War Cry 5 November

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.

From the editor’s desk

WHEN Natasha Hemmings was crowned Miss England in 2015, she knew she had her mother to thank.

‘I would never have entered myself into a beauty competition,’ she tells us in an interview in this week’s War Cry. ‘It was not something I knew much about,’ she explains. ‘When I turned up for it, I was looking at girls of 17 up to 25 raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity, doing things

community, talking about causes that mattered to them.’

Natasha says that her mum entered her into the competition to help her to meet people of her age and enable her to be ‘part of something’. Perhaps she was also motivated by the pride that many parents feel in their children.

In this week’s issue, John Gibson certainly speaks glowingly of his son Cameron.

‘Cameron had a fantastic smile that lit up a room. He was generous with his time and helpful towards others,’ he says. ‘He loved sport and loved people.’

Cameron took his own life when he was only 24 years old. In his interview, John describes the pain that he and his family went through as a result.

‘I missed Cameron so much and was overwhelmed with the loss of our son,’ he remembers. ‘All our children are an equally big part of our lives, but when one leaves voluntarily – that’s what it felt like – that is very painful.’

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 Mal Davies

The

John was helped through his loss by his Christian faith and says that God felt ‘very close’ to him. It did not mean that John’s loss was any less severe, but it did help him to establish ‘a different view of life’ and to realise that God is ‘a friend of the weak, who is among us’.

Faith does not stop Christians from the harsh and painful experiences of life. But it does give them strength and support to help them through those times. And for that, they can be truly thankful.

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE LOVELY

GUNSLINGING westerns have enthralled audiences for decades, with their villains, heroic men on horses, haunting wilderness settings and deadly duels. But the BBC 2 western series The English, which starts on Thursday (10 November), also aims to captivate viewers with an unlikely love story.

The main action begins in 1890 when US soldiers brutally kill a Native American warrior in the newly created territory of Oklahoma. They gee each other up to kill a woman who is mourning for the warrior, but Native American cavalry scout Eli Whipp (Chaske Spencer) calls off the planned murder. Eli has had enough of the US army, and heads north for Nebraska. He plans to claim back a few acres under the Homestead Act, which grants land to former US servicemen.

Eli’s journey is abruptly halted when he is held against his will at a hotel where he had stopped to ask for a drink. Help arrives in the form of Englishwoman Lady Cornelia Locke (Emily Blunt) who, on arriving at the hotel, is horrified to see Eli tied up. She bribes the hotel owner to release him, but Eli’s escape is made in Cornelia’s carriage, leaving her stranded with a bunch of

depraved men.

The chance meeting between Eli and Cornelia will set the two of them on a wild adventure that they never could have imagined.

Death and dastardly characters lurk round every corner as they seek what they’ve been looking for all their lives. Time will tell if their persistence and determination pay off in their search for truth, justice and a sense of belonging.

Sometimes we too are looking for answers that aren’t always easy to find. We may want to know how to cope with grief, survive a cost of living crisis or repair broken relationships. The reality is that sometimes life can spin out of control. But there is someone who can always provide effective help.

For centuries Christians have prayed to God to help them in their closest scrapes. In the Bible, Jesus encourages his followers: ‘Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For

everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened’ (Matthew 7:7 and 8 New Living Translation).

God may not answer our prayers in the way we expect, but he will always listen and be with us in our most difficult times, enabling us to forge a path forward. All we need to do is ask him for help. He’ll come to our rescue and transform our lives in ways we could never have imagined.

Lady Cornelia Locke is searching for answers

Life can spin out of control

Native American Eli Whipp wants land of his own

Adventures begin for unlikely pair in BBC western TV preview by Emily Bright

© DRAMA

Footballer finds goal of peace through Bible

FOOTBALLER Bukayo Saka, who has been chosen as one of Time magazine’s Next Generation leaders, says that reading the Bible provides peace.

A feature in the publication explained how the 19-year-old coped with the racist backlash and negativity he received after missing one of England’s penalties in the Euro 2020 final.

Saka told the magazine: ‘I knew instantly the kind of hate that I was about to receive.’ However, the article noted, he had responded with positivity.

Time reported that he attributes his hard work and professionalism to his upbringing in a Nigerian immigrant family and being raised a Christian. He still reads his Bible every night, which he says provides ‘peace and happiness’.

Sculpture of Jesus to

the

A ‘HYPER-REALISTIC’ sculpture of Jesus has been unveiled in Spain, reports The Sun

The lifesize model, ‘made of latex, silicon and real human hair’, was created using data collected from the Shroud of Turin, a relic which is said by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus after his crucifixion and bears the image of the body of a man.

The Mystery Man features all the wounds said to have been inflicted on Jesus, including cuts where a crown of thorns was forced on his head, as well as a spear wound on his side and scratches from when he was whipped.

It is on display in Salamanca Cathedral and can be viewed until December, after which it will travel the world.

The Bishop of Salamanca, Jose Luis Retana, said the body of the man in the shroud can represent ‘the concretion of God’s love that becomes flesh in Jesus Christ who dies like a malefactor with a terrible sacrifice for our salvation. There is no greater love in the world.’

Salvation Army gives energy boost

THE Salvation Army in Southport is providing energy top-ups to vulnerable members of the community to help them deal with cost of living pressures over the winter period.

The church supported 196 people last year but is expecting even greater demand for its energy top-up support. It saw a 57 per cent rise in referrals in September 2022 compared with January and February 2022 combined.

Captain Alison Hutchings, leader of The Salvation Army in Southport, said: ‘We’re all anticipating a hard winter and sadly everyone’s money and our funds simply aren’t going far enough. People are in terrible situations, making unimaginable decisions such as whether they choose to heat or eat, and we feel this is going to be a reoccurring story.

‘Here at The Salvation Army we put our faith into action by providing this service and being a genuine part of the community, helping people in times of need.’

Faiths on the march for climate action

CHRISTIANS joined a march in Machakos, Kenya, calling for Cop27 to deliver universal access to clean, affordable energy for Africa.

During the Kick Fossil Fuels Out of Africa march, which drew support from other faith groups and Kenyan students, protesters drew attention to the arrest of Ugandan students who campaigned against the creation of the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline.

Meryne Warah, of march organisers GreenFaith, a multifaith climate justice movement, said: ‘Fossil fuel projects displace communities, destroy local livelihoods, spew deadly pollution and enrich corrupt elites. Women-owned, community-led clean energy solutions deliver far more equitable outcomes. Africa’s leaders should stop salivating over oil and gas and become serious about our continent’s clean energy future.’

The Cop27 climate change conference begins in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, tomorrow (Sunday 6 November).

The Southport church is working in partnership with Citizens Advice, the council, a food bank, health visitors and social services.

Singer goes beyond the call of beauty

Trained at a prestigious music college, NATASHA HEMMINGS sang on the way to being crowned Miss England and has toured with acts including Ronan Keating. Due to release a new album early in the new year, she talks about misconceptions of the Miss England contest, being misjudged and the subject matter that influences her songwriting

Interview by Philip Halcrow

MUSIC has been a theme throughout the life of Natasha Hemmings – but there have been some striking variations in the way her career has developed. She has studied at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM). She has toured with Aled Jones, Russell Watson and Ronan Keating. And she made music on her way to being crowned Miss England 2015.

Before and after Miss England, Natasha was learning about music at the RNCM. She graduated from there with a pop degree in 2019, but her introduction to it came years earlier.

‘When I was growing up I just loved singing,’ she says, remembering her childhood in the market town of Nantwich in Cheshire. ‘It didn’t matter what style it was, as long as it was music, and I began taking piano and singing lessons. I always knew I wanted to be a singer.

‘My mum and I looked up information on how Beyoncé made it in the music industry. I saw that she had joined a choir, so I joined my local choir, which was actually a professional classical choir. I was 12 years old and the closest person to me was 38. So I was a bit of an oddball in the choir, but it launched a lot for me.

‘The conductor took me under

to

6 f

Natasha recently supported Ronan Keating on his UK tour

his wing and gave me lessons. He also knew about the Royal Northern College of Music, and he said that I ought to have professional lessons and be taught by a woman with the same kind of soprano voice as me. So I set out to audition there at the age of 14. I got in and was among all these other talented musicians under the age of 18. I was there for four years until it was time to go to university.’

While singing the classical repertoire, Natasha was already writing her own music.

She says: ‘I didn’t know whether I was going to go down the classical opera route or the recorded pop music route. When I finished Junior RNCM I was too young to continue with classical music at the conservatoire, because they don’t

take anyone younger than 24 – your voice has to mature.’

So, Natasha put a pause on her musical education and started an English literature degree at university. However, she was unable to settle and didn’t make friends. Sensing Natasha’s unhappiness, her mother entered her for Miss England.

Miss England isn’t about being in a swimming costume

‘I think she saw it as a way for me to meet people my own age who were coming together to be part of something,’ says Natasha.

‘I would never have entered myself into a beauty competition. It was

not something I knew much about. I researched it, however, and it was eye-opening. When I turned up for it, I was looking at girls of 17 up to 25 raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity, doing things for their community, talking about causes that mattered to them and what they were going to do with their lives. They had huge ambitions. The then Miss England was a doctor from Cambridge University, who was super-smart and is now working at the World Health Organisation.

‘It wasn’t what many people remember it to be. It isn’t about being in a swimming

Natasha says her music draws on her ‘thoughts, feelings and memories’

costume – you didn’t have to do that. It isn’t about being judged on your outer beauty. You win points for how much money you raise and what you do in your community. There is a sport round to promote health and fitness and a talent competition.’

Natasha used her music-making in the competition.

‘The talent round gave me an opportunity to sing, and I hope that contributed to me winning,’ she says. ‘After Miss England I went round the world and would sing at charity functions, raising money. I also sang in China for the Miss World event.’

Natasha’s Miss England experience provided inspiration for one of her songs, released earlier this year.

‘I wrote “Invisible” about the way people prejudge others and don’t care to know the real person. People think I was a beauty queen who one day decided to be a singer. It’s infuriating, because I have worked so hard to be a musician.

‘The song is also about social media and the way in which people put a perfect version of themselves online. We’re all comparing ourselves to it, which causes a lot of mental health issues, because our lives do not live up to these unattainable standards. We don’t look like these girls on social media. We don’t have that car. Our holidays aren’t like that. It makes

people feel that they’re not enough.

‘“Invisible” asks the question: What if we were invisible for a day and didn’t care about what anyone thought about us? It would be so liberating. We could just love ourselves for who we are.’

Natasha says that she often draws on her experiences when writing. Among the ‘thoughts, feelings and memories’ that make their way into her classically influenced pop songs are those connected with her faith. She gives the example of her song ‘Only Love’, whose lyrics speak of reassurance in tough times and which she describes as being about God.

Natasha says that she began to get to know God while going through a difficult time in her sixth form, when she found herself on the receiving end of ‘kids being kids’, who cut her out of their circles, leaving her feeling alone.

‘One day at school it all got too much,’ she recalls. ‘I walked down to the church where we had assemblies sometimes. Somebody saw me and came to me. I don’t remember saying anything, but she could see that I was heartbroken. So she sat me down and prayed over me.

‘I’ve never forgotten it. It opened up my desire to know more about Christianity. I then went on a journey of realising that

I could have a relationship with God. I had been raised to believe that there was a God, but we didn’t read the Bible and we didn’t pray, so the idea that Jesus was somebody I could speak to every day was new to me.

‘I researched everything I could, talking to people, reading and listening to Christian radio stations. When I did my English degree I took theology as a subsidiary module.’

She describes faith as ‘a blessing and a challenge’.

‘People who don’t believe often say that faith is a crutch, but I don’t feel it’s an easy thing – it’s not easy to accept that there’s a plan for your life and that it may not be the one you have for yourself. There are moments when I don’t know whether God is asking me to do something or whether the gut feeling I have is just something that I have made up.’

She has moments of doubt but recalls a ‘crazy experience’ when she was very upset soon after coming to faith and felt the ‘warm glow’ of a presence with her. ‘I knew it was Jesus,’ she says.

As she takes further steps in the music industry, she envisages being further influenced by her faith.

‘Faith is something that people may shy away from,’ she says. ‘They see it as polarising. But to me it’s an amazing, peaceful thing. So I want to talk about it and encourage people to explore it.’

Being crowned Miss England 2015 by previous winner Carina Tyrrell

Somebody saw I was heartbroken and prayed over me

‘I was over whelmed by the loss of my son’

Interview by Emily Bright

‘CAMERON had a fantastic smile that lit up a room,’ remembers his father, John Gibson. ‘He was generous with his time and helpful towards others. He was a sportsman –he cycled a lot, kayaked, loved hillclimbing and went road biking, but his main sport was skiing.

‘He was also gifted at DIY, and would spend hours making things for people. His final project was making a surfboard for himself. He loved sport and loved people. But he enjoyed time on his own as well. He would quite happily go off and do a day’s hike on his own. Most people would remember him for his amazing smile.’

But on Sunday 20 October 2019 John received the news that his 24-year-old son had taken his own life. There was no warning beforehand that he was even considering doing so, John recalls over Zoom from his home near Stirling.

‘I had last spoken with Cameron on the Saturday, and he seemed to be in a good place,’ says John. ‘He left his house as if he’d been off to buy a pint of milk. There was no indication of any forward planning around suicide. Cameron went shopping, his fridge and freezer were both full. He had done a load of washing and it was drying upstairs in the house. He was a vet who loved cooking and baking, and he had made traybakes for the practice staff.

‘He had gone to a ceramics pottery class in the afternoon, made his friend dinner in the evening and then gone off for drinks. Cameron climbed into his work van at

JOHN GIBSON recalls the pain he felt when his son Cameron took his own life and reveals how he has set up a charity to support other people affected by the same kind of loss

John Gibson with his wife, Isobel

12.30am, and at 1.30am, he was found dead.’

The next morning John and his wife, Isobel, were told.

‘The police came to the door at 7.45am, and this strange journey of grief started. The first thing that strikes you is the thought that it can’t be true. It is somebody else’s son. You have to go through phases of guilt, shame and everything else that comes along with suicide.’

John tried to take comfort in his Christian faith.

speak into these circumstances, because this is desperate.” And there was silence.

‘I remember going further down the stairwell, stopping again in the darkness and saying: “God, this isn’t good enough. You’re going to have to speak, because you’re a Father who’s lost a Son and I’m now also a father who’s lost a son.” There was silence.

God was very close in those early hours

He says: ‘It has not been an easy journey. Despite my faith, I really struggled. But God was very close in those early hours, weeks and months after Cameron died.’

Nevertheless, John recalls how he grappled with his faith amid his overwhelming grief.

‘Less than 48 hours after Cameron had died I was wide awake about four o’clock one morning, feeling broken inside. I was silently screaming. I decided to go downstairs, and I stopped halfway down and said: “God, you’re going to have to

‘I walked on again, feeling really broken, and just said: “Lord, you need to speak.”

‘I asked him: “Did you need a vet in Heaven? Is that why you took Cameron?” I felt God respond in a fatherly way: “No John, there’s no death or disease in Heaven, so why would I need a vet? No, I needed a shepherd. And Cameron is such a good shepherd.” Those were pivotal moments, because God was speaking into the intimacy of his understanding of us as a family. Although he’d always wanted to be a vet, Cameron really loved sheep and often had said that all he wanted to do was to be a shepherd. Not many people knew that. He was a very

Cameron Gibson

good shepherd and spent spring seasons lambing and doing caesareans on sheep. He loved newborn lambs.

‘To hear God speak with such beauty and intimacy made me feel as if he was holding me as a son, saying: “I know you don’t understand this, but are you prepared to trust me?” I said: “Lord, who can I go to but you?” It wasn’t that everything was fixed in that moment – I had months of grief to work through – but it felt as if God, in those early months, was very near.’

However, John continued to wonder why God hadn’t intervened while Cameron was still alive.

‘He didn’t stop the suicide,’ John says. ‘When I walk into eternity maybe I’ll understand why he didn’t. I don’t know. But I picked that theme up eight months later when I was suicidal myself and I felt at that time that God had left the building.

‘I missed Cameron so much and was overwhelmed with the loss of our son. All our children are an equally big part of our lives, but when one leaves voluntarily – that’s what it felt like – that is very painful. My grief journey became darker and darker, to the point where I made an attempt on my own life.’

When John survived, he sought out mental health support.

‘I decided to see a psychiatrist, who understood me immediately,’ he says. ‘She encouraged me towards Survivors of Bereavement by Suicide. She said: “You need to find empathy by meeting people who are on the same journey and are exactly where you are.”

As a result, I went along to a SoBS meeting.

‘Something remarkable happened that night as I walked into the room. There was no judgement, no fear, just a group of people who absolutely understood where I was at and what I needed. I realised that things can get better, but I needed that support to walk me through that darkness.

‘Out of that, I decided to become a SoBS facilitator for the Edinburgh group, which meets online and face to face. I now talk openly

about my own mental health issues. We have to do that. Men in particular are not good at talking spontaneously about mental health issues. That narrative has to change.’

John’s attitude towards faith evolved in the months that followed.

‘I felt as if I’d lost much of my faith,’ he says. ‘But one morning I was walking in the woods near where we live and it was as if God tapped me on my shoulder. I felt him say to me: “You know I’m still here for you.” As a result, I embraced faith with a different view of life. Now I see God as a friend of the weak, who is among us.’

whose children died but who continued to trust in God.

‘The Book of Job makes it clear that the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away,’ says John. ‘These are difficult verses to wrestle with. But as Christians, we have to say: “God is God.” And either he’s sovereign and we have to trust him in the good and the bad, or he’s not God at all.’

I realised that things can get better

John’s experiences have also made him see the Bible in a new light, particularly passages about the man called Job,

As well as taking strength from his faith, John began walking in the great outdoors as an outlet for his grief.

‘I started walking with friends. We decided to walk from Land’s End to John O’Groats to open up conversation and connect families affected by suicide, using the hashtag #onemanwalkingamilliontalking. When planning for the trek, we decided to start

John and his team of walkers arrive at John O’Groats after a 1,200-mile fundraising walk

a charity in Cameron’s name, which is where the Canmore Trust came from, Canmore being an anagram of Cameron.’

John outlines the aims of the Canmore Trust, which was registered as a charity in January this year.

‘We want to help people who have been affected by suicide, and to offer safe accommodation, where a counsellor or supporter would be able to work with families in those very early days following a suicide.

‘But we also want to be engaged in suicide prevention, and our biggest aim is to work in schools, colleges, universities and workplaces to talk about suicide prevention planning. A recent Scottish study has shown that one in five people under the age of 35 may experience suicidal thoughts. We need to reach them through education long before they get to that point.

a greater significance.

‘As the Canmore Trust idea developed, I realised that we could fundraise for it as we walked the 1,200 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

‘We had flags with the Canmore Trust logo and #onemanwalkingamilliontalking on them, and these flags were in our backpacks as we walked, to generate conversations around suicide.’

Within a few days of the trek beginning on 13 June, something remarkable happened.

We want to be engaged in suicide prevention

‘As we left Land’s End, Isobel and I were walking with a friend, also called John. I was behind him at one point and said: “You’ve lost your flag.” A week later I received a message from a 35-year-old lady with historically poor mental health. She’d made three attempts on her life when she was a teenager.

right and picked it up. It was John’s flag. She unfurled the flag and, sitting on the clifftop, googled the Canmore Trust and read Cameron’s story.

‘She wrote in her message: “For the first time I realised the impact that suicide would have on my family and those that were left behind. Cameron’s story impacted me so deeply that I decided not to take my own life. You saved my life.” That day, the team walked with a renewed sense of calling.’

By the end of the trek on 27 August, John and his fellow walkers had raised more than £80,000 for the Canmore Trust. John hopes that, through the trust’s work, many more lives can be saved.

As our conversation ends, I ask John what he would say to people who may be considering the prospect of ending their own life.

‘When you talk about suicide openly in schools, alongside suicide safety planning, long-term follow-up studies demonstrate clearly that there are fewer deaths and attempted suicides in the communities served by such schools.’

In time, John’s planned hike took on

‘She was walking the southwest coastal path, not in the best of physical or mental health, and she had been sitting atop a cliff and contemplating with increasing darkness how her life might end.

‘From the corner of her eye, she saw a piece of green material in the crack to her

He says: ‘Please reach out and let someone else know that you’re not in a good place, whether that’s a friend, a family member or professional. The last thing in the world I would want is for any family to go through what we’ve been through. Whoever you are, wherever you are, I want you to stay around.’

more information visit

The team enjoyed huge support along their walking route

jBecoming 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

talkTeam talk ’

T E A M TALK

Disclaimer: this article talks about The Crown

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

EVEN though fans will have to wait until Wednesday (9 November) to catch the latest series of The Crown, the Netflix drama about the monarchy has been the subject of much public discussion in recent weeks. Last month Dame Judi Dench made headlines after writing a letter to The Times, setting out her concerns at how freely the show ‘seems willing to blur the lines between historical accuracy and crude sensationalism’.

While the Oscar-winning actress described the programme as ‘brilliant’, and called herself a ‘believer in artistic freedom’, she added that ‘a significant number of viewers … may take its version of history as being wholly true’ – and that troubled her. Consequently, she urged Netflix to carry a disclaimer at the start of every episode, pointing out that the accounts of the events depicted in the drama were fictionalised.

Reading Judi’s letter in full, I felt that her request was reasonable and her tone fair, but what struck me most was her evident concern for the royal family. She argued that if certain scenes featuring King Charles were to be broadcast as programme-makers had suggested, the depictions could be ‘wounding’. She asked Netflix to consider ‘a family and a nation so recently bereaved’ of their Queen.

As I reflected on Judi’s words – which highlighted to me the great responsibility of creating a fictional drama about real people – I found myself asking the question: How would the royal family feel if they were watching this programme?

It prompted me to assess my own feelings on the matter. How would I feel if a fictionalised account of my life was turned into entertainment for millions of viewers? Would I want to know that there were people out there considering my perspective – and encouraging others to do the same?

I would. And if I want to be treated with such compassion and understanding, then undoubtedly I need to be willing to extend such compassion and understanding to others. The Christian in me needs to put into practice

teaching of Jesus, who said: ‘Treat others just as you want to be treated’ (Luke 6:31

It’s

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English Version).

for

Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

by Andrew Stone

Explosive situations aren’t inevitable

THE weather forecast for tonight (Saturday 5 November) is

one of the most eagerly awaited of the year. Young and old alike wait to see if the elements are going to allow them to enjoy the fireworks traditionally lit on this day.

Since 1606 we have been remembering the 5 November with its gunpowder, treason and plot. Firework displays commemorate the thwarting of the attempt a year earlier to blow up King James I as he attended the state opening of parliament.

It’s a longstanding tradition.The diarist Samuel Pepys recorded how the date was observed in London with ‘great bonfires and fireworks’ in 1660. But while we may enjoy seeing the colourful explosions brighten up a dark autumnal evening, the English language has also developed another understanding of the word fireworks.

When there are metaphorical fireworks, it tends to mean that there has been an angry outburst from somebody. Rather than the celebrations linked with actual fireworks, this use of the word denotes something negative and unpleasant.

I’m sure many of us will be able to remember a time when we’ve been the one who has been responsible for those fireworks. Times when we have lost our temper and ‘exploded’ and then afterwards felt ashamed by our behaviour.

At such times, we may wish that we could change the way we behave and learn to be more tolerant and kinder towards people –but we may feel that it is impossible. However, the Bible tells us that God can help transform us into better people.

One early Christian writer explained that God can help us to develop the qualities of ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (Galatians 5:22 New Living Translation).

Being a Christian doesn’t mean that we will never have times when our patience is tested, but it does mean that God will help us to deal with those situations better – a prospect that can brighten up even the darkest of times.

We may wish we could change the way we behave

Tuna tortilla pizza

Ingredients

400g can chopped tomatoes with herbs

Sugar

Ground black pepper

4 large wholewheat tortillas

2 x 200g cans tuna in water, drained and flaked

½ red onion, finely sliced

1 pepper, deseeded and sliced into thin strips

125g mozzarella cheese, shredded Fresh basil leaves, to garnish (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas Mark 7.

Cover 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. To make the sauce, heat the chopped tomatoes in a non-stick pan with a pinch of sugar and some black pepper. Cook on a medium-high heat until the liquid volume has reduced and created a thickened sauce.

Place the tortillas on the baking trays. Spread a generous spoonful of the sauce over each tortilla. Add some of the tuna, onion and pepper to each, then scatter over the cheese.

Bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Garnish with basil, if desired, and serve immediately.

Tuna and pesto salad

Ingredients

1 small bag mixed salad leaves

½ cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced

100g cherry tomatoes, halved

1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced

1 small red onion, sliced

Handful radishes, trimmed and sliced

400g can cannellini beans, drained

1tbsp extra virgin olive oil ½ lemon, juice, plus wedges, to serve

Salt and ground black pepper

200g can tuna in olive oil, drained 1tsp capers, rinsed and drained 4tbsp fresh pesto

Add the mixed leaves, then the cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, onion and radishes to 2 lunchboxes and mix well.

Place the beans in a small bowl, toss with the olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Add the tuna, beans and capers to the salad in the lunchboxes and toss well. Top with the pesto.

Season, to taste, and add lemon wedges. Stir the pesto through the salad and eat immediately or save for later.

Feener