THE SON

www.theson.org.uk

35p

Spring 2011

IT’S A WEMBLEY WONDER FOR GHANA’S ASAMOAH GYAN

MARTIN SHEEN ON GOD, FAITH AND PRAYER

SEE STORY BACK PAGE

BIG NAMES ARE

IN THE SON KATIE PIPER’S BRAVE FIGHT AFTER ACID ATTACK HORROR – SEE PAGE 3

SEE PAGE 6

POP IDOL VOTES FOR GOD

TEENAGE POP sensation Justin Bieber is already one of the most Googled people on the planet - but he puts his success down to his Christian faith. Justin said in a magazine interview: “I’m a Christian. I believe in God.”

See full story on page 5

From no limbs to no limits...

NICK VUJICIC was born without arms and legs. Determined not to let his disability limit his life, he has become an inspirational speaker, talking to millions of people around the world about the love

of God and the hope that Christian faith can provide - even in the most challenging personal circumstances.

Read Nick’s amazing story on page 8

FOOTBALLER ‘MARVELLOUS MARVIN’ PRAISES GOD FOR HIS HEALING – FULL STORY BACK PAGE

‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’

Romans 8:31 NKJV SOME OF THE world’s greatest people have faced the world’s greatest challenges, but have overcome them.

Cripple a man, and you have Sir Walter Scott.

Lock a man in prison, and you have John Bunyan.

Raise a man in abject poverty, and you have Abraham Lincoln.

Subject a man to bitter religious prejudice, and you have Benjamin Disraeli.

Abraham Lincoln

Strike a man down with paralysis, and you have Franklin Roosevelt.

Have someone born black in a society filled with racial discrimination, and you have Booker T. Disraeli Washington, Harriet Tubman, Marian Anderson and George Washington Carver.

Make a man the first child to survive in an impoverished Italian family of 18, and you have Enrico Caruso.

Have a man born to parents who survived a Nazi concentration camp, paralyse him from the waist down when he’s four years old, and you have the incomparable violinist Itzhak Perlman.

Call a man a slow learner and mentally challenged, write him off as beyond education, and you have Albert Einstein.

Helen Keller was born blind and deaf, yet she graduated from college honours and impacted the world.

Margaret Thatcher, England’s first and only woman Prime Minister, lived upstairs over her father’s grocery store. For a while her childhood home had no running water and no indoor plumbing.

Albert Einstein

with

highest

Maggie Thatcher

What do these people teach us? That success doesn’t depend on our Golda Meir circumstances, but on overcoming our circumstances.

And with God on our side we can do it!

Paul, one of the world’s great overcomers, wrote, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’

This article is reproduced from UCB’s ‘Word for Today’ which is available online at www.ucb.co.uk

THE SON

TWELVE YEARS AGO my life changed dramatically through the death of my son Dorrie, who was shot in Hulme, Manchester.

He was one of three young men shot dead in gang violence in one week in August 1999.

Dorrie was a vibrant lad with a caring heart and an undying loyalty to his friends. In fact, his death really opened my eyes to how much he was loved by the people around him. One friend paid this tribute: ‘He cared more for me than my dad ever did.’

Until the fatal shooting, my life work, church, family - was ticking by nicely. I raised six kids who were all doing well in university, sport and their careers.

MUCH-APPRECIATED

Golda Meir, Israel’s first and only woman Prime Minister, was a divorced grandmother from Milwaukee.

Page 2

Patsy’s amazing grace ❜

BY GOD’S GRACE YOU CAN OVERCOME

Spring 2011

When Dorrie was growing up, he was a much-appreciated pupil at school, with good reports that commented especially on his character and helpful attitude towards the younger kids. Yet in the third year of college a change occurred. Life became serious.

The brother of one of his friends who belonged to a gang was shot in the leg.

Some time later, one of Dorrie’s friends was shot in the chest and arm. Silly issue about a bike - yet grave consequences on the Manchester streets.

A year later, three fatal gang shootings occurred in one week, one of which killed my son. Dorrie, who had never been in trouble with the police in his life, became the centre of a police enquiry through his death.

You do not raise kids without purpose and I am convinced you do not lose one of your kids without purpose either.

For me, my pain and my faith became a window into the community.

Patsy McKie Photo by Rob Purbeck

Mother of six and committed Christian Patsy McKie helped establish Mothers Against Violence after her son was shot dead. She appeared on Channel 4’s 4thoughts last year to say that she would offer the same grace, mercy and forgiveness to the person who killed her son that was shown to her by Jesus. Report by Marijke Hoek After his death, my house was filled with young people, parents and elderly people who live in the neighbourhood.

Some time later I met with a group of around 15 mothers whose children had been a victim of gang shootings or other violent acts, and Mothers Against Violence was born.

Our deepest desire is to put something back into the community.

This aim has brought me before great men, including MPs and the Prime Minister. We are advising the Government on gun and knife crime legislation.

We come alongside grieving and concerned parents. We go into schools and break the taboo about gangs and violence. We need to talk, and much more important, we need to listen.

Nelson Mandela said: ‘When women begin to take an active part, no power on earth can stop us from achieving freedom in our lifetime.’

There is an enormous strength when people come together to join their vision, talent and energy in their aim to transform a part of the hurting society in which we live. Heaven help us if we become apathetic to the violence, numb to the pain, and deaf to the cry of the youth around us.

Twelve years on from the day my son died, my life has changed dramatically.

The loss we feel in our family has given me compassion for young men.

I have such a sense of purpose and feel I was born to make a difference.

In many cities, Birmingham, London, Leeds, Huddersfield and Nottingham, mothers have become an active part of this struggle, with a steadfast commitment to see change come into our family and community life.

An invaluable Scripture comes from Malachi 4.6, which is key to the resolution of the problem: ‘He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers’.

AGE-OLD TRUTHS There is wisdom in such age-old truths. In fact, it points to the need for dads also to become a spearhead in this movement for change.

It calls upon the church to take on its parenting role towards a group in society who feel practically orphaned.

We owe it to our children and ourselves to build a more gracious world than this.

Local media is very important to us.

It gives us a constant opportunity to give an account of the hope we havefor the community.

That hope has shaped me. It also has the potential to shape other individuals and even the whole community for good.

Visit www.mavuk.org for more info about Mothers Against Violence

❜

Acid attack victim Katie finds faith and hope...

Model and TV presenter Katie Piper nearly died three years ago when an ex-boyfriend arranged for a man to throw sulphuric acid in her face.

Katie was burned beyond recognition, blinded in one eye and because she swallowed some of the industrial-strength acid, is left with damage to her throat that makes it difficult to eat.

But through the dark days of endless operations and 23 hours a day spent behind a plastic mask to protect her skin, Katie was supported by her family and friends and drew strength from her new-found faith in God. She wasn’t at all religious before the attack but she had a nurse who prayed with her and she felt comforted by it. Some people might think it a strange time to start believing. Where was God when she was attacked?

“I think God gives you free will and if you believe in God you believe in dark and evil anyway, so I would never blame Him for what happened to me.

“When I was back home after the attack, I didn’t go out at all and the first place I started to go was church with my friend’s mum.

“People didn’t judge me or care what I looked like and it just became part of my life. I don’t live my life to every commandment but I believe in being a good person. And whatever happens in the future, I have trust and faith in whoever might be in charge of my life – and I believe that’s God.”

She told ABC News that prior to the attack: “I was the most important thing in my life. There was always something in my life that I was missing and I never knew what that hole was.

“And after my accident I found a faith and, and I learned to believe in God and I started to pray…and that void has been filled in my life. I feel enriched in that way through the accident.

And I think it’s taught me that I don’t want to be a cliche – it has taught me that, you know, looks aren’t everything.”

REMARKABLE RECOVERY Her remarkable recovery and incredible determination has been an inspiration to many.

She first came to public attention in 2009 when she gave up her anonymity to make a documentary, Katie: My Beautiful Face, about her experiences.

She now runs her own charity, the Katie Piper Foundation of which Simon Cowell is patron, has just published a best-selling autobiography, Beautiful, and presents the Channel 4 Series Katie: My Beautiful Friends, following the lives of people with disfigurement.

She moved back home when finally discharged from hospital and her relationship with her parents was key to her recovery.

“When you think of everything in the world, money, looks, status – everything – love is one of those things you can’t buy, you can’t underestimate, and without it, you self- destruct.

There was that unconditional love from my parents and I knew whatever happened, they would look after me. That really helped.

“Whatever I looked like was irrelevant to them. When nothing else is certain in your life, and you’ve lost control of how you look and what’s happening to you, that one consistent thing is so important.”

Parents Diane and David Piper couldn’t be more proud of their daughter.

“She’s been an inspiration to so many people. You know, the feedback she’s had from complete strangers, who have said that she’s changed their lives,” Diane said. “She smiles an awful lot right now. It’s wonderful to see her back again.”

Katie and Simon Cowell

Katie Piper with friends pictured at the launch of her charity

Simon Cowell describes Katie as one of the most special and courageous people he has ever met, something which persuaded him to become patron of her charity.

Katie before and after the attack And how does she react to her own self when she looks in the mirror? Has she stopped being shocked?

“I am fine with my appearance now. I have acceptance. I feel really lucky. I mean, I know I don’t look like a normal girl but then I think …

I haven’t lost my face. I don’t long for something that has gone. This is me now.”

But she won’t waste energy hating her ex and the attacker. “I need all my energy for my operations, my charity and my book and if I lose a part of me to them, they’ve won. I don’t want to leave part of me in the past.”

REHABILITATION Katie said the foundation was set up to: “Give people the confidence to venture out and give them the choice to wear cosmetics or not.”

They help burns victims to overcome the ordeal they have been through by providing funding for rehabilitation and treatment, support the need for the constant clinical care required, give workshops to help victims with makeup, medical tattooing and image related issues, create a support network and normalise society’s view of disfigurement.

Explaining her motives in setting up the charity Katie said: “Disfigurement left me insecure and made me realise I had judged people in my mind about how they see me. But, after the first Channel 4 documentary some journalists asked me how it felt to know I would never get married or have children. I wanted to change that.”

How has Katie changed? “I think I was vain before but I don’t think being vain makes you unkind. Maybe it makes you selfish. My life was about myself and how I looked. I placed too much emphasis on how I looked on the outside

rather than a rounded picture of everything.

“For anyone who has a change in their appearance, it’s a life-altering thing. Everyone has their place in society, their self-esteem and confidence, and for that to get damaged is a really difficult thing.”

Asked if she could press a button and wipe out the attack, go back to the beautiful, unthinking person she was, would she press it? “No way,” she says instantly, unhesitatingly. Then she smiles, which she does a lot.

She tries to have faith that there is some kind of plan for her. Now, she tries to look beyond wheelchairs and disability and scarring to a person’s inner story. She also avoids self pity.

“When people say ‘Why me?’ you think, ‘Well, why somebody else?’ It’s not a very nice thing to say really, is it? I am glad this happened to me over, say, my sister. I am OK. I can cope with it.

“I am happy. It hasn’t destroyed me. It’s a happy ending.”

• A jury found Stefan Sylvestre, the man who threw the acid, guilty of causing bodily harm. He received a life sentence, with a minimum of 12 years in prison. Piper’s ex-boyfriend David Lynch, who orchestrated the attack, received two life sentences, and will serve at least 16 years in jail.

www.katiepiperfoundation.org.uk

THE SON

Spring 2011 Page 3

VOICE OF

THE ROYAL WEDDING

Suffering and God’s promises his issue contains several stories and features which highlight the inner strength which people from all walks of life draw from their faith.

T

From the successful model who overcame the disfiguring horror of acid attack to the mother who turned the tragedy of her son’s untimely death into a positive move for good.

There is also the remarkable story of the young man born with no arms and no legs who has inspired millions of people around the world with his positive message of hope.

And the international footballer who fought back after being diagnosed with a career and potentially life threatening illness.

All these stories have one thing in common – that faced with despair and adversity, God’s presence in our lives can overcome the biggest negative and turn it into a powerful positive.

At a time when the world is reeling from the latest natural disaster in Japan, the question of why God allows suffering is inevitably uppermost in many minds.

SACRIFICE Whether it is personal suffering or suffering on the horrific scale witnessed by an earthquake and destructive tsunami that followed, the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in our lives can help victims to face the consequences.

At Easter Christians celebrate the single most important act of suffering and sacrifice in the history of mankind. Jesus’ death on the Cross and his glorious resurrection represented God’s love for all people.

The Bible tells us that we will inevitably face suffering during our lifetime on this earth but because of Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross we can all share in salvation and eternal life – life without pain or suffering.

For Christians, like many of the people featured in this edition, suffering allows God to refine our faith, giving inner strength and hope to face all forms of setbacks and adversity.

God knows all about our pain and suffering..He sent his beloved Son to die for each and everyone of us. Jesus, who was the only truly ‘innocent’ and ‘righteous’ man in all history, nevertheless has suffered more than anyone else who ever lived.

By leading Christian speaker and evangelist J.John

DEBATE ...let’s celebrate the marriage

THE FORTHCOMING marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton is an opportunity to celebrate marriage on a grand and public scale.

I’m in favour of a genuine concern for the poor but not convinced that abolishing the monarchy is a wise way forward.

The Bible teaches that exclusive and lifelong marriage is a key foundation for society and in an age when marriage is downplayed, such a public wedding is to be approved.

Beneath distaste for the royal wedding lies an aversion to the monarchy based on the feeling that it creates a system where ‘they’ are above ‘us’.

Yet removing the monarchy would not produce an equal society; we would simply replace our official, timehonoured monarchy with a new and unofficial aristocracy based around money, power or fame.

I also find myself in favour of the monarchy.

The sovereign fulfils important roles as head of state and hereditary monarchy has an often-overlooked merit: neither money, media pressure nor manipulation can get you the job.

The crown cannot be bought, given or traded.

The monarchy also adds stability to British politics: prime ministers and governments come and go but the monarchy endures.

Finally, the monarchy acts to defend the people against chaos or tyranny.

RESPONSIBLE We live in a hierarchical universe under God; we serve the king who rules over all – and that includes monarchs.

This is symbolically stated at the coronation when the monarch holds two sceptres, one of which is the Sovereign’s Sceptre with a cross, which represents ‘the monarch’s temporal power under God’.

Some people assume that societies automatically tend to democracy and the rule of law and so find little need for a monarch. But I am less optimistic; I believe that without God’s grace, our desires tend towards selfishness.

ARGUMENTS I am also in favour of the royal marriage because I find the arguments against it unpersuasive. In some of them I detect an attitude where, although you do not actually want what your neighbour has, you are desperately anxious that they don’t have it.

Queen Elizabeth II has always made it abundantly clear that she feels responsible to God for how she carries out her role.

That is a very long way from love or graciousness. Perhaps the main genuine argument against the royal wedding is its cost.

Sometimes such arguments are reinforced by saying that the money could be spent on the less-well-off. But there is a long tradition of disguising mean-spiritedness beneath a coating of morality.

wages) on Jesus, Judas protested that it might have been sold and the money given to the poor.

In John’s Gospel, when Mary of Bethany poured an expensive perfume (worth a year’s

The Gospel writer points out that his motives were actually far less honourable.

So I am convinced that the monarchy and therefore the royal wedding is a good thing. William and Kate, may you enjoy your wedding day and have a long, happy and richly blessed marriage.

For further information on J.John (Canon), visit www.philotrust.com Lifelines Trust c/o Cornerstone Vision 28, Old Park Road, Peverell, Plymouth PL3 4PY Tel: 01752 225623 Fax: 01752 673441

That’s just capital! The Son makes a mark in London THE SON has been successfully distributed throughout one of London’s major boroughs during the winter period.

Editor: Chris Girdler

Warmly received by all Christian churches in the local community following a brief presentation of the visionary tabloid title at Holy Trinity Brompton’s acclaimed Alpha Course, demand to stock the paper at neighbouring churches quickly grew in momentum.

Advertising: Debbie Girdler 07989301331 The Son Order Line: 01752 225623

“It really has been great to see this positive news redtop so well received by our community,” says local churchgoer and Christian media

E-mail: theson@cornerstonevision.com The Son is published by the Lifelines Trust and produced by Cornerstone Vision.

campaigner, Duncan Williams.

“Particularly in the wake of the demand for ethical reform engulfing the popular press in the UK, I feel that The Son really is beating a path for a change for the better.”

In addition to copies going out in Catholic, C of E and Methodist Churches all across the Royal Borough, Christian outreach services, such as The Trust and the Salvation Army, have also reported favourable responses to the good news tabloid.

“It’s a welcome breath of fresh air,” says retired Corporal Roy Turner of the World’s End

Estate’s Salvation Army group. “I think people are getting very tired of negative stories and need a little bit of uplifting news.”

Patients at the nearby Chelsea and Westminster Hospital also appeared to agree.

When copies of The Son were distributed throughout the wards by the Chaplaincy team over the Christmas period, the general response was very favourable.

One nurse even said to the team; “Thank you to The Son this is a real tonic for people who are unable to celebrate their Christmas at home and need a little bit of uplifting news.”

HOW GOD HELPED ME OVERCOME MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS - SEE STORY ON PAGE 11 Page 4

THE SON

Spring 2011

JUSTIN’S FOR JESUS Justin Bieber in his new movie Never Say Never

POP SENSATION Justin Bieber Bieber is already one of the most Googled people on the planet with more than one billion You Tube views, 6.3 million Twitter followers and 16.5 million friends on Facebook.

He has sold nine million albums worldwide and performed for President Obama twice en route to starring in his new movie Never-Say-Never, which premiered in London in the Spring.

But the 17-year-old Canadian youngster is keeping his feet firmly on the ground and his eyes fixed on God. Justin isn’t shy at all letting fans know that Jesus Christ is his number one priority. Paramount Pictures has even released spiritual guides to accompany the viewing of the the new movie.

Justin said in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine: “I’m a Christian. I believe in God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I have a relationship with him. And He’s the reason I’m here.”

He owes much of his success and the foundation of his faith to his mother Pattie Lynn Mallette. A single parent, she gave birth to Justin aged 18 and became an Evangelical Christian after battling drugs.

CELEBRITIES Justin was discovered at the age of 14 when his mother posted videos of him singing on You Tube.

Pattie wanted her son to be a youth pastor or a worship leader and when Justin’s pop star began to rise so rapidly, she didn’t think it was God’s plan because so many entertainment celebrities ‘are getting into trouble. It’s not the best environment to raise a child from.’

But she says God had shown her that he’d called her son ‘to be a light in the world, and how are you supposed to be a light in the world if you’re not in the world.’

His mother has described how she keeps Justin’s feet on the ground. “Through prayer, by surrounding him with good people and by constantly reminding him that he’s here

“I believe in God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I have a relationship with him. And He’s the reason I’m here.”

‘God made him who had no sin to be sin for us”

for a reason. To whom much is given, much is required. So we just have to keep him lifted up in prayer.”

Justin is convinced he will never suffer a fame-related meltdown because his religious faith keeps him grounded in ‘scary’ Hollywood.

ARTIST OF THE YEAR The teenage singer has been nominated and awarded numerous accolades over the past few years, winning Artist of the Year at the 2010 American Music Awards, and being nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 53rd Grammy Awards, among others.

Justin is considered a teen idol, and has been subject to acclaim from fans, as well as criticism and controversy from matters concerning his popularity and image.

Of his faith he said: “I feel I have an obligation to plant little seeds with my fans. I’m not going to tell them ‘You need Jesus’ but I will say at the end of my show ‘God loves you.’

The prayers of many surround Justin, his family, and his travelling entourage. “You can never have enough prayer,” said Pattie. “I have a group of people that I ask to keep us covered in prayer.” She also notes that many fans she’s never met regularly pray for them.

She added:”Justin is still discovering who he is and who God is. He has faith in God, and God has hooks in his heart.

He definitely knows he is not here on his own merit. He can’t deny the unprecedented favour of God in such a short period of time. And he knows it’s for a purpose and a plan.”

Justin Bieber pictured with his mother Pattie, who has helped keep his feet firmly on the ground

MANY PEOPLE may not understand what Jesus’ suffering on the cross has to do with our salvation.

After all, lots of people have suffered just as much as He did, or even a lot worse.

Death by crucifixion was one of the most painful experiences imaginable, and Jesus’ suffering on the cross was far more agonizing that anything most of us will ever have to endure.

But Jesus’ physical suffering was only a sign of a much deeper kind of suffering He was enduring: the suffering of His spirit.

When Jesus died, the face of His heavenly Father was hidden, and He was torn from the presence of God. He who had enjoyed unbroken fellowship with His Father in heaven from all eternity now faced Hell itself.

This was His real agony—an

agony far deeper than that which any other person has ever endured.

Why did He have to endure so much suffering? The reason is because all our sins were placed on Him, and when He suffered and died He was taking upon Himself the punishment we deserve.

You and I only deserve judgment and hell—but He took our judgment and hell upon Himself.

The Bible says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

He took your place!

Why did He do this? He did it because of love! He loves us, and He wants us to spend eternity with Him in heaven.

Sin is serious—so serious that it sent Jesus to the cross.

But God’s love is greater, and because of Jesus’ death and resurrection we can be saved.

Turn to Christ and accept Him into your life today.

THE SON

Spring 2011 Page 5

MARTIN SHEEN ON HIS JO Movie star, activist and self-proclaimed ‘radical Catholic’ Martin Sheen’s new film is about a popular Christian pilgrimage.

that the genius of human, choosing

In a series of interviews on both sides of the Atlantic the 70-year-old actor has talked about his own journey of faith, his passion for theology and prayer, and a profound sense of commitment and calling to social justice.

“That’s God. fundamental, mo not religion. It’s are looking for I think. Sometim alcohol, money, p

In his latest movie The Way, Sheen plays a doctor who treks the Camino de Santiago - the Way of St James through France and Spain as tribute to his son who had died while on the same pilgrimage.

“Whether you consciousness of the understandi changes.

He added: “That’s the key, and if spirituality is not about humanity, it’s not spiritual. I am a practicing Catholic. I love the faith. I’m not nuts about the institution, but the faith is mine, everywhere I go in the world.

“Because then being on the fa knowledge as we

“The belief that God became human – that’s genius.

And that God would choose to dwell where we would least likely look, inside ourselves and each other. The genius of God in our humanity, I love that.

“Every culture has that. That’s the fundamental belief in all true believers, that God is present, God suffers and is broken with us. We as Christians believe

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“It’s we ourselv brokenness. Tha that‚‘s what this

Talking about the film and its meaning to journalists Sheen said that religion separates people but spirituality unites them.

MISJUDGED

Martin Sheen the actor in a scene from his latest film The Way

“Our hero Jesu and convicted in murdered.

Louis Theroux is ‘intrigued’ by religion

Sir Anthony Hop SIR ANTHONY Hopkins has revealed his views on atheism In a recent interview with the Catholic Herald the award winning actor said that he “couldn’t live with” the certainty of being an atheist.

The actor, who was knighted in 1993, said: “Being an atheist must be like living in a closed cell with no windows”.

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THE SON

Spring 2011

Controversial TV presenter Louis Theroux (above) has admitted that he is intrigued by religion. “In many ways I see it as a force for good,” he said in an interview in the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine.

“I have to admit that when I’m in turbulence on an aeroplane, I do wonder if I should reach out. I could well be one of those fairweather people who spend their whole life denying God’s existence then decide to reach out to him on their death bed.”

Sir Anthony said: “I’d hate to live like that, wouldn’t you? We see them, mind you, on television today, many brilliant people who are professional atheists who say they know for a fact that it’s insanity to have a God or to believe in religion.

Well, OK, God bless them for feeling that way and I hope they’re happy.”

He added: “But I couldn’t live with that certainty, and I wonder about some of them: why are they protesting so much?

“How are they s out there? And wh the beliefs of so ma phers and martyrs the years?”

Sir Anthony, wh

OURNEY OF FAITH...

f God is in the reality of choosing to be g to be small and broken.

us is a convicted criminal. He was tried n a kangaroo court and then he was

We’re embraced by that. The most ost basic, most sincere beliefs – that’s spirituality. It’s transcendence. People transcendence now more than ever, mes our transcendence becomes drugs, power, sex, and they’re so shallow.

ves, we must surrender ourselves to our at’s the beginning of community, and film is all about.

u believe in a higher power, Christ, God, whatever it is. When you come to ng that you are loved, everything

n you realise that every other human ace of the earth is yearning for that ell.

it in them, or you see the absence of u see it in people who don’t believe they n’t know they are loved, or have not rokenness, their darkness – they’re still dow self.

e the light, and it’s so clear, so obvious, e who knows they are loved and they eturn. Those that are broken, heal, and ’s the journey of love.

Asked why he made a Hollywood movie about a Christian pilgrimage Sheen replied: “I had grown up knowing about this mysterious pilgrimage, but I never really focused on it until my adult life.

“I started studying it when I was doing The West Wing and I thought ‘You know, that’s a possibility, I should really think about doing that pilgrimage because I’m not getting any younger.’

“And then, in the summer of 2003, we’d just lost a brother, another one of my siblings. There were six of us left at that time and I invited everyone to come to my mother’s village in Ireland on May 22 2003 to celebrate my mother’s 100th birthday.

“Afterwards I invited everyone: ‘Come with me to Madrid, and we’re going to suss out this journey to Santiago.’

INGENUITY “Nobody came. But I got my grandson, Taylor, to come. And my old, dearest friend, a man I’ve known all my adult life, Matt Clark. And so Matt, Taylor and I were in Madrid, and we said, ‘How can we do the Camino in a couple of weeks?’

came home with all these stories. Taylor went right back, and he’s been there ever since.

“I started talking to Emilio (his son Emilio Estevez who wrote and directed the film) about all the things that had happened, and he got interested; began reading about it. He began to write scenarios; we’d trade stories and add things, subtract things, and he finally settled on a father-son thing and wrote the part for me – of a father whose son has died on the Camino.

“It was a fantasy, but then we came to discover how often this happens. How many parents we met along the real journey who were remembering their lost child or lost spouse.

“The Camino was filled with broken people who were suffering great loss and were in need of healing. Which is very typical, because again, the Camino is metaphor for life.

“Everyone is looking for an effort to unite the will of the spirit to the work of the flesh. That’s what all of our lives are about, whether we’re conscious of it or not.

“We thought about horseback, we thought about bikes, and then we did what any American with any ingenuity would do and we rented a car.

“Whether we’re involved in a higher thinking or not doesn’t matter. It’s a natural progression. All of us seek transcendence, and that’s why people walk the Camino.

Pilgrimages are an effort to touch the sacred in our lives.”

“So we drove the Camino. But we saw it, and I was intrigued enough. Along the way we stopped at Burgos at a ‘refugeo’. And Taylor met his future wife in that ‘refugeo’. And that was the first miracle, on the Camino. I

Martin Sheen the activist...speaking at a workers rally recently

s BITES

pkins on atheism

so sure of what is ho am I to refute any great philosoall the way down

ho is most famous

Top businesswoman and football supremo Karren Brady has admitted that she put her career before her family - until she was diagnosed five years ago with a life threatening brain aneurysm.

The new star of the BBC Series The Apprentice revealed in an interview with the Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine that she feared she would never see her two children, Sophia, 14, and Paolo, 12 grow up.

“All the things I’d sacrificed – not being there because I was at work – came back to haunt me. I realised I hadn’t been there enough.

That felt worse than the thought of actually dying.”

Surgeons successfully treated the brain condition and now Karren sees life differently.

for playing the cannibal Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, stars as Father Lucas in The Rite, based on the experiences of American exorcist Father Gary Thomas.

“I don’t have any ambitions. All the things I ever wanted to do, I’ve found a way to do. If I stopped work tomorrow, it wouldn’t ruin my life. There’s more to life than being on TV, being given awards, winning Businesswoman of the Year.

‘I do believe in God but there’s a part of me that thinks the afterlife is really your children.

‘The thought we go on to a better place is lovely, but for me the afterlife is the values I leave my children with, and what they can bring into the world and pass on to their own children.’

THE SON

Spring 2011 Page 7

No arms, no legs but brave Nick inspires millions with his positive message of love and hope

IMAGINE BEING BORN WITHOUT ARMS. No arms to wrap around a friend. No hands to hold the ones you love.

No fingers to experience touch No way to lift or carry things. How much more difficult would life be if you were living without arms and hands? Or what about legs? Imagine if instead of no arms, you had no legs. No ability to dance, walk, run, or even stand. Now put both of those scenarios together… no arms and no legs. What would you do? How would that affect your everyday life?

Meet Nick Vujicic, pronounced ‘Vooy-cheech.’ Born in 1982 in Brisbane, Australia, without any medical explanation or warning, Nicholas Vujicic came into the world with neither arms nor legs. Imagine the shock his parents felt when they saw their first-born brand new baby boy for the first time, only to find he was what the world would consider imperfect and abnormal.

A limbless son was not what nurse Dushka Vujicic, and her husband Pastor Boris Vujicic had been expecting. How would their son live a normal happy life? What could he ever do or become when living with such a massive disability? Little did they or anyone else know that this beautiful limbless baby would one day be someone who would inspire and motivate people from all walks of life. God uses Nick to touch lives and bring the hope of Jesus Christ to people across the globe.

Throughout his childhood, Nick dealt not only with the typical challenges of school and adolescence such as bullying and selfesteem issues; but also struggled with depression and loneliness.

He constantly questioned why he was different than all the other kids surrounding him; why he was the one born without arms and legs.

He wondered what the purpose behind his life was, or if he even had a purpose.

PASSION According to Nick, the victory over his struggles throughout his journey, as well as the strength and passion he has for life can be credited to his faith in God. His family, friends and the many people he has encountered along the way have also encouraged him.

After school, Nick went on with further study and obtained a double Bachelor’s degree, majoring in accounting and financial planning from Griffith University in Logan, Australia.

By the age of 19, Nick started to fulfill his dream of being able to encourage other people and bring them the gospel of Jesus through motivational speaking and sharing his testimony about how God changed his life and gave him a future and a hope.

PURPOSE “I found the purpose of my existence, and also the purpose of my circumstance.

There’s a purpose for why you’re in the fire.”

Nick wholeheartedly believes that there is a purpose in each of the struggles we each encounter in our lives, and that our attitude towards those struggles, along with our faith and trust in the Lord can be the

Page 8

THE SON

Spring 2011

Nick Vujicic pictured with youngsters during a recent visit to India

keys to overcoming the challenges we face.

Now at 28 years old, this limbless young man has accomplished more than most people accomplish in a lifetime.

Nick recently made the massive move from Brisbane, Australia to California, USA, where he is the President of an international non-profit organisation called Life Without Limbs.

ENGAGEMENT Since his first speaking engagement back when he was 19, Nick has travelled around the world, sharing his story with millions of people, speaking to a range of different groups such as students, teachers, youth, businessmen and women, entrepreneurs, and church congregations of all sizes.

He has also told his story and been interviewed on various televised programmes worldwide.

Ask Nick says: “If God can use a man without arms and legs to be His hands and feet, then He will certainly use any willing heart!”

For more information about Nick and the Life Without Limbs ministry visit www.lifewithoutlimbs.org

THE SON

Spring 2011 Page 9

CD REVIEWS

Natalie Grant – Love Revolution

Asa – Beautiful Imperfection A delicious set of Nigerian pop, radio-friendly songs. Luxuriate in the early summer warmth of the opener “Why Can’t We”, the sunniest number since Corinne Bailey Rae sang about her record collection. Elsewhere themes get darker with important questions raised about a war torn world on “May Be” while the pure pop effervescence of “Be My Man”, driven by an electric piano and some delightful trombone work, ensures that it will get repeat plays on many a stereo. If you’re looking for something less Western the lolloping reggae groove of “Bimpe” and the brittle, haunting beauty of “Bro Da Ole” where Asa’s acoustic guitar is accompanied by a gently swelling orchestration are deft delights.

Through all, Asa’s eerily delicate tones with their bitter-sweet cadences reach out and grab the listener. I can hear few imperfections on ‘Beautiful Imperfection’.

10/10

Music Reviews supplied by Cross Rhythms, the UK’s leading Christian music voice. For more than 20,000 reviews, music news, articles, online radio and shop visit www.crossrhythms.co.uk

Natalie Grant is, of course, today one of the biggest names in contemporary Christian music.This inspiring album contains a punchy, glossy pop sound that could almost be a hybrid of Taylor Swift, Pink and Rebecca St James.The project contains a diversity of musical styles which include ballads, as in “Power Of The Cross”, worship, and even an R&B funk vibe in “Beauty Mark”. Many of the songs are co-written by Natalie but it also contains some fabulous covers 9/10 such as “Desert Song” and “Greatness Of Our God”. “Human” is another standout track that Natalie performed live with American Idol winner Jordin Sparks at the 41st GMA Dove awards in 2010. Superbly produced by Bernie Herms, who also happens to be her husband, ‘Love Revolution’ could well be a careerdefining album for Natalie Grant. It is more than an album. It is more than music. It is a call to love God, and to love people.

Jars Of Clay – Jars Of Clay Triple Feature The first disc on this budget line three album reissue is 1995’s ‘Jars Of Clay’, a double-Platinum selling classic with the big 10/10 hit “Flood” (produced by Adrian Belew of King Crimson) often turning up on people’s all time favourite lists.The way in which Matt Odmark pummels his guitar into submission over those haunting tones of Haseltine is still captivating today. Following a stone classic is never easy but the Jars did well with 1997’s ‘Much Afraid’, an album inspired by the devotional novel Hinds Feet On High Places by Hannah Hurnard.

Musically, the album is slicker and more polished at times resembling the adult pop of Sting. After the subdued, reflective quality of ‘Much Afraid’, the Jars hired producer Dennis Herring (Counting Crows, Cracker) for 1999’s next album ‘If I Left The Zoo’. It has a bluesier, more organic feel with touches of mainstream Southern acts like Wilco cropping up here and there mixed with some more strong Beatles influences. It would be mean spirited to give this generous reissue package anything less than the maximum rating.

Michelle Bonilla – In Spite Of Me With a mix of hip-hop, rock, soul and a Latin flavour, Michelle returns to the scene after her much praised ‘Phenomenal’ album of 2006 to deliver a top class set with the message of Jesus firmly in the lyrics.The album starts with a diary entry, a prayer to God, asking for forgiveness and dedicating the album to God, paving the way for the rest of this total praise and worship, Jesus dedicated album.

“Our Generation” with guests Lecrae and Flame is an encouragement that in Christ we can change the world, “we are the hope of the promise that tomorrow brings”.Two songs that people may be able to relate to are “My Story”, Michelle’s story of being stressed and under pressure but 10/10 knowing that God is there, and “That’s What Love Is”, about someone searching for love, pointing to Jesus as the answer of true love. A welcome return to the scene for a top rate R&B gospel talent.

The Innocence Mission – My Room In The Trees

As Reviewed In this Issue of The Son...

Natalie Grant Love Revolution 9/10

Jars of Clay Triple Feature 10/10

Michelle Bonilla In Spite Of Me 10/10

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Spring 2010

With their haunting college-orientated art-pop Pennsylvania’s The Innocence Mission have been a critically acclaimed act in the mainstream since they first emerged in the mid-’80s.This is their eighth album and is produced by husband and wife Don (guitars and cello) and Karen (vocals, guitars, keyboards) Peris, together with bassist Mike Bitts.Their gentle, lilting, acoustic-based pop draws on themes from their everyday lives as they walk the kids to school, avoid the rain and paddle in the ocean. From the opening lines of the first track “Rain” - “This dress I made out of the 8/10 curtains was on the line, dancing better than I can” you know there’s going to be plenty to identify with.

“The Happy Mondays” (no relation) just oozes joy and “God Is Love” is shot through with threads of deepest faith and trust which run on right into the closing “Shout For Joy”.There are plenty of albums around which grapple with the angst, fragmentation and downright despair of today’s world, so it’s tremendously heartening to happen upon a set of songs such as these which in their lyrics, melodies, arrangement and performance enable the listener to sink back into the comfort of a world where ultimately God is in charge and we can trust him for anything.

Nearly one million different people visited the Cross Rhythms website last year, making it one of the most popular Christian websites in the UK and among the top sites of its kind in the world. The website includes music reviews, testimonies, prayer rooms, reflections on life and life issues and an online shop. Visit www.crossrhythms.co.uk

BRIAN IRVINE was at the peak of his career in professional football when a life-changing – even life-threatening – illness overtook him. But God had prepared him in advance and met with him in the situation.

The former Aberdeen and Scotland defender was barely 30 years old when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. But his strong Christian faith and lots of prayer meant that his playing career was by no means over.

Brian said: “June 19 1995 is one of those days which is for ever etched in my memory.

The football season had just ended. It had been a difficult season for Aberdeen with the disaster of relegation from the Scottish Premier League looming over us all season.

“Finally, on literally the last day of the season everything came right and Aberdeen survived in the Scottish Premier League.

“I was on top of the world - We had escaped from relegation. I had been offered and accepted a new contract. It was a relief that the season was over and I was looking forward to a nice long break before the new season. I had been speaking at a series of meetings at churches and was encouraged by these opportunities to talk about my faith.

TINGLING FEELING “The one niggling doubt was a strange tingling feeling in my feet, which I had been experiencing for a few weeks. I consulted my GP who referred me to the local hospital for tests. I was surprised but not really bothered – I just thought he realized how important my feet are to my job and that he was making doubly sure that everything was OK. “Even when it turned out that I would need a

Footballer Brian Irvine:

‘How God helped me overcome multiple sclerosis’ and our two girls. By the evening I was thinking about how to cope with a potentially career-threatening, even life-threatening illness.

“I did not cope very well at times. There were moments of utter despair. There was a period when I went AWOL, staying in a hotel while my family and friends worried themselves sick about where I was. The illness and the uncertain future were desperately difficult for my wife Donna to deal with.

Brian continues: “My recovery was amazing. In July as the Aberdeen players resumed pre-season training, the most demanding thing I could do was to walk two miles - and that exhausted me. Yet steady progress was made. I became stronger and stronger.

“In October when Aberdeen were due to play Ross County in a friendly match for the official opening of their new 1,200-seater stand. I was named as a substitute and came on for the second half.

DEEP IMPACT “The whole experience has had a deep impact on me. It has taught me to value my health as never before.

“I feel that God has healed me in response to many prayers. While the healing has come through ‘natural’ means - doctors and a homoeopath - I see God at the centre of the process.”

Brian Irvine during his playing days three-day stay in hospital didn’t unduly bother me when I had about six weeks before I was back at work.

“All that changed when the doctor came in and told me I had multiple sclerosis. It hit me like a bombshell. That morning I was just looking forward to getting out of hospital and to having a good break with my wife Donna

Brian’s career took off dramatically in the 1990 Scottish Cup Final. The game could not have reached a more dramatic climax.

Aberdeen and Celtic finished 0-0 after 90 minutes. Extra time still did not bring a goal so that match went to a dramatic penalty shoot-out in which Brian held his nerve to score the winning penalty.

“I was really nervous as I took the penalty kick but I just said a prayer and put my faith in God,” he said.

Brian was playing semi-professional football

for Falkirk when he made a lifechanging decision. I had a Christian background and went to church but it didn’t really mean anything. It was something I did out of routine.

“Then one day in the car on the way to football training at Falkirk, we started talking about the meaning of life. One of the others said that Jesus was going to come back.

“After the game I went home and opened up the Bible and from then on the Bible became real.

PRAYER IMPORTANT “Prayer is important to me and as I always see faith and football as inter-related it is as natural for me to pray about football as anything else. It’s not just a case of going to church on Sunday. It’s the way you live your life the rest of the week, including football.

“I always prayed before a game because it was part of my life. I did’t pray that Aberdeen would win but that I would play the game fairly and the outcome would bring glory to God. “Throughout my career - without preaching at anyone - I was always ready to take a stand for what I believe in and to give a reason for the hope that is in me.

PERSPECTIVE “The experience of the illness helped me to understand the importance of health and of keeping everything else in everything else in perspective.”

Following his retirement as a professional footballer, Brian became football development officer at Ross County in the Scottish League and also spent a year as a football manager.

Joe realised he had to sort out his spiritual life and at the end of 2004 took the decision to give his life to Jesus.

“From that point on, God put me in many situations with other Christians to help me grow in my relationship with Him,” said Joe, who is known for his speed and strength as a powerful player on the wing for the All Blacks.

“I somehow knew God had forgiven me for all the bad stuff in my life.”

MORE TO LIFE is a magazine of true stories of lives changed for the better by Jesus Christ. If you don’t know Jesus and want to discover ‘more to life’, use the coupon for a free copy of the magazine. No further contact will be made unless you request it.

Since leaving the world of football he has been working along with a colleague, Drew Kuzma in a project called ‘Youth Inclusive’ which is an outreach to young people organised through churches in Inverness.

“God proved to me how strong our prayers can be and how faithful He is if we’re patient. I always give thanks for all He has done for me.

“I still have struggles from time to time, but God is there to give me the strength and help me through them. I don’t have to worry any more!”

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But his career almost ended when he broke his leg just as he was making a big mark on the game in New Zealand. Brought up in a Christian family – although not following a truly wholesome lifestyle – he cried

out to God ‘Please Father, protect me!’

His prayer was answered when Joe’s broken leg healed in rapid time. He had expected to be out of the game for at least three months.

“I was surprised how little faith I can have and God still answered my prayer. My leg was completely healed and I returned to play rugby in just six weeks!”

IF HAVING read this paper you’ve decided you want to become a Christian just say these words: “Jesus, I want to do things your way from now on – come into me and make me a new person.

“I’m sorry for all the bad stuff I’ve done – please forgive me. I am going to try – with your help – to live the life you intended for me.

“Thank you for loving me and never giving up on me.”

It’s as easy as that – we promise.

Welcome to the best life in the world!

If you’ve done that please let us know by e-mailing us at theson@cornerstonevision.com

“I realized that God loved me and that Jesus had died for me. I became a Christian that night.

How rugby star Joe’s prayer was answered New Zealand rugby star Joe Rokocoko is the most capped All Black of all time with 66 caps and 46 tries by the age of just 27.

Want to become a Christian now?

Send to: Christian Enquiry Agency (THE SON - MORE TO LIFE magazine offer) FREEPOST WC2947 South Croydon CR2 8UZ or e-mail enquirytheson@christianity.org.uk

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THE SON

Spring 2011 Page 11

WEMBLEY WONDER! GHANA’S LAST-GASP equaliser against England in the friendly at Wembley in March was probably an answer to prayer.

Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan netted the injury time goal to send an estimated 20,000 Ghanaian fans into raptures of delight.

A thrilling encounter saw the spiritually united Ghana visitors earn a respectable draw on the hallowed turf of Wembley. But the result merely underlined Ghana’s great team spirit - and the strong Christian faith shared by many members of their squad.

Gyan’s late equaliser is heaven sent for Ghana

“We love to sing together, dance together, pray together,” Asamoah commented in a recent press interview. “It brings joy to our hearts. This is our team.”

CELEBRATION Speaking after the match against England, Asamoah said he wished he could have performed his famous celebration dance after his ‘historic goal’ against the Three Lions.

Striker Asamoah Gyan scores the injury time equaliser for “I am happy because it’s Ghana against England an important goal for the country and for the fans,” Gyan told atmosphere was wild—I didn’t get the chance to dance because suddenly everyone else was on reporters.

“I was twisting and turning, but honestly, top of me, but maybe I will next time.

I didn’t know what I was doing, I was just trying to protect the ball.

“This goal is something historic—its the first goal we’ve scored against England.”

“The English defenders are very intelligent, but they did not know if I was going to pass the ball, but I thought, well they might push me down, but they didn’t do that, so I thought, I’ve got a chance, so I took my chance.”

Though the making of the goal showed his quality, 25-year-old Gyan does not expect it to draw the attention of Europe’s big clubs.

“I just wanted to dance after scoring it, the

“No, I am a player at Sunderland, I am just concentrating on that. I am very young, I have lots more to do in football, so I am just working hard.”

The game, lived up to its billing as 80,102 fans filled the Wembley Stadium.

Asamoah’s fellow Sunderland player John Mensah captained the Ghana team against England and he underlined the importance of the squad’s faith.

RESPECT GOD “We are Christians and we all know how important God is,” he said. “We all respect God and we pray every time before the game and after the game. ... We praise God, what he has done for us. Then the next day is match-day, so we use that opportunity to give us strength and help us go on into the game.”

Blackpool goalkeeper Richard Kingson, another committed Christian, was in goal for the big match against England, facing many of the

Striker Asamoah Gyan celebrates after scoring for Ghana during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa players who have lined up against his club team in the Premiership. He is Ghana’s most capped international with 85 appearances.

Kingson and the team found that during last year’s World Cup in South Africa it certainly wasn’t praying alone. The government and nation’s churches joined in united prayers at home for the team.

The country of Ghana is mostly Protestant (71%) and Pentecostal (26%).

More than 80 per cent of Christians in Ghana say they attend services at least weekly.

‘Marvellous Marvin’ praises God for healing BIG TRINIDADIAN defender Marvin Andrews has played more than 100 times for his country and over 300 games for professional clubs in the UK. He joined Wrexham at the start of the 2010 season and has been playing his part in the team’s push for promotion to the Football League from the Blue Square Conference.

His arrival at Wrexham followed a career in Scotland spanning more than 13 years and taking in spells at Rangers, Livingston and Raith Rovers.

Wherever he goes and wherever he plays Marvin never misses an opportunity to share his strong Christian beliefs.

PROCLAIM He told CBN News: “I think that God has put me in this arena as a professional footballer, where all eyes are on me — to proclaim the Gospel. There is an opportunity to talk about the Lord Jesus Christ to millions, thousands of people who have never heard of the word “Jesus Christ.” The Lord said, ‘Go to all the world and preach the Good News,’ says Marvin.

Marvin grew up in a Christian Page 12

THE SON

needed to have a metal plate put in his abdomen, if he was to continue his career. But, he couldn’t agree to the surgery.

the Glasgow team, he suffered a major knee injury. Normally, surgery was the only course of action, but not for Marvin.

Marvin continued to train, and his condition got worse. Then one day, he went to church with teammate Anthony Rougier. The church’s minister prayed for Marvin’s healing.

“I told them that God would heal me. All the doctors, specialists, everybody told me that I had to take a surgery. I told them that the Lord Jesus Christ is gonna heal me,” recalls Marvin.

“I told him my problem. I was very depressed. I was very down, and he told me that the Lord Jesus Christ can heal me from this injury. I never knew that. I used to pray everyday for my healing. home. But he never gave God full control of his life. “I knew God as I said. But I didn’t know the significance of the Bible. I was just a young boy growing up, but I know God was real. I know He is alive. So as I said, for me it was only a matter of time before God took me to where I am at this particular time.”

Marvin made his debut in 1995 with a local club in his hometown in San Juan in Trinidad and Tobago.

Three years later he joined Raith Rovers in Scotland. It was there that his future as an athlete was almost crushed, when he developed an inflammation in his pelvis.

Doctors told Marvin that he

And then one day the pain just left me. One day I was training, and I never felt the pain any more in my abdomen. And, from that day to this day, I have never suffered from osteitus pubis.”

Marvin was amazed that God actually healed him.

“I said to myself that if the Lord Jesus Christ can do this for me, what else can He do, and in 1999 I decided to commit myself to the Lord Jesus Christ. I was fully baptized in the water and in the Holy Spirit.”

His career began to soar. And he eventually joined Scottish Premier League giants Rangers. While with

Spring 2011

AMAZED

So once again, Marvin asked Jesus to heal him, and He did! “I put my whole career in God’s hands, and God is the one who has me playing at this particular time. With that same injury, I was able to help take my country to the World Cup. While doctors said I’ll never play again, I was playing.”

Today, aged 35, Marvin is plying his trade in Wales with Wrexham and continues to be a witness that with God all things are possible.

“I’m still playing. I’m still running strong because I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And that shows me that in all that has happened, that once you trust in God, no matter the situation, God will make a way where there is no way,” he said.

Marvin celebrates during his spell at Rangers

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