War Cry 3 June

Stage show reveals if the saints went marching in

WAR CRY

There’s an intense rivalry at the FA Cup final

Don’t

look back in anger

‘Rehab was one of the hardest things I’ve done’

What is The Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.

What is the War Cry?

The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.

WAR CRY

Issue

Editor: Andrew Stone, Major

Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow

Production Editor: Ivan Radford

Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku

Staff Writer: Emily Bright

Staff Writer: Claire Brine

Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk

Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston

Graphic Designer: Mark Knight

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway

London SE1 6BN

Tel: 0845 634 0101

Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org

Founder: William Booth

General: Brian Peddle

Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill

Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn

IT may surprise some people, but confidence in churches and religious organisations is growing in the United Kingdom.

As we report in this week’s War Cry, the latest findings of the World Values Survey – carried out in the UK by King’s College London – found that 42 per cent of people said they had ‘a great deal’ or ‘quite a lot’ of confidence in religious institutions. The figure is up by a third since 2018.

Bobby Duffy, a professor of public policy at King’s College London, also commented on the make-up of the congregations who now attend religious services. ‘Those who feel actively connected to organised religions have moved from a “conscript” army,’ he said, ‘where many more felt it was an automatic part of life, to a more “professional” army, which are fewer in number but more dedicated in practice.’

Dedication to a spiritual cause, though, is not only a modern phenomenon. In the last few decades of the 19th century, thousands of people became soldiers in the newly established Salvation Army. However, confidence and support for the Christian organisation was not universal.

In this week’s issue, theatre director Martin Harris explains why he has written a play about the opposition faced by the early-day Salvationists. Tragically some of them were killed by mobs of people who, because of vested interests, opposed the good work they were doing, while others were imprisoned for the efforts they made to tell people about the good news of Jesus.

Martin is clear as to what motivated him to put the production on. He says: ‘These are people who stuck to their principles and defied the law because they felt they were under the authority and protection of God. Despite the opposition they faced, they saw the needs of people around them and kept going.’

Although some of the challenges faced by The Salvation Army in 2023 are very different from those it faced in the 19th century, people can have confidence that it will continue to tell others about Jesus and help those in need today.

INFO INFO

FINAL FACE -OFF

Manchester

Feature by Emily Bright

FANS all over the country are up for the cup today (Saturday 3 June). This evening at Hampden, Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle will aim to shock Premiership champions Celtic to win the Scottish Cup. But before that, there’s a derby at Wembley, where Manchester City and Manchester United face each other in an FA Cup final for the first time.

For fans who have got a ticket to either final and even those who are watching on the box, it will be a nerve-racking experience. There is a lot on the line –including, in the case of the Manchester

teams, local bragging rights.

City come fresh from having won their third consecutive Premier League title, while United will be buoyed by the fact that they won the League Cup earlier this season.

The first all-Manchester final in the world’s oldest knockout competition has been 151 years in the making. Manchester City secured their place thanks to a hat-trick from winger Riyad Mahrez in their game against Sheffield United. Meanwhile, Manchester United won a tense penalty shoot-out in their semi-final against Brighton

this match. We may know what it is like to be competing against someone for a promotion at work, to feel a sense of sibling rivalry or to be constantly comparing our lifestyles to those of other people. While a little healthy competition is no bad thing, too much can lead to a sense of isolation as we feel nobody is on our side.

However, there is someone who, regardless of how we may have behaved towards him, will always be there for us. God offers his love to everyone.

There is a lot on the line

Tensions will be running high among fans on both sides for this derby game. The rivalry between the two clubs is so intense that the Metropolitan Police deemed the match ‘high risk’. Consequently, the organisers brought the kick-off time forward to the traditional three o’clock, rather than the later time of more recent finals when crowds might be that bit rowdier. Whether people are fans of footy or not, most can identify with the fierce sense of rivalry that surrounds

One Bible writer – who used to behave brutally towards faithful followers of Jesus – had his life changed after an encounter with the extraordinary love of God. He once said: ‘We were God’s enemies, but he made us his friends through the death of his Son’ (Romans 5:10 Good News Bible).

Christians believe that Jesus – the Son of God – gave his life for everyone so that we could all be reconciled to God. His love for others was radical – it extended to forgiving his enemies who had sentenced him to death on a cross. Through his death, he defeated the sin that divides us from God, so that we can encounter God’s love for ourselves.

With God’s help, we can even put aside what divides us to live a happier, more harmonious life with friends, family and work colleagues.

Exploring a relationship with God can change everything. It’s never too late to give it a shot.

Christian Eriksen and Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne

football clubs are pitched against each other for the first time in an FA Cup final

Inverness Caledonian Thistle striker Billy McKay and Celtic captain Callum McGregor

WAR CRY

Welsh minister finds hope at Haven

A WELSH government minister heard about ‘journeys of hope’ when she visited a Salvation Army drop-in centre in Neath.

Julie James, whose responsibilities include housing, spoke with members of the community who find support at The Haven.

She said: ‘It was great to meet so many service users and hear about their journeys of hope. They have gone from people who found themselves without a home to people who now have accommodation and access to all the services required to keep things that way. The Haven provides all the services you can think of to help people with that journey and we are very pleased that the Welsh government, working with the local authority, is able to support projects like this.’

The drop-in offers housing advice, counselling services, assistance with benefits and medical care.

Christianity is about loving, says US model

AMERICAN model Hailey Bieber ‘draws on her Christian faith for comfort’, reported The Sunday Times.

According to the article, Hailey – who is the wife of pop singer Justin Bieber – grew up in a ‘loving, deeply religious home’, but says that she has found ways to engage with her faith that don’t always include attending church on a Sunday.

Confidence in churches grows in the UK

ALMOST half of Britons say they believe in God, according to an international research programme.

Although the latest findings of the World Values Survey – carried out in the UK by King’s College London – reveal that the proportion of the UK that professes a belief in God has declined to 49 per cent from 75 per cent in 1981, they also show that confidence in churches and religious organisations has begun to rise again after years of decline.

After falling to 31 per cent by 2018, the proportion of people who said they had ‘a great deal’ or ‘quite a lot’ of confidence in churches and religious organisations has increased to 42 per cent.

The rise contrasts with many other western nations, in which confidence has continued to fall.

The UK survey also found that belief in life after death in general has remained relatively stable.

Commenting on the findings, Bobby Duffy, professor of public policy at King’s College London, said: ‘Our cultural attachment to organised religion has continued to decline in the UK – but our belief that there is something beyond this life is holding strong, including among the youngest generations. This reflects a long-term pattern, where those who feel actively connected to organised religions have moved from a “conscript” army in previous decades, where many more felt it was an automatic part of life, to a more “professional” army, which are fewer in number but more dedicated in practice.’

She said of her faith: ‘It’s not about having to go to a service on a certain day of the week. It’s more about loving who’s in front of you. I could be sitting at home on Tuesday watching a live stream of a service and that’s church. Having friends over for dinner and just loving each other is church for me.’

Faiths rally against assisted suicide

CHRISTIAN and Muslim leaders have signed a statement opposing the introduction of assisted suicide legislation in Scotland, The Times reports.

The Proposed Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill introduced in the Scottish parliament would require two doctors to decide that a person is terminally ill and that they have the mental capacity to choose assisted suicide before it takes place, with a 14-day

reflection period.

However, in the statement, the signatories – including the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Right Rev Ian Greenshields – expressed concerns that it could lead to ‘human life being increasingly valued on the basis of its efficiency and utility’ and highlighted the ‘very real danger’ that vulnerable people would be under greater pressure to choose assisted suicide.

Julie James meets Neath Salvation Army officer Major Neil Duquemin

A nd the banned played on

Interview by Claire Brine

IN 1886, a smuggled clause added to the Torquay Harbour and District Act brewed trouble for The Salvation Army.

‘Under Section 38 of the act, it was illegal for Salvationists to march on the streets of Torquay on a Sunday with their musical instruments,’ explains Martin Harris, director of Torbay’s Unleashed Community Drama group, which is staging a play exploring the opposition faced by The Salvation Army in the late 19th century.

‘When members of The Salvation Army defied the law by continuing to march anyway, they were arrested and imprisoned. It was absolutely ludicrous. On one occasion, a Salvationist was arrested for playing the concertina during a march, and he was given the option of paying a fine or facing hard labour in Exeter prison. He chose hard labour.’

uncover the history of The Salvation Army in Torquay, telling how it overcame resistance from all sides in order to spread the message of God’s love.

Salvationists were imprisoned

‘In the 1880s, there were a lot of poor people, drunkards, prostitutes and wife-beaters living in the area,’ says Martin. ‘And The Salvation Army helped these people to get their lives in order. When many of them came to faith, they stopped drinking –which annoyed the local brewers. They thought The Salvation Army was bad for business.

want to see the Salvationists taking hold. So they banned Sunday musical processions by non-military bands. It was a law that they managed to smuggle into the statute book – and it was aimed specifically at The Salvation Army.’

Undeterred, Salvationists in Torquay kept making music on the streets, believing they were marching under God’s name and authority. As well as the threat of arrest and imprisonment, they often encountered trouble from another militarynamed movement, which was known as the Skeleton Army.

In a new 40-minute play, entitled Prisoners of the Pure, members of the Unleashed Community Drama group Turn to page 6 f

‘Their view was upheld by certain members of Torquay council, who didn’t

‘The Skeleton Army was made up

When The Salvation Army arrived in Torquay in the late 19th century, its marches through the town were opposed by the authorities and disrupted by a group known as the Skeleton Army. Theatre director MARTIN HARRIS tells how he came to write a play about the struggles faced by the early-day Salvationists and explains why he finds their story so inspiring

Martin Harris SALVATION ARMY HERITAGE CENTRE

From page 5

of a group of ruffians, and they used to brutalise the Salvationists as they marched,’ says Martin. ‘They mimicked The Salvation Army by dressing in military uniforms and carrying a flag emblazoned with a skull and crossbones. When they saw the Salvationists coming, they would rough them up, push them over and nick their tambourines. There were Skeleton Armies all over the country.’

By March 1888, six years after The Salvation Army arrived in Torquay, the situation for Salvationists had become particularly bleak. Attacks from the Skeleton Army showed no signs of abating, and 15 Salvationists were imprisoned for taking part in Sunday marches. General William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, tried to appeal to the town’s authorities, but when his attempts to negotiate a peaceful settlement failed, his daughter, StaffCaptain Eva Booth, stepped in. Her encouragement of the Salvationists as she arrives in Torquay is one of the key

scenes in Prisoners of the Pure.

‘She comes and stands by them,’ says Martin. ‘And when she joins them on a march, she is arrested, but not incarcerated. That really happened.’

Another real-life character to appear in the play is a Salvationist called William Robins. Martin finds his true story particularly inspiring.

‘He was a father of 12 children and

Salvationists were arrested – and many imprisoned – for marching on Sundays

a drunkard, then he encountered The Salvation Army and got saved. In our play, he talks about becoming a “praying and sober man”. He also becomes a Salvationist, gets arrested while marching and then is sent to Exeter prison after refusing to pay a fine. You couldn’t make it up.’

The stories of persecution faced by The Salvation Army in Victorian Britain

The ‘War Cry’ reported on the opposition faced by The Salvation Army in 1888

The Salvation Army in Torquay was determined to spread the gospel

appealed to Martin the moment he stumbled across them online. Spotting the potential to create a new play, he shared his ideas with Unleashed Community Drama, the theatre group he founded in 2014 for people who have experienced homelessness, are ex-offenders or are in recovery from some form of addiction. Together, they got to work.

‘We spent the first week looking at the Skeleton Army, asking ourselves what type of person might be in it, why they would want to join and what they might do for a living,’ he says. ‘Then we studied the facts, such as when The Salvation Army arrived in Torquay and when the ban on marching came into being. We also looked at the real characters in the story and what happened to them.

‘Once we’d done all that, I asked the group to come up with a story that tied everything together – and they did. We improvised key scenes, such as when the first Salvationists arrived in Torquay, and I made a lot of notes. Then I went away and wrote my notes up as a script.’

Next Thursday (8 June), Prisoners of the Pure opens at the Royal Lyceum in

Torquay, a former cinema-turned-theatre which the Unleashed Community Drama group purchased last year. For Martin, getting the play rehearsed and on stage has been an ambitious project – but he is proud of the 30-strong cast, many of whom can identify with the subject matter of the play.

‘The fact that the story deals with addiction means that the guys can easily relate to it,’ he says. ‘It fits in well with their different backgrounds. But it’s also an inspired, positive piece about people overcoming their addictions and getting their lives back. Ultimately, the message is: If you believe in something so completely, and stick with it, good will prevail.’

For Martin, who is a Christian, the story of The Salvation Army in Torquay also highlights the importance of perseverance in faith.

‘I find the early Salvationists incredibly inspiring,’ he says. ‘These are people who stuck to their principles and defied the law because they felt they were under the authority and protection of God. Despite the opposition they faced, they saw the needs of people around them and kept

going. That’s one of the big points we have tried to draw out in our play.

‘In one scene, we have two characters getting saved, quite spectacularly. They see that the Salvationists never stop giving or serving the community, despite being attacked and brutalised, which makes these two characters think: “Perhaps there might be something in all this.”’

In June 1888, the Torquay Harbour and District Act Amendment Bill received its first reading in parliament. In August the act became law, overturning the ban on The Salvation Army’s musical processions. Slowly, the Skeleton Army retreated – and eventually fizzled out across the country completely.

As for the Salvationists, they just kept on marching.

l Prisoners of the Pure runs from 8–10 June at the Royal Lyceum in Torquay. For more information visit unleashedtheatrecompany.com

Unleashed Community Drama choreograph a scene

They saw the needs of people

My addiction didn’t have to define me

SARAH FAIRBAIRN reveals what helped her recover from decades of drug addiction and how she is now supporting vulnerable people through a Christian coffee house

Interview by Emily Bright

‘WHEN I was 16, I fell in love with a tattoo artist 12 years older than me who always had a pocketful of drugs,’ says Sarah Fairbairn, the manager of Gloucester City Mission’s Revive Coffee House. ‘Suddenly, my drug use got worse. I was smoking weed all the time, taking amphetamines and disappearing to see this man.

‘In 1997, I got pregnant. I was 17 and was defiant and stubborn. I wanted my daughter so much. I believed that I could be a good mum. My mum and dad took a massive step back. They were in so much pain. It was like: “It’s him or us.” And I chose him.’

Sarah, who has been clean for the past three years and now works for a Christian charity, recalls that her addiction to drugs began in her early teens. Bullied at school, she never felt that she fitted in, and she longed to be anyone but herself.

‘My mum and dad were good parents,’ she says over a Zoom call. ‘They tried to protect me from a lot but I rebelled. I started smoking cannabis at 13 or 14 years old. As I went through secondary school, my drug using progressed. I would drink and take ecstasy and amphetamines on the weekends.’

While she was pregnant, she managed to avoid taking drugs. But the pressures of living on the breadline and being a new mother took their toll.

‘As soon as my daughter Amber was old enough, I went to university to become a nurse. I was working in home care from 6am to 8am. I was then going to Leicester and doing a full-time university nursing course. Then I was working in a fish and chip shop from 5pm to 1am to have enough money, because we were slightly over the benefits cap. I was really trying.

‘But I had horrific postnatal depression. I didn’t bond with my daughter. I wasn’t well. I started taking codeine. It quietened

down my head and made it like nothing else mattered. But my tolerance got more. The codeine supply ran out.

‘I tried to steal it from hospitals. Then I started taking heroin. Life fell apart, and I felt worthless and so full of shame. I didn’t have any understanding about my addiction or how it worked. I didn’t feel like there was anyone I could go to for help. I went on benefits, and the drug use just got worse. And then cocaine came in.’

Sarah admits that when she became pregnant again a few years later, she deluded herself that if she were to be a stay-athome mum, she would ‘get it right this time’.

But she was heavily addicted to methadone – used as a substitute drug in the treatment of heroin addiction – and continued taking drugs during the pregnancy.

When her son Kaylan was born in 2005, he was also an addict. Her voice softens as she recalls the memory with sorrow.

Sarah Fairbairn

Life fell apart, and I felt worthless

In July 2019, Sarah was admitted to hospital with pneumonia and emphysema brought on by her drug use

‘You feel shame that this precious bundle is screaming with withdrawals and you’ve done that,’ she says. ‘Those feelings of shame, guilt, you just want to stop them. So you use more.’

Her addiction had a huge effect on every area of her life.

‘I was a functioning addict for a long time until I wasn’t, because it just got worse,’ she explains. ‘My children were not emotionally supported. I held down jobs, but never for longer than a year. It got really bad.

‘In your heart and soul, your morals and standards are there. But you are incapable of keeping them, because you are a slave to a substance. All that matters is how to get and use more. I started off by saying: “I will never steal, it’s wrong.” But quickly, the power of that need was so strong that I stole.’

In 2014, Sarah began her first rehab, and remained clean for nine months. But she relapsed for the next five years, which

she says ‘floored her’. She describes that time as being worse than any other time of her addiction.

‘I hid my using from my partner at the time, because he was clean,’ she says. ‘Once he discovered that I had stolen thousands of pounds from him, he told me that I had to leave, as he was in recovery and couldn’t be around a using addict. That’s when things took a real downward spiral. I started sofa surfing, and there were times when I was sleeping out on the streets. I didn’t feel safe, and I used the drugs to give me that false contentment.

‘There were times when I was in violent, scary crack houses. The pull of the drugs is more than your fear. One time, a rival gang came in with machetes and hammers and smashed everything up around me. Not so long before that, I had two

Turn to page 10 f

The pull of drugs is more than your fear

kids, a family home, a car and a job.’

Eventually, Sarah contacted her dad and admitted how bad things had got. She went home to stay with her parents, but they were unable to handle her addiction. So she ended up renting a room off her ex-partner, and started a relationship with the biggest dealer in the area.

‘I didn’t want him,’ she says. ‘But he had something I needed. And once he’d got me, I was his.’

off. As life span out of control, suicidal thoughts began to haunt her.

‘I came to a point where I thought: “I can’t live like this any longer.” I prayed to a God that I didn’t even know existed. I went: “Please, just take me.” I’d had two serious suicide attempts before. I ended up in hospital.’

God gave me the gift of desperation

Her cocaine addiction became so severe that she experienced episodes of psychosis.

‘I would barricade the door because I was so frightened and paranoid that someone was coming for me,’ she recalls. ‘I didn’t trust anyone. I used to hear police radios. I would see shadows.’

And, while her son was still in her life, her daughter had completely backed

But Sarah believes that God had different plans for her life and that he gave her ‘the gift of desperation’. She says: ‘In my first recovery, in Narcotics Anonymous, we had said a prayer, which is: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Now I was crying out to God with the only prayer I knew. I just said it over and over again.’

She sought practical help.

‘I turned to my sister, who had always been there for me. She never judged me.

Sarah with her sister Amanda and her mum Carol in her new apartment after her recovery

Sarah at her daughter’s 21st birthday when she was still in addiction

I just said: “Mel, I can’t do this any more. I need help.” I knew I needed rehab. The pull of drugs was so strong that I had to be removed from society.

‘And she said: “OK, we’ll get on to the drug services and get you back into rehab.” I said: “You can wait a year and a half for funding. I’m going to be dead by then.” And she said: “Leave it with me, I’ll help you.” She went away and she found this Christian rehab that took people on benefits. These were just good people who wanted to help.’

Then Sarah received devastating news. Her sister Mel, who had three children, had taken her own life.

and soup for the homeless and people in need. We offer prayer, love, comfort and conversation.

My story is one of redemption

The grief remains raw. ‘I never thought she’d leave me,’ she whispers. But she asserts: ‘God knew this was coming, and he put me somewhere safe because there was no way my mum was going to lose two daughters – and if I had been out there using, she would have done.’

‘There’s a hot food service once a week, which serves 35 to 40 people. We also open up a clothing store twice a week, which is manned by volunteers. Anyone who is homeless, vulnerable and addicted can come to that store and get what they need.’

On 16 March 2020, Sarah was admitted into the rehab centre.

‘It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,’ she says. ‘I could have left at any time. But there was this still small voice inside that goes: “No matter how hard it gets, you stay.” When you’re withdrawing, you don’t sleep and still have to do the programme. It’s really tough. But I got through the pain and my detox.

‘I started listening to worship music, and the words began to sink in. Six months in, I was starting to get my joy back and laugh and smile again. I believed that everything was going to be OK and dared to hope for my future.’

With the support of the Christian rehab centre, Sarah stayed clean and finished the programme. Then an adviser at the centre encouraged her to reach out to a church in Gloucester. She began volunteering for the Christian charity Gloucester City Mission, before eventually being given a full-time job as manager of its non-profit initiative Revive Coffee House.

Sarah lights up as she speaks about the work of Gloucester City Mission, which supports vulnerable people who may be experiencing homelessness and addiction.

‘People can come for prayer and community. It’s a safe space. We have a bank of volunteers who go out five days a week to provide tea, coffee, sandwiches

As the interview draws to a close, she offers an insight into recovery from addiction: ‘Your past does not have to define you.

‘I know that faith alone will not keep me clean. I need Narcotics Anonymous,’ she says. ‘But I’m also a member of a church. Addiction wants you isolated. It wants you on your own and, ultimately, addiction wants you dead. The opposite of addiction is connection, love, encouragement and belief.’

Her encouragement comes from her Christian faith.

‘God holds me and lets me know that I’m loved. I am going to get it wrong sometimes, but there’s grace for me,’ she says.

‘My story is one of redemption, rather than a story of what I went through. It’s about saying: “Look what God has done.”’

Sarah with her daughter Amber and son Kaylan

THE War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their circumstances, for publication. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.

Becoming a Christian

There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God

Lord Jesus Christ, I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong.

Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free.

Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

How to…

attend a Salvation Army corps

SALVATION Army corps – or churches – welcome not only Christians, but also people of other faiths and no faith. If you are exploring the Christian faith, the services are a good opportunity to find out more and be put in touch with people who can help you on that faith journey.

You don’t need to bring anything – just bring yourself. You can generally expect a Salvation Army service to last between about an hour and an hour and a half. But that varies from church to church. There will be singing, reading of the Bible, preaching and usually something organised for the children. All Salvation Army corps will have some form of music in their worship, whether that is a brass band or a more informal worship band with guitars and drums. The Salvation Army has a musical tradition, both in singing and playing instruments.

The Bible tells us that we should worship together. Even back as far as biblical times, people have sung hymns to God. In fact, the Book of Psalms is an entire book of the Bible dedicated to songs that would have been sung to God.

There is something about being together with people of the same faith that gives you a lift. It is a positive, affirming opportunity and how we grow as Christians. It is how we learn and support each other, so that during the week we can go out and put our faith into practice.

To find your local corps, visit salvationarmy.org. uk/map-page

Church is also about fellowship – making friends and getting to know other people. Our aim is to make people feel welcome and comfortable and leave them wanting to come back again. I can almost guarantee that if you go along, you will be offered a cup of tea or coffee at some point. I would say to anyone contemplating going to a Salvation Army service: Give it a go, what have you got to lose?

Lesley was speaking to Emily Bright

This week in our series of handy hints, Lieutenant LESLEY HOLLAND – who leads a Salvation Army church in Deptford, southeast London – explains what a Sunday service may be like

QUICK QUIZ

What is the name of the clergyman in the board game Cluedo?

What number is represented by the Roman numerals XL?

In what year did physicist Albert Einstein die?

In Shakespeare’s play, how many daughters does King Lear have?

What is a baby pigeon called?

Which car manufacturer produces the Kona?

Young read up on empathy

Day highlights a crucial life skill

Feature by Claire Brine

CHILDREN will be exploring what it means to understand and share the feelings of others when they observe Empathy Day next Thursday (8 June). Launched in 2017, the initiative aims to celebrate the value of empathy, while also encouraging children to develop the ‘superpower’ for themselves.

The idea for the day came from the organisation EmpathyLab, in response to research which showed that empathy was a skill that humans could learn, rather than a quality that people are born with.

To mark Empathy Day this year, organisers have published a reading list of 65 titles. Aimed at young people aged from 3 to 16, the books have been selected for the specific ways in which they encourage readers to imagine another person’s perspective. They include Sometimes I Am Furious by Timothy Knapman and Joe Berger (for young readers) and You Can Do It by footballer Marcus Rashford (for those aged 12-plus). Further ideas about developing empathy will be explored in Empathy Day Live!, an online festival featuring input from authors including teenage fiction writer Jacqueline Wilson and children’s laureate Joseph Coelho.

Describing empathy as ‘a force for change’, founder of EmpathyLab Miranda McKearney says: ‘Imagine the power of every child being inspired to learn about the importance of empathy and develop this critical life skill – the future would be in safe hands.’

Countless others would agree with her, perhaps remembering times in their own lives when someone showed them kindness by empathising with their situation.

As one well-known book reveals, empathy is something Jesus promoted, some 2,000 years ago, when he told his followers: ‘Love your neighbour’ (Mark 12:31 New International Version). By ‘neighbour’, he meant everyone. By ‘love’, he meant showing care and compassion, offering a listening ear in tough times and trying to be understanding –even when people made mistakes.

Whether or not showing empathy to others comes easily to us, the Bible emphasises that it’s a skill worth developing. At times, we all need it. Always, we should try to show it. Imagine the difference we could make to our world if we did.

The future would be in safe hands

PUZZLES

Quick CROSSWORD

16.

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these

SERVES 4

Sausage tray bake

INGREDIENTS

8 sausages

2 small red onions, quartered

2 parsnips, sliced lengthways

2 carrots, sliced lengthways

Handful blackberries

3tbsp olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Few sprigs thyme

1tbsp gravy granules

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Place the sausages on a tray and roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, then add the onions, parsnips, carrots and blackberries. Add the olive oil and season with salt, pepper and thyme.

Return to the oven and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes or until everything is coloured and cooked through.

Meanwhile, prepare the gravy granules

SERVES 10

Vegan raspberry sticky toffee pudding

INGREDIENTS

200g stoned dates, chopped

300ml plant-based milk

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

185g plant-based margarine

135g maple syrup

1tsp vanilla extract

220g self-raising flour

1tsp mixed spice

100ml plant-based cream

100g raspberries, plus extra, to serve

Vegan ice cream, to serve

METHOD

To make the sponge, gently simmer the dates and plant-based milk in a pan, stirring often, for 5-10 minutes, until a smooth paste forms. Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda – it will fizz and then calm down. Set aside to cool slightly.

Line a 20cm square cake tin with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.

Whisk together 110g margarine, 50g maple syrup and the vanilla extract until smooth. Whisk in the date mixture, then fold in the flour and mixed spice. Spoon into the tin, level the surface and bake for 25 minutes, until springy to touch.

Meanwhile, to make the sauce, melt the remaining margarine in a pan, then add the remaining maple syrup and boil for a few minutes, stirring continuously, until bubbly and golden. Add the raspberries and cook for a further minute before removing from the heat and stirring in the cream.

Cut the sponge into squares. Spoon the sauce over them and top with some extra raspberries and a scoop of ice cream, to serve.

Each day that God gives us is a gift

Joyce Meyer