War Cry 4 September 2021

Proms tune into the spiritual

WAR CRY

4 September 2021 50p

Support served up Meet the people caring for the emergency services

Do crime-solving duo have a prayer in ITV drama?

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity providing services in the community, particularly to those who are vulnerable and marginalised. Motivated by our Christian faith, we offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK to all who need them, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. To find your nearest centre visit salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church

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 No 7541

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Helpline: 020 7367 4888 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org

DESPITE the traumas of Covid-19, something wonderful happened in the UK last year. Large swathes of the population developed a keen appreciation of people who serve communities.

Frontline workers – those people who could not be furloughed or work from home because of their jobs – became heroes. Refuse collection teams found thank-you notes stuck to dustbins, supermarket workers were praised for their dedication and, on a Thursday evening, millions took to their doorsteps to clap for carers.

Sadly, in many instances, this appreciation has come and gone along with shielding, home learning and the two-metre rule. However, there is one organisation whose support for those who support us dates back to long before the pandemic and will continue well into the future.

Every year, The Salvation Army attends about 250 incidents where the emergency services have been called out in large numbers.

Paramedics, police officers and firefighters rely on members of the church and charity to provide them with refreshments, along with moral and spiritual support, during some of their most stressful times.

In this week’s War Cry, Adrian Clee, The Salvation Army’s emergency response officer, who oversees its disaster support across the UK and the Republic of Ireland, tells us more about this work. He explains that his teams run a fleet of emergency vehicles which respond to call-outs.

‘There are sometimes several hundred emergency personnel at these incidents,’ he tells us. ‘Plus members of the general public.’

Adrian is motivated in his work by his Christian faith. He believes he is following the example Jesus gave in caring for other people. ‘It’s straight out of the Bible,’ he says.

Adrian is right. Caring for people is at the heart of Christianity. It’s also something we can do whatever our faith may be – and we can know that kindness and care ad the War C will always make a difference. e re ry u’v

CONTENTS

Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies

Published weekly by The Salvation Army © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.

Printed by Walstead Roche Ltd, St Austell, on sustainably sourced paper

INFO Your local Salvation Army centre

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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

From the editor’s desk

When yo

What is The Salvation Army?

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FEATURES

3

Vicar’s murder mystery

ITV’s Grantchester returns

5

Music with a passion

Proms put faith in music

8

‘We come alongside the

blue-light services’

The work of The Salvation Army’s

emergency response teams

REGULARS

4

War Cry World

12 Team Talk 13 Past Times

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14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen

Geordie and Will’s holiday is cut short

Murder kills oofff vicar’s vvaacation ITV

Crime-solving clergyman has another mystery to solve TV feature by Claire Brine

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ELCOME to Merries holiday camp – a place for guests to make memories they will never forget!

But just as the Rev Will Davenport is beginning to enjoy a spot of hulahooping fun, the laughter stops. A murderer is on the loose. And, as the new series of ITV’s 1950s-set drama Grantchester gets under way, Will can’t help but be drawn into the investigation.

When news gets out in the village that Will (Tom Brittney) is going to take a little holiday, it isn’t long before his friends decide to join him. Vicarage housekeeper Mrs Chapman (Tessa Peake-Jones) fancies her chances in the Merries lovely legs competition, and even Detective Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green) begins to relax by loosening his tie.

After a pleasant first evening of dancing, the group laugh awkwardly as Merries owner Roy (Andy Nyman) takes to the microphone for a spot of comedy.

Will notices that his jokes raise no smiles from his long-suffering wife, Babs (Annette McLaughlin). The group also detect some tension between a couple who say they have holidayed at Merries before.

The next morning, as Will and Geordie

queue for breakfast, an ambulance pulls up. Will sees the Merries staff whispering and wonders what they are trying to hide – it’s murder. One of the Merries team has been found dead on stage. Realising that their holiday is as good as over, Will and Geordie crack on with solving the case.

As the pair interview staff and guests, they learn that life on the holiday camp isn’t as jolly as the adverts depict. Staff

There is no evidence of truth anywhere member Sunny (Jordan Alexandra) tells Will that most of the people at Merries are not what they seem.

‘Everyone here is pretending to be someone they’re not,’ she sighs.

Later, as more secrets are revealed and people have their good character called into question, Will is left confused. Despite his search for the truth, there appears to be no evidence of it anywhere.

Perhaps many of us know what that feels like. When people let us down because we discover that they are not who we think they are, it can hurt. When

we learn that a loved one has lied to us, we can feel humiliated. Sometimes, disappointments may lead us to believe that we will never be able to trust anyone again.

We can. In every case, we can trust Jesus.

Jesus taught his followers to love their enemies, to choose peace over revenge, to care for people who were oppressed and not to judge others. He practised what he preached, proving to his followers that they could put their faith in him.

At the same time, Jesus also issued the following promise: ‘If you obey my teaching … you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:31 and 32 Good News Bible).

Although Jesus warned that living his way wasn’t guaranteed to be easy, he knew that if people trusted him, they stood to uncover the great truth that God loved them and would forgive their wrongdoing. He assured them that God’s power could transform their hearts, making them better, kinder people.

Whoever we are – and whatever image we present to the world – the truth of God’s love is waiting to be discovered.

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Lessons learnt in migrant support

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A PADDLEBOARDER who is attempting to circumnavigate mainland Britain by using a stand-up paddleboard has spoken to Christian media organisation Premier about how he has prayed during his journey.

So far, Brendon Prince from Torquay has already broken the record for making the longest paddleboard journey.

Speaking to Premier about his challenge, Brendon revealed that he had ‘become closer to the Lord’.

He said: ‘I think, to do anything like this without a faith would take a tremendous amount of courage. It’s a great opportunity to have headspace to spend devotional time, but also to pray for people around me … How often do we have such time where @TheWarCryUK we can devote 10 to 12 hours a day, which I’m on the board, to perhaps warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk better myself?’

Brendon also explained that through the fundraising challenge he TheWarCryUK was hoping to educate young people about water safety by creating an salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry app for teachers to use in schools.

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BRITISH lightweight boxer Joshua Buatsi thanked God for his victory after he knocked out Ricards Bolotniks from Latvia at Matchroom’s Fight Camp in Brentwood, staking his claim for a shot at the world title.

The bout marked Buatsi’s 15th straight win in the ring.

According to Premier Christian News, the amateur boxer, who won a bronze medal in the 2016 Olympics, said in a postmatch interview: ‘I have to thank God for the victory.

Different fighters have different things that work for them and that’s what works for me.’

ABOUT 600 UK churches have signed up to a Hong Kong Ready initiative, committing themselves to welcome immigrants from China’s special administrative region into their communities, The Guardian reports.

When a new national security law was imposed in Hong Kong by China in June last year, the UK government offered Hong Kongers with British (National) Overseas status the option to apply for entry visas, triggering 34,000 applications within two months.

More than one million people with British National Overseas status in Hong Kong are expected to arrive in the UK within the next five years.

‘We don’t want the church to repeat its mistakes by neglecting the needs and desires of people coming here from Hong Kong,’ said the Rev Mark Nam, a Bristol-based curate of Chinese heritage. Referring to the ‘harrowing testimonies’ of the Windrush generation, who were turned away from Anglican churches, he added: ‘We need to learn from history.’

A destroyed Salvation Army building in Haiti

Vital help pledged after quake

REUTERS/ALAMY

TWENTY-FOUR hours after a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, The Salvation Army sent an assessment team to the city of Aquin to draw up plans for disaster relief in communities across the country.

More than 2,000 people were killed by the 7.2-magnitude quake. In Aquin, at least 860 houses collapsed completely, with about 3,500 other houses showing signs of significant damage.

Most churches and municipal buildings were destroyed or damaged, including the police station, hospital and schools.

Mondesir Henderson, a member of the assessment team, reported that, to feel safe from aftershocks, most people were sleeping in the street.

The church and charity pledged to provide tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, drinking water and basic food items to more than 250 families in Aquin. It has also drawn up plans to provide essential supplies to 250 families across Haiti.

Despite the difficult situation, Mondesir saw signs of hope, especially from the way that people were pulling together.

‘It is out of solidarity that people are trying to overcome the challenges, each one sharing with others,’ he said.

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Glad to be Bach The BBC Proms are heading towards their finale, but there are still some notable nights of music ahead. Some of the people behind two of the remaining concerts talk about a symphony and a sacred oratorio that audiences will be able to enjoy on radio, TV and also – once again this year – live

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Feature by Philip Halcrow

BBC /JUDE EDGINTON

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HE Proms always have an atmosphere unlike any other music festival,’ says musician, conductor and Anna Lapwood broadcaster Anna Lapwood. ‘It’s an atmosphere which puts the audience right at the heart of the performance.’

Every year, tens of thousands of people head to the Albert Hall to take in concerts by top orchestras, choirs and soloists – except last year. The pandemic was putting a stop to events of all kinds, and so director David Pickard announced that the 2020 concerts were not going to be ‘the Proms as we know them, but the Proms as we need them’. Opening with broadcasts from the archives, the festival went on to stage a limited number of concerts at the Albert Hall, but the musicians had to play to unbooked seats and an empty gallery and arena.

This year, however, audiences have been allowed back and have been taking in highlights such as Nicola Benedetti and the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain performing Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No 2 in G Minor and the BBC Symphony Orchestra and singers presenting a new work

by Sir James MacMillan, When Soft Voices Die, specially written for the first Prom with a live audience after the lockdowns.

‘I think many artists have felt slightly mixed about the past 18 months,’ says Anna, who is playing a part in two of the final few

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From page 5 Proms next week – the first on Tuesday (7 September) as the organ soloist in Camille Saint-Saëns’s Symphony No 3 in C Minor, her Proms debut. ‘On the one hand, we have had to deal with extended breaks from performing to live audiences, constant uncertainty, cancellations and lost income, not to mention the more general emotional stress of the pandemic.

On the other hand, it’s rare that performers have lengthy periods of free time, enabling deeper thought about certain repertoire or bits of technique.

‘We’ve all had a little bit of a forced sabbatical, and for me, personally, I’ve found it quite a valuable time to reassess my goals and priorities and spend some time practising without immediate deadlines.

‘The combination of these two things means that I’m feeling really excited about my Proms debut.’

As she prepares for the concert, Anna outlines how the Saint-Saëns symphony – described as ‘mighty’ by the Proms website – may speak volumes this summer.

‘When people think of it, they tend to jump straight to the big moment and think of it as bombastic and proud. But to me, the piece tells a more nuanced story, building gradually from quiet beauty and introspection through nervous energy at the beginning of the second movement.

When we finally reach the famous moment halfway through the second movement, I think that, in the context of what comes before, it isn’t bombastic; rather, it gives a sense of self-assurance that has come about through a process of steady growth and development.

‘It’s hard not to see this in the context of the past 18 months. We’ve all been through challenging times and been forced to make difficult decisions. But

I hope we can come out of it with a renewed sense of confidence and selfassurance.’

Anna also feels that another piece in the final few days of this year’s Proms will have a particular resonance – JS Bach’s St Matthew Passion. While not taking part as a performer in Thursday’s concert, she is introducing it when it is broadcast on BBC Four the next day.

‘Bach’s Passions are often discussed in the context of how the chorales would have been familiar to the original congregation, being based on the Lutheran melodies that played such a key role in worship,’ she says. ‘I wonder if, following this recent period of forced silence, we’re going to feel this familiarity even more keenly – not just with the chorale melodies, but with the work as a whole. It is well known to so many of us, and so I think it’s going to be an extremely moving moment when the orchestra plays those opening bars to a packed Albert Hall.’

Julian Forbes, the general manager of Arcangelo – the ensemble that will provide those opening bars and the rest of the piece, which tells the story of the betrayal, arrest and crucifixion of Jesus – believes that the performance will not only be moving for the audience. He has a feeling that ending the enforced silence will also ‘mean an awful lot’ to the instrumentalists and singers.

‘Ordinarily,’ he explains, ‘professional musicians in the UK take part in many performances of the Bach Passions each year – it is a big musical, artistic and personal ritual. Normally, of course, the Matthew Passion or the John Passion is performed around Holy Week and Easter, so through March and April. A few performances did happen before everything shut down in March last year,

We’ve all been through challenging times

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Jonathan Cohen

The arias provide space for reflection

but many musicians have not performed a live Bach Passion since March 2019.’

The chorales that Anna mentions are a key component of the work. Julian says that ‘they are the most recognisable bits of the Matthew Passion. Anyone who is familiar with hymns will recognise many of the chorale tunes, which are part of the German Lutheran hymn book, and appear in the work to Bach’s harmonisations.’

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onathan Cohen, the founder and artistic director of Arcangelo, adds that back in the 1720s ‘even the least attentive member of the congregation at the first performance would have heard music that was familiar – the chorales in particular – but at the same time striking new music that was surprising and challenging.

‘There are also moments when the familiar and unfamiliar combine in such a striking way that the music becomes a dramatic event in itself – to hear the chorale entry floating above the dialogue in the first chorus must have been an astonishing revelation.’

Jonathan talks of how the variety of ‘sound worlds’ – whether the ‘spiritual character of the flute’ in one aria or the ‘noble leaps of the viola’ in another section

– ‘enact and perform the story through the nature and character of the instruments themselves’. He references the often-noted effect of how a ‘string “halo”’ accompanies Jesus throughout almost the whole work – ‘except when he is abandoned’.

Explaining the structure of the work, Jonathan says that the chorales punctuate other components, including narration in which a solo tenor, representing the evangelist Matthew, sings the Gospel account of the story, and arias ‘which provide space for reflection on themes such as the nature of sacrifice, of man’s imperfection and of Christ’s love’.

He says that, like Bach’s other Passions, ‘it was written to do two things: first, to dramatise the story, and secondly to provoke meditation and reflection on it’.

The St Matthew Passion has been doing so since its first performance – though not without interruption, having been largely forgotten before it was revived by the composer Felix Mendelssohn in 1829.

It – and the story it tells – is set to move audiences again.

‘The Passion story in the Gospels, can be interpreted on many levels,’ says Jonathan, ‘not least as an archetypal tale of sacrifice and love, of friendship and betrayal, and of virtue and wisdom in the face of suffering.’

Arcangelo performing at the Proms in 2018 4 September 2021 • WAR CRY • 7

Care for the crews of the

blues and twos ADRIAN CLEE explains how Salvation Army response teams provide the UK’s emergency services with butties, beverages and the bolster of emotional support Interview by Emily Bright

F

LAMES tore through Grenfell Tower in Kensington, London, during the early hours of 14 June 2017 in the deadliest residential fire since the Second World War. Smoke streamed into the sky as emergency services scrambled to rescue survivors and extinguish the fire, in which 72 people died.

Attending the incident from day one was a Salvation Army emergency service response team. Its 150 volunteers and members of staff supported the fire services, police and victim identification teams for the next three and a half weeks.

‘We were directly inside the inner cordon, within a hundred feet or so of the entrance to Grenfell Tower,’ recalls Adrian Clee, The Salvation Army’s emergency response officer, who oversees its disaster support across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

The team immediately set about aiding the emergency services.

‘Our work is about coming alongside the blue-light services and providing them with drinks, food and emotional support where it is required, but also supporting people who are caught up in any of these

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incidents,’ says Adrian.

‘In our Grenfell Tower response, we added an extra person in a clergy role to each shift. I’m still hearing stories from people who were firefighters in London at the time about the support that was given and how desperately needed that was.’

Adrian acknowledges that attending such horrendous incidents takes an emotional toll. As part of his response to the disaster, he factored in pastoral support for the volunteers and staff under his care, and his first phone call was to the church and charity’s wellbeing unit.

‘Every person who went on shift during Grenfell Tower had a follow-up phone call when they came off, or within a couple of days,’ he says.

The Salvation Army’s church in Notting Hill also became a base for emergency response operations.

‘At one stage, the press overran the main emergency centre,’ says Adrian. ‘So the local authority asked us if they could open up the Salvation Army hall as a place of safety for some of the relatives and

Adrian Clee friends. For the first few hours, we were providing quite intense support.

‘We also had people driving vans full of food and clothes, with big donations from the major supermarkets. We had to keep the national press at bay, while doing whatever we could to support our officers and individuals from that community, who trusted us to be a place of safety and support to them.’

The Salvation Army is well versed in responding to crises, with a heritage dating back more than 150 years. Its first response was to a cholera epidemic in east London back in 1866.

Salvation Army ‘doughnut girls’ from the US later provided baked goods as a morale boost to men in the trenches during the First World War. The church

We were directly inside the inner cordon

Salvation Army ‘doughnut girls’ supported men in the trenches during the First World War

and charity also supported people at home in Britain during the Blitz, and within days of D-Day Salvation Army vehicles had landed on the beaches in Normandy, and would follow troops all the way to Germany.

The Salvation Army has been a presence in communities through some of the worst events since, including the Aberfan disaster in 1966, the Lockerbie bombing of 1988, the London bombings on 7 July 2005 and the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017.

Its emergency response teams now run a fleet of emergency vehicles across the UK. Adrian adds that the only area Emergency services personnel gather round a Salvation Army response vehicle in central London

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From page 9 not currently covered by the vehicles is Devon and Cornwall, something that he is looking at rectifying.

This availability of vehicles enables the team to be on hand when they are needed the most, attending about 250 call-outs a year to support the emergency services at large incidents such as fires, flooding or missing persons searches. Adrian cites an example of how The Salvation Army can support missing persons searches.

‘A couple of years ago in Kent there was a very tragic circumstance where a young child lost his life in a river, and there were two families who were separated, desperately seeking news of their loved one,’ he says. ‘The Salvation Army was there, supporting both elements of those families, even with funeral services and in the days afterwards.’

One of the strengths of The Salvation Army, Adrian explains, is that it has ‘a presence in the community before, during and after incidents’. He says: ‘We’re able to get alongside people who’ve been through a crisis and stay alongside them in the days, months and – in some cases – even the years that follow.’

Recently, emergency response teams aimed at alleviating stress on food supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic that began due to supermarket panic buying and self-isolation.

‘Supermarket shelves were drying up their supplies, because people were panic buying, while others isolating couldn’t access food,’ remembers Adrian.

‘All our 650 churches were struggling to get supplies to help people. So we set up a scheme where we used donations from the public to buy non-perishable food in bulk, and then we set up a food hub to distribute it to Salvation Army centres.’

An initiative that was intended to last for a couple of months ran from May 2020 until Easter this year, because of consistently high demand.

Adrian calculates that more than one million meals were distributed during that time.

The Salvation Army was also supporting people who were experiencing homelessness. During the initial months of the pandemic, many facilities had closed their doors. So The Salvation Army stepped up to help in cities such as Cardiff to make sure that food and drink were available to those who needed it.

Emergency response teams sought to

The vehicles are great for social distancing

10 • WAR CRY • 4 September 2021

support frontline health workers as they battled Covid-19, and ‘visited virtually every NHS setting right across Kent and Sussex, giving out 20,000 meals’, says Adrian. He adds: ‘Our emergency vehicle in Suffolk also supported people queueing at vaccination sites.’

All the while, The Salvation Army has adapted to Covid-19 restrictions.

‘In some places, we’ve worked in family teams,’ says Adrian. ‘The vehicles are actually great for social distancing, because they have a serving hatch and so you’ve got a gap between you and the people. We’ve put queueing systems in place, and we’ve had sanitisers and everything else that’s needed.

The Salvation Army provides support at major incidents

He explains that the vehicles themselves are ‘set up very much like a commercial kitchen’, with a fridge, griddle, handwashing facilities, two big water boilers, emergency blankets, and food and drink supplies that cater to those who are vegan or have specific cultural dietary requirements.

‘We stock up on enough to keep us going for quite a while, then top up our supplies as needed,’ he says. ‘There are sometimes several hundred emergency personnel at these incidents that we

need to look after, plus members of the general public affected who are around as well.’

Donations towards keeping the vans supplied are always welcome, says Adrian. ‘We have to buy clothing for people, other supplies and new vehicles.’

Adrian’s work is driven partly by his own experiences as a recipient of The Salvation Army’s support, back when he was serving in the armed forces.

‘I used to be in the Royal Marines, in the band service,’ he recalls.

‘There was a bombing at the Royal Marines School of Music in Deal in 1989, and a Salvation Army van and its personnel were there, supporting members of the armed forces.

‘I was also in a coach crash, where one of my colleagues died,’ he continues.

‘A lot of us were badly injured, but the

We roll up our sleeves and come alongside people

support of The Salvation Army in the Bristol area was absolutely fantastic, not just for me, but for my colleague who was in hospital with me.’

After being helped, he pays it forward by overseeing The Salvation Army’s emergency response teams. Although his primary aim is to provide for those in need, he also seeks to share the hope of his Christian faith when asked about it.

‘If we can demonstrate how Christians live and want to support people, then maybe others will see that in us and engage in discussion about it,’ he says.

‘In the Christian faith, we talk about the Good Samaritan and helping other people. As part of that, we roll our sleeves up and come alongside people when they’re facing situations that are traumatic for them. It’s straight out of the Bible really, and we’re just following Christ’s example.’

l For more information visit salvationarmy.org.uk/supporting emergency-services

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Prayerlink 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’.

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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

talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK Social media users log off in search of connection

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

THERE’S no doubt that social media has been a lifeline for many people during the pandemic. Sites such as Facebook and Instagram have kept families connected at a time when lockdowns and self-isolation kept them apart. But daily or even hourly scrolling on social media can take its toll, making users feel distanced and distracted from what’s happening in the real world around them, or drained from constantly staring at a screen.

For those needing a break from social media, Scroll Free September offers the opportunity. It encourages people to switch off from their personal social media accounts for 30 days, giving them a chance to fill their life with things other than screen time. It also allows users to reflect on their relationship with social media, considering how much they use it, what they miss about not being connected, and what they don’t.

As someone who uses Facebook daily, but Instagram and Twitter only occasionally, I’d never thought before that my social media scrolling habits were excessive.

Preparing to write this Team Talk, I felt relieved that Scroll Free September obviously wasn’t aimed at me. But then my sense of relief niggled me. And I wondered why. The only answer I could come up with was that perhaps I’m more dependent on Facebook than I’d like to believe.

So I’m going to quit social media for a month. I’m not sure if I’ll find it easy or difficult. I don’t know yet what I will do with the hours I save. I know there will be interactions with people online that I’ll miss. But I’m hoping to give more time and focused attention to the people I’m with.

I also want to see what quitting social media can teach me about my faith.

I know that, through God’s gift of free will, I get to choose what I put in my life.

I can choose the things that bring me happiness and fulfilment. I can choose social media, if I want to. But by choosing to let it go for a while – and to lift my eyes from the screen to take in the world around me – who knows what other joys I may discover?

I’m going to quit for a month

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War Cry 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

Basic reading about Christianity Information about The Salvation Army

Looking for help?

Contact details of a Salvation Army minister Name Address Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

Or email your details and request to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk 12 • WAR CRY • 4 September 2021

Q

QUICK QUIZ 1

2 3

Which band, formed in 1962, reached No 1 in the album chart in 1980 with Emotional Rescue?

In maths, what is 2 cubed?

What is the capital city of Ghana?

A 4

5

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Who plays the title role in the Marvel superhero film Black Widow?

Which British scientist who helped design the Oxford coronavirus vaccine has had a Barbie doll created in her honour?

In the novel Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, who is imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread?

ANSWERS

Hannah Carr looks back to a notable event that happened during this month in history

Terror attack horrifies the world TWENTY years ago, the world watched as terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center in New York and targeted the Pentagon. The effect that the attacks had on the general public will probably never be forgotten. Many people remember exactly where they were when they heard the news. As time went on, hearts sank as it became clear that nearly 3,000 people had been killed, and a further 6,000 injured.

For historians, it created a landmark in the history of terrorism – nothing of this scale had previously been attempted, let alone succeeded. It acted as a warning that terrorism wasn’t a far-off concept consigned to the past, but a very real threat.

Events such as 9/11 act as an important reminder that not all parts of history are good. Grief, sadness and disbelief often surround historic moments. It can sometimes seem unfathomable that humans could commit such crimes. Older generations teach younger ones them as a reminder that horrible things sometimes happen, and we can’t explain why.

That is just as true for people with a faith as those without.

Sometimes people think that those who follow Jesus must find life easy and problem-free. But Christians also face hardships and can wonder why events such as 9/11 happen.

Suffering can even lead them to question not only the integrity of humanity, but also the wisdom of God. They may ask, for example, if he’s so powerful and loving, why did he let all those people die?

Sadly, there’s no easy answer to that question, but there are promises in the Bible that pain and suffering are never the end of the matter. One Bible writer who encountered hardships in his own life declared: ‘The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us’ (Romans 8:18 English Standard Version).

God has much greater things in store for us all. If we choose to trust in him and his plans, he will help us through our suffering in the best ways possible.

Not all parts of history are good

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1. The Rolling Stones. 2. Eight.

3. Accra. 4. Scarlett Johansson.

5. Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert. 6. Jean Valjean.

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Frighten (5) 4. Ban (5) 8. Yes (3) 9. Grade (5) 10. Hold tightly (5) 11. Part of a foot (3) 12. Immerse (5) 13. Vanity (7) 16. Swarm (6) 19. Mean (6) 23. Desired (7) 26. Striped quadruped (5) 28. Namely (3) 29. Colour slightly (5) 30. Slip of memory (5) 31. Prosecute (3) 32. Bishop’s headdress (5) 33. Evade (5)

DOWN 2. Separately (5) 3. Oriental (7) 4. Fault (6) 5. Pig meat (5) 6. Lift (5) 7. Power (5) 9. Venomous snake (5) 14. Feline (3) 15. Tavern (3) 17. Shout of disapproval (3) 18. Employ (3)

SUDOKU

Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9

3 2

7

5 3 5 8 7 9

20. Pushed against gently with the nose (7) 21. Male duck (5) 22. Recommend (6) 23. Capture (5) 24. Poison (5) 25. Give medical care to (5) 27. Two-footed animal (5)

5 4 7 6 1 9 1 3 7 5 1 6 3 5 6 1 8 2 7 4

4 1 9 3 2 5 7 6 WORDSEARCH

Look up, down, forwards, 6 8 backwards 5 4 1and7diagonally 3 9 on the grid to find these school subjects

2 3 7 9 6 8 1 5

N B F V A L Q B S P D P B S P B B E 5 2 3 7 8 9 6 4 O K U V A E L Q E U Z H E M S Q T V 8 9 F W I 6 1 X V C N Y T 4 3 2 7 I M J S U S Q W I T Q Z Z I A X 7Z D Q D I W C W F C Q 4 1 2 5 6 9 8 A P C Y M N M K U U V G C C E K H A 9 5 8 6 3 2 4 1 C Z Q O H Y E C T R F Y B H G S E Q U J R D M H X 3S S 7 Q 4L 5I V 9S 1I K M D 8 2 D J Z Q E P L B S X O N L L S V I Q 1 6 2 8 7 4 5 3 E U Z A D A U V U L Q H G Z U O S X L D U V I R N T O A U N D N R X T X A U I C A G N G I S E D D N A T R A C Y O X S O Y F G N L J A G B Z Y I I S D Z T E L M I R G Q C Z Q R J W S E G A U G N A L N G I E R O F N W Y Q J B D A N C E K S B B T J X J I H V M S I L A N R U O J S R V G R E P H N M E K F X M Y Y I F Y Q P U E M A T H S N T N P D H Q Q A M A R D

M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Cotton reel 2. Flexible 3. Only one 4. Edible shellfish 5. Horse rider 6. Tell

ANSWERS 4 6 2 5 8 7 9 3 1

1 8 3 2 9 4 5 7 6

9 5 7 3 6 1 8 4 2 2

3 4 9 7 1 2 6 5 8

2 1 6 8 4 5 3 9 7

5 7 8 9 3 6 2 1 4

7 3 1 6 2 9 4 8 5

6 9 5 4 7 8 1 2 3

8 2 4 1 5 3 7 6 9

HONEYCOMB 1. Bobbin. 2. Limber. 3. Single.

4. Cockle. 5. Jockey. 6. Inform.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Scare. 4. Debar. 8. Aye. 9. Class.

10. Cling. 11. Toe. 12. Bathe. 13. Conceit. 16. Abound.

19. Intend. 23. Coveted. 26. Zebra. 28. Viz. 29. Tinge.

30. Lapse. 31. Sue. 32. Mitre. 33. Dodge.

DOWN: 2. Apart. 3. Eastern. 4. Defect. 5. Bacon.

6. Raise. 7. Might. 9. Cobra. 14. Cat. 15. Inn. 17. Boo. 18. Use. 20. Nuzzled. 21. Drake. 22. Advise.

23. Catch. 24. Venom. 25. Treat. 27. Biped.

14 • WAR CRY • 4 September 2021

8

ART AND DESIGN BIOLOGY BUSINESS CHEMISTRY COMPUTING DANCE DRAMA ENGLISH FOREIGN LANGUAGES

8 2 4 1 5 3 7 6 9

GEOGRAPHY HISTORY JOURNALISM MATHS MEDIA STUDIES MUSIC PHYSICAL EDUCATION RELIGIOUS STUDIES SOCIAL STUDIES

7 4 8

Potato and tuna cakes with avocado salad Method

Ingredients 3 spring onions, chopped Knob of butter, softened 150g cooked mashed potatoes 1 can tuna in spring water, drained 1tsp dried seaweed (optional) ½ tsp fresh dill, chopped ½ lemon, zest Salt and ground black pepper 20g plain flour 1 egg, beaten 30g breadcrumbs 1tbsp freshly chopped parsley 2-3tbsp oil

Cook the spring onions in the butter in a pan until soft, then tip into a mixing bowl. Add the mashed potatoes, tinned tuna, seaweed (if using), dill, lemon zest and seasoning.

Lightly mix with a fork, divide into 4 balls, then form into fishcakes. If you have time, transfer to a plate, cover and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Place the flour in a bowl, add the beaten egg to another, then mix the breadcrumbs with the parsley in a third bowl. Gently coat each fishcake in the flour, then dip into the egg and roll in the breadcrumbs. Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the fishcakes for about 8-10 minutes over a medium heat until golden and crisp.

Toss all the salad ingredients together in a bowl, and serve with the fishcakes.

For the salad 1 avocado, stoned, peeled and roughly chopped ½ cucumber, peeled and chopped

SERVES

2

5 cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped ½ lemon, juice 2tsp oil

Cod and cheddar potato cakes Ingredients 150g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and cubed 225g cod fillet, skinned and roughly chopped 20g frozen peas 1tsp fresh parsley, chopped Salt and pepper 40g cheddar, cut into 4 cubes 20g plain flour 1 egg, beaten

Method Place the potatoes in a pan of boiling water and cook for 7-8 minutes, until tender.

Place the cod and peas in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with clingfilm and cook for 3 minutes at 800W in a microwave, then drain.

Gently mix the potato, cod, peas and parsley in a bowl and season.

Divide the mixture into 4 balls. Take a ball in the palm of your hand and press a cube of cheese into the centre. Shape back into a ball with the cheese inside. Flatten into fishcakes and leave to chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in 3 separate bowls. Coat the chilled fishcakes in the flour, then roll in the egg and toss in the breadcrumbs. Pat gently and reshape as needed.

20g coarse breadcrumbs

Fry the fishcakes in the sunflower oil over a medium heat for 5 minutes on each side, turning over occasionally.

2tbsp sunflower oil

Serve with a crisp salad.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board website lovepotatoes.co.uk

SERVES

2

4 September 2021 • WAR CRY • 15

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