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 No 7627
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
IN musical matters, there will no doubt be all kinds of everything at the Eurovision Song Contest this evening (Saturday 13 May). Some 6,000 audience members in the Liverpool Arena are expected to provide a noteworthy atmosphere for the 26 countries taking part in the grand final.
Watched by millions of TV viewers around the world, it promises to be an evening of music, dance and, if past years are anything to go by, fabulously flamboyant costumes. UK eyes and ears will be on Mae Muller, who is representing the country with ‘I Wrote a Song’, while Irish fans will be hoping that Wild Youth have made it through.
Youth, although not necessarily wild, has been to the fore in Emerald Isle entrants to Eurovision in the past. In 1970 schoolgirl Dana won the competition for Ireland. As she says in an interview in this week’s War Cry, her life was never the same again.
‘With all the press attention, I couldn’t go back to school to do my exams,’ she tells us. She explains how she focused on her singing career – but, even with the success she had enjoyed, life still had its challenges.
‘Sometimes I’d be visiting three countries in one day,’ she says. ‘It was an incredible time, but I felt like I was on a roundabout.’
However, Dana discovered a way to help her through this time. While on tour, she would go to church with her father and find peace. Today the singer still attends services and has come to depend on her faith.
‘Without my faith, I can’t survive,’ she says. ‘I go to church because it’s something I need to do.’
Dana is not alone. Christians all around the globe find their faith to be the foundation of their lives. Their encounter with Jesus has given them stability, purpose and a sense of hope for life in this world and the next. Now that really is something to sing about.
