpretation of the term 'flesh', and for centuries it caused a damaging split in our way of looking

at life. The reality is that body and soul are both emanations of the same Spirit: they are one, and fundamental recognition of this fact is essential to our well being. Feasting and fasting, these two simple processes cut straight through to the unconscious mind, helping to reintegrate the total personality. This is why they have been set up in Brotherhood - to heal our divisions, both inward and outward, and to strengthen our essential unity.

WHY BROTHERHOOD IS NOT A CHURCH

There is no denying that the outward appearance of Brotherhood is in many ways indistinguishable from that of a good many of the charismatic-type religious movements that have sprung up in recent years. Indeed, some Brotherhood members themselves describe it as a church, despite all Olumba's statements to the contrary. But the most accurate description - 'the New Kingdom of God on earth' - is one which is not easy to explain to the casual bystander, particularly in the predominantly secular, materialistic society of the West. Perhaps Olumba himself should have the last word on the movement for which he alone is ultimately responsible. From time to time he has given press interviews. One started off like this:

'Good afternoon, sir; I wish to have a chat with you about your church.

'Welcome - but I have no church,' replied Olumba.

'I am talking about the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star,' persisted the reporter.

'Ours is no church, nor a religious denomination. It's just Brotherhood, and all of us including you belong to the Brotherhood.

Olumba went on to explain that 'Brotherhood' really means the essential unity of all creation - 'everything created by God... God and everything created by him put together are Brotherhood.

Said the reporter:'What of the Cross and Star?'

Olumba's words were these: 'Christ said: "Anybody who wants to follow me but does not want to take up the Cross after me cannot be my follower. Carrying the Cross does not mean carrying a piece of wood on your shoulder. The Cross can be light but it could also be heavy... The Cross means bearing one another's burdens without complaining; tolerating all kinds of sinners.

'The Star is Christ. The Star is the revelation of God and indicates the reign and the glory of Christ. In his first coming, Christ passed through pains and tribulations. The primary aim of his Second Coming is to rule in glory. To be worthy children of the Kingdom of God we must be of the Brotherhood of the Cross and Star.

BROTHERHOOD TODAY

Brotherhood of the Cross and Star is largely a black African movement, some two million strong. Its current membership consists mainly of Nigerians, with an increasing number of Ghanaians, and smaller numbers from other African countries as well as the West Indies and the USA. It gained a foothold in Britain just over 20 years ago and, from humble beginnings in a garden shed, now has several bases in London and the north of England.

The handful of Europeans (or rather whites, since America too has its quota of white members) all have their- individual stories about how they found Brotherhood – often after a long search. At present it is not clear how Brotherhood will develop in this country, although it is certainly true that there are many people - who often have no formal association with any church - who are already in Brotherhood without realising it. It may well be that in the Western world the movement will take a form that has little if anything to do with current forms of organised religion.

What is certain, however, is that all those who practise love, charity and tolerance will be welcomed into the Kingdom with open arms.

THANK YOU, FATHER*

*These words are to be found at the end of every Brotherhood publication. They are recognition of the fact that everything ultimately comes from God: the words we speak, the actions we perform: we are just the channels. So we can rake no credit for ourselves; any praise or glory is due only to God.