War Cry 6 November 2021

Campaigner is on a mission to stop FGM

WAR CRY

6 November 2021 50p

A whole new ball game Football presenter makes quiz host debut in The Tournament

Getting DJs back on track

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 7550

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

GLOBAL pop superstar Dua Lipa’s invitation in the song ‘Levitating’ to ‘come on, dance with me’ may have sounded like instant nostalgia when clubs closed last year. No one was dancing with, meeting with or listening to the music with anyone.

Lockdowns have been difficult for the club scene, says Luke Rollins, a DJ who is part of a ministry that prays with and supports DJs. ‘All the jobs, events and revenue streams dried up,’ he says. ‘We’re still witnessing the fallout from last year, when people were getting through lockdowns by using alcohol or drugs.’

He tells us that, at any time, the joy of DJing can come with a flipside: ‘You can be playing in front of thousands of people one minute, and the next minute you’re in a hotel room on your own with no one to talk to.’

Luke is aware that some people may not understand why he wants to mix with the club scene, which is ‘rife’ with drugs and people who have ‘openly rejected’ church. But he takes his cue from what he reads about Jesus in the Bible. He says: ‘I’m always encouraged when I see Jesus interact with people who others thought he shouldn’t.’

Ann-Marie Wilson works in a very different environment. The HR consultant retrained as a midwife to learn more about female genital mutilation and campaign against it. At times she felt unqualified for the task, but she ‘thought about Jesus, believing that if he was around today, he’d be sat talking and eating with women who had suffered FGM’.

‘With’ is a tiny word, but has huge implications. Luke and Ann-Marie know that Jesus made a difference to people by being with them.

And, through their actions, Christians want to live out the reality they have discovered – that ad the War C e re ry v the love of God, revealed by Jesus, is still ’ u with us.

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 CKN Print, Northampton, 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

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Let the games begin

Alex Scott hosts The Tournament

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No need to shout

Campaign aims to improve

communication 6

Cans do

DJ’s ministry to DJs

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Eradicating FGM

‘I just knew I needed to do my best’

REGULARS

4 War Cry World 12 Team Talk 13 Past Times

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14 Puzzle 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: BBC/QITV LTD/GRAEME HUNTER

BBC/QITV LTD/GRAEME HUNTER

Former footballer Alex Scott fronts a new TV game show

Game on Contestants tackle knockout quizzing tournament TV preview by Emily Bright

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T’S game time for footballer turned TV presenter Alex Scott. She’s hosting a new quiz show called The Tournament, which kicks off on BBC One on Monday (8 November).

It’s apt that the England international and Football Focus presenter is in the starting line-up. The show seeks to channel the spirit of a sporting encounter as contestants take part in a tug-of-war quiz to knock each other out of the competition. With every correct answer, they get closer to the finishing line: the final head-to-head where they could double their money.

By the time the contestants are being welcomed on the show, they have already been put through a pre-match assessment to figure out the favourite to win each round. But, if it’s anything like sport, the seemingly strongest contestants could crumble under the spotlight.

Alex is hoping that viewers will love watching all the contestants ‘battle their way through the competition’. She says:

‘It’s a show full of strategy and risk, where favourites can be overthrown and underdogs can end up top dog.’

There’s plenty of potential for the underdogs to cause an upset as they find the answers they need while their opponents crack under the pressure.

The question of whether underdogs can triumph against the odds is one of the fascinations of many sporting tournaments.

We wonder if the favourite individual or team can handle the occasion. At times, we may see ourselves in those who are facing impossible odds.

In our everyday lives, we can disqualify ourselves or feel that we’re not up to the test of what lies ahead – whether that’s applying for a job or facing the day after a bereavement or a worrying health diagnosis. Sometimes we let ourselves down, because our own weaknesses cause us to give in to the temptation to say or do something hurtful.

When it comes to the crunch, it can be difficult to know where to turn to help us

Underdogs can end up top dog

battle on. It always has been a challenge.

But writing to support friends who lived in Corinth – appropriately an area famed for its sporting tournaments – the early Christian Paul set out what he had discovered from his own life experience.

Being well acquainted with physical challenges and mental pressures and aware of his own flaws, he could have easily lost hope. Yet he recognised that he need not be defeated.

Facing one huge hurdle that he felt he could not overcome, Paul sensed God telling him: ‘My kindness is all you need.

My power is strongest when you are weak’ (2 Corinthians 12:9 Contemporary English Version).

Paul saw that in Jesus, God had revealed how much he cared for everyone.

By putting his trust in God, Paul knew he would receive the strength he needed to face each day and forgiveness for his shortcomings.

The same offer of support is available to us today. God never promises us an easy life, but his love for us is more than a match for any challenge we face.

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AHEAD of Cop26, faith groups including Christian Aid and Tearfund, projected messages on the Houses of Parliament, urging Boris Johnson to take a lead at the negotiations.

The messages reflected the organisations’ hopes that the prime minister would push for agreements to keep alive the goal of restricting warming to 1.5C, ensure rich countries provide sufficient financial aid to the ones worst affected by climate change and end further support for fossil fuels.

A week before beaming their messages on the Houses of Parliament, representatives of the faith groups delivered a statement to No 10 Downing Street, asking Boris Johnson to tackle the climate emergency in a fair way.

tWwxc Joseph written after sky falls in on Bond SONGWRITERS Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice ditched the idea of writing a James Bond musical in favour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat because of the Bible story’s longevity, lyricist Tim has revealed.

Speaking on Gary Kemp and Guy Pratt’s podcast The Rockonteurs, he explained that the idea for Joseph, their first success, came about when a schoolmaster friend of Andrew’s asked him to write something for an end of term concert, with the proviso that they should ‘choose a subject that won’t date too much’.

When Andrew and Tim (pictured) suggested writing a James Bond musical, they were told that the franchise would be ‘forgotten in five years’ time’. So Tim came up with an alternative.

‘Joseph was my favourite Bible story as a kid,’ he said. ‘It was a good story. It had an opportunity for fun.’

The musical was a hit in the school and gained more attention when it was reviewed by a Sunday Times journalist whose son was in the choir.

Underground station artist uses Bible line

DAVID PARRY/PA WIRE

WORDS from a book in the Bible are at the centre of a colourful art installation that has transformed the roof of a London Underground station.

In Back in the Air: A Meditation on Higher Ground, created by artist Lakwena Maciver (pictured), large letters state ‘Nothing can separate us’ against a backdrop of geometric, interlocking patterns. The kaleidoscopic image – which spreads over the vast roof terrace of Temple Tube station – marks the opening of the area as an art space.

The words ‘Nothing can separate us’, which Lakwena previously used on flags in Covent Garden and which she said were inspired by words in the book Romans, aim to convey a message of love, physical and spiritual

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connections and the strength of unseen bonds.

In the Bible, the apostle Paul writes to his fellow Christians who are in Rome: ‘Nothing can separate us from his [God’s] love’ (Romans 8:39 Good News Bible).

Lakwena says: ‘The name Temple, given to the group of buildings in London which stands on land formerly belonging to the Knights Templar, is overshadowed by its now predominantly secular surroundings. But the concept of a temple – a place where Heaven and Earth meet – remains deeply relevant.

‘They say that the Garden of Eden was the first temple – the story goes that we were cast out of the garden, and ever since then we have been longing to find our way back. This idea of a subconscious yearning for paradise sits in stark contrast to the highly colonised, concrete environment that now surrounds Temple station. Yet it is this which has become the impetus for this public intervention.’

The space, known as the Artist’s Garden, has been opened as part of Inside Out, a festival of free workshops, installations and events in London that take culture and entertainment outdoors.

cxztW Do you have a story to share? a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk @TheWarCryUK TheWarCryUK

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is nothing to shout about

Modern slavery ‘toolkit’ educates children THE Salvation Army has created a kit to help children learn about the reality of modern slavery. The resource has been designed to be used in school RE lessons or youth clubs.

Based on the real-life experiences of three modern slavery survivors with the pseudonyms Lydia, Fredek and Tee, the True Story resource is intended to open up discussions about the issue in an ageappropriate way. There are two editions: one for young people aged 13 and over, and another for those aged 7 to 12.

As part of the ‘toolkit’, children are encouraged to hold companies accountable and to use social media to raise awareness of modern slavery.

Major Kathy Betteridge, The Salvation Army’s director of anti-trafficking and modern slavery, said: ‘Children appreciate honesty and are also incredibly passionate campaigners.

‘Slavery thrives in secrecy, and the more we can do to raise awareness, the more chance there is that people will report their concerns.’

The Salvation Army has held the government’s modern slavery victim care contract for England and Wales since 2011, helping more than 15,000 adult survivors in that time.

A new report from the church and charity has revealed that it received referrals of 2,262 survivors of modern slavery in England and Wales from July 2020 to June 2021. l The resource for children can be downloaded from salvationarmy.org.uk/truestory

Campaign encourages healthier ways of communicating Report by Sarah Olowofoyeku

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EEP it down – today (Saturday 6 November) is Let’s Stop Shouting Awareness Day. Yasmin Shaheen-Zaffar came up with the concept earlier this year, inspired by her own experiences as a counsellor who specialises in anger problems.

The campaign has three aims: to raise awareness of the impact that shouting has on people’s mental health, physical health and relationships; to advocate the idea of having difficult conversations without shouting; and to promote non-violent communication.

‘Let’s face it, no one likes being shouted at,’ says Yasmin. ‘And, really, most of us don’t like shouting or losing control either. So we want to open up the conversation about the unhelpful type of shouting. It causes us stress, can make us feel frightened, resentful or anxious, and the cause often gets buried in the shouting.’

She also recognises that verbal abuse can even trigger violent crimes.

The campaign offers lesson plans, suggestions for creative interventions in aggressive communication and downloadable breathing exercises to help alleviate stress in tense situations.

Yasmin hopes that her initiative helps to open up the topic, because she believes ‘effective communication is the key to getting our needs met and meeting the needs of others without aggression, abuse or violence’.

It is clear that violent communication doesn’t generally have a positive impact on a situation. It never has.

In the Bible, a wise teacher advises: ‘Losing your temper causes a lot of trouble, but staying calm settles arguments’ (Proverbs 15:18 Contemporary English Version).

Christians try to live by those words, as well as other lines in the Bible that encourage kind, gentle and loving communication. They also have the example of Jesus. He often responded calmly to hostility and tried to defuse resentment between the people he met. In doing so, he communicated how God is kind towards us.

If we follow Jesus, we can discover a good way to live and have our needs for a lasting sense of peace and wellbeing met. And that is something worth making a noise about.

Violent communication doesn’t have a positive impact

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FAITH IN THE MIX DJ LUKE ROLLINS explains how, after finding faith on the dancefloor, he now works to support others in the nightclub scene Interview by Emily Bright

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HEN the governments of the UK were unlocking society this year, nightclubs were some of the last places allowed to open again.

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was inconceivable to allow huge groups of people, many of them under the influence, to dance together while shouting in each other’s ears in order to be heard over a pounding beat.

However, while clubs were closed to the public, the Christian organisation Third Space Ministries continued to support DJs. Established more than 10 years ago to share the gospel in the leisure sector, Third Space has a dedicated DJ ministry.

Its teams go out to pray and support DJs working at clubs, events and festivals, and more recently has also provided help online.

Luke Rollins, DJ ministry co-ordinator at Third Space, views his role as reaching a demographic who are not going into a church on a Sunday morning. He believes that providing pastoral support to DJs is important.

‘It’s an environment where people are often facing extreme pressure and uncertainty, or are sometimes without financial income,’ he says. ‘As a DJ, you can be playing in front of thousands of

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Luke Rollins people one minute, and the next minute you’re in a hotel room on your own with no one to talk to. There’s a strange mixture of euphoria and rejection, with high-profile cases of suicide.’

Luke says that the DJ community was ‘completely devastated’ by the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘All the jobs, events and revenue streams dried up, and people felt a lack of purpose and an isolation,’ he says. ‘We’re still witnessing the fallout from last year, when people were getting through lockdowns by using alcohol or drugs.’

In response, Third Space Ministries set up a dedicated chaplaincy service called Soundcheck. It offers an opportunity for people to talk over the phone, in an online video call or in a face-to-face meeting.

‘Soundcheck is a response to welldocumented mental health concerns in the music industry,’ says Luke. ‘We want to provide a space for people to come and talk. We know it’s a rare thing in this industry for people to be listened to.’

Luke’s passion for providing pastoral support to DJs stems from his own experiences, having always been involved in the music industry in some capacity.

Although he grew up in a Christian home, he drifted away from his faith in favour of focusing on DJing and playing in a band. However, he recalls that his partying lifestyle ended up in ‘a terrible mess’. Then, one remarkable encounter in a club transformed his life.

‘I was in a club watching another DJ,’ he recalls. ‘I met this woman on the dancefloor and she shared her faith with me.

‘In that moment, I realised that I’d walked away from God, but he hadn’t stopped pursuing me. And even in a nightclub of all places, God was still there and he was still present in my life.’

That experience 12 years ago triggered

We’re still witnessing the fallout from lockdowns

Luke says that nightclubs are places where ‘people are searching’ a year-long journey of Luke returning to his faith.

‘When I recommitted my life to Jesus, I found a peace and stability that I’d desperately longed for,’ he says. ‘That encounter with God still motivates me in the work that I do.’

In 2013, while on a mission trip with Christian organisation 24-7 Prayer International, he met Third Space Ministries founder Carolyn Skinner.

After discovering that they had a mutual interest in supporting DJs, they began gathering a group of them in her front room to worship and pray. A community

called DJ Unity was born. In 2016, Luke joined Third Space Ministries as a full-time member of staff.

In all his work, Luke takes inspiration from his faith and what he reads about Jesus in the Bible.

‘I’m always encouraged when I see Jesus interact with people who others thought he shouldn’t,’ he says. ‘He spent a considerable amount of time with people who were deemed to be unworthy of his presence, like the tax collectors, the women in the street and the people who were held in such low regard by the religious authorities.

‘When I consider the work we do at

I found a peace and stability

Third Space, it’s about abandoning any judgement and embracing the grace of God. And I take great encouragement from Jesus’ example.’

Luke acknowledges that communicating the Christian faith in a clubbing context isn’t for everyone. But he says that, while there are challenges, there are opportunities too.

‘The nightclub scene is rife with New Age spirituality, drugs and addictions, and people who have openly rejected the Church. Yet I know it’s also the place where people are searching, hungry and desperate. They’ve gone there because it’s their church.’

He feels that the presence of God is tangible in such venues.

‘The conversations we have and the chances for the Holy Spirit to meet with people are always prevalent in these places. God is already in the nightclub, he’s already at the festivals. When we go there, we simply represent him.’

Members of DJ Unity at KingsStock Music Festival in August 2018

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Campaigner fights against 2,000 years of abuse Businesswoman ANN-MARIE WILSON explains how meeting a young victim of FGM prompted her to campaign to end the practice, despite living with cancer Interview by Claire Brine

Ann-Marie Wilson

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NN-MARIE WILSON was a successful HR consultant from London when she signed up to volunteer with the Christian humanitarian aid organisation Medair.

It was a move that changed her life.

‘In 2005, we were in Darfur in the south of Sudan,’ she remembers. ‘We found a little girl, called Fatima, all alone in the bush, and she was pregnant. Fatima had been raped seven months before, and she was now lying in a state of trauma after armed soldiers had raided and set fire to her village, killing all her family and leaving her for dead.

‘We took Fatima to our clinic and arranged for her to have her baby by c-section. As a 10-year-old, she had far too narrow a pelvis to give birth naturally – and she had also experienced female genital mutilation at 5 years old, meaning she had been sewn up to preserve her purity for marriage. We gave Fatima and her baby a safe delivery,

then she went to live with a distant auntie she had never met before in another part of Sudan.’

As Ann-Marie took in the severity of Fatima’s situation, she couldn’t help but worry about the young girl’s future. She knew that, as a survivor of FGM, Fatima was at risk of pain and infection for the rest of her life.

‘I wondered what was going to happen to her and all the other girls like her,’ says Ann-Marie. ‘Until meeting Fatima, I’d never heard of FGM – yet I quickly learnt about its extraordinary impact on a woman’s life.

I cried out to God, saying: “Who will look after girls like this?” And I heard the voice of God reply: “You will.” I knew I couldn’t run away from that.’

When Ann-Marie returned to England, she couldn’t get Fatima out of her head.

She learnt about FGM, what it was and why it happened. She undertook basic training to become a midwife, eager to

I wondered what was going to happen to her

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gain a medical understanding of female anatomy. In 2012, she launched her own charity with the sole aim of eradicating FGM. The charity’s name, 28 Too Many, referred to the fact that FGM was still being practised in 28 countries in Africa.

‘It can be hard at times to speak about our work, because most people don’t want to talk about genitals in public,’ says Ann-Marie, whose book, Overcoming: My Fight Against FGM, not only tells the story of her charity, but also refers to other challenges in her life, including the moment she received a diagnosis of terminal cancer three years after the launch of 28 Too Many.

‘By talking about how I’m trying to overcome FGM and other difficult circumstances in my life, I’m hoping that people will begin to feel that they can overcome their own challenges and be who God has called them to be,’ she says.

For those who know little about FGM and its effects, Ann-Marie’s book provides some sobering facts and figures. She quotes the World Health Organisation’s

In the early 2000s Ann-Marie worked with communities affected by civil war in southern Sudan

definition of FGM as a procedure involving ‘partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons’.

The description goes on to say that FGM ‘constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women’, adding that it is ‘nearly always carried out on minors and is a violation of the rights of children’.

She tells me: ‘FGM is carried out on babies as young as three months, yet it can be done on girls any time up to the point of marriage. Ten per cent of girls and women who are cut die immediately because they bleed to death.

Those who don’t die suffer horrific pain, because the procedure is usually done without anaesthetic. Once a girl is cut, her wound might lead to sepsis, tuberculosis or even

Talking with the congregation after preaching at a Masai church

HIV and Aids. And in terms of mental health, most women and girls begin to struggle with depression, anxiety or PTSD. It’s horrific.’

Ann-Marie explains that FGM dates back more than 2,000 years and, although no one knows exactly why it began, historical evidence suggests that it originated in Sudan or Egypt.

‘Egyptian mummies in the British

FGM is carried out on babies as young as three months

Museum show that women were infibulated, which is a type of FGM,’ she says. ‘In cultures where slavery was prevalent, traders often cut and stitched up their female slaves so they could get a higher price for them. Women were seen as possessions – not equal to men at all.

‘Sometimes, women who had been sewn up would be “unsewn” just before marriage. That still happens today. The

Turn to page 10 f

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Ann-Marie on her last day of running a fistula rehab centre in Kano state, Nigeria

Holding the first baby she delivered as a midwife

From page 9 mother-in-law-to-be will open the bride with a knife and inspect her. Or the groom is expected to open his bride on the wedding night. It can be so traumatising for the woman. Some of them never go on to have sex with their husbands because it’s too painful.

Even urinating can be painful.

Often schoolaged girls miss huge chunks of their education because every time they leave the classroom to go to the toilet, it takes them 15 minutes.’

The more Ann-Marie learnt about FGM, the more determined she became to campaign against it. At times, as a white woman from England with no medical background, she felt unqualified for the job ahead, but her faith in God spurred her on.

‘It was as though God took the decision out of my hands,’ she says. ‘I

was probably naive, but I just knew that I needed to obey him and do my best. I also thought about Jesus, believing that if he was around today, he’d be sat talking and eating with women who had suffered FGM. In the Bible there’s a story about a woman who approached Jesus for healing after she’d been bleeding for 12 years.

I wonder if she had experienced FGM. We don’t know, but FGM certainly happened at the time.’

In a bid to gain experience before launching her charity, Ann-Marie travelled extensively in Africa and Asia, finding out more about FGM, forced marriage, reproductive health and gender-based violence. When she returned to England and agreed to speak at a Christian event called New Wine, she found just the encouragement she needed to start 28 Too Many.

‘I was talking in front of 900 women, and I told them about meeting Fatima,’ she says. ‘There was a point in the story where suddenly I heard 900 women take a sharp intake of breath. After I’d finished speaking, they made donations for my work and raised £9,000. I had to tell New Wine that I didn’t even have a charity bank account yet in which to cash the cheque. Yet

School-aged girls miss huge chunks of their education

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Visiting communities in Kenya to inform her work with her charity

that moment served as a prompting from God that I definitely needed to set up my charity.’

In 2012, 28 Too Many was launched.

Ann-Marie describes the charity as ‘an information portal, a bit like Google’.

She explains: ‘International bodies and organisations, such as the United Nations and the Population Council, use us as their go-to place for up-to-date reports on each of the 28 countries where FGM happens. The charity gathers lots of information and writes law reports, which can then be used by organisations as they work with governments and leaders to pass legislation to end FGM in certain countries. Without legislation, FGM will keep happening. Once a country has that legislation in place, they can start prosecuting.

‘One of my goals with the charity was to see a 10 per cent reduction in FGM in 10 countries over 10 years. I called it my 10:10:10 vision. We reached that target in our sixth year, so it was hugely satisfying to know that our work had played a part in that.’

Despite the successes of the charity, the past nine years have presented AnnMarie with many challenges behind the scenes. In 2015, she faced one of the most difficult times in her life when she discovered that she had incurable cancer.

‘The doctor told me it was non-Hodgkin

lymphoma and that it was quite a tricky one to deal with,’ she says. ‘I was told I had about seven years to live. At first, I didn’t think I could process it. Yet now I’m trying to make my peace with it while still living a full life.’

Since receiving her diagnosis, AnnMarie has undergone 24 cycles of chemotherapy in 36 months, continued a full-time role at 28 Too Many, written her book and started working as a chaplain at her local Marie Curie hospice in London.

The chaplaincy role, she says, has been particularly helpful as she tries to accept her own mortality.

‘I’ve walked alongside friends at the end of their life who don’t have a faith, and it has made me recognise how much my faith comforts me,’ she says.

‘I wouldn’t want to face death without God on my side. I believe there is a better place which will be peaceful and pain-free. That thought helps me a lot.’

Another thing that helps Ann-Marie stay positive in the face of cancer is ticking off items on her bucket list. In 2017, she was licensed as a lay pioneer minister in the Church of England. Her most recent achievement was completing the London Marathon last month, which she walked in eight and a half hours.

‘Every day, I try to keep active and push myself,’ she says. ‘Yet I’m reaching

I try to keep active and push myself

the stage where I need to focus less on my “doing” goals and instead look at my “being” goals. I want time with family and friends, time with my godchildren and time for me. I also want to work out the legacy of my charity and what its next season will look like, even if I’m not running it any more.

‘I suppose the question I’m asking is: “What next, God?” My Christian faith – which I have lived by for more than 20 years – has helped me through so much.

I’ve learnt that God has always been loving. He has always met my every need and given me so many opportunities.

When I became a basic midwife and delivered 10 babies, it was as though he was fulfilling my need to become a mother. God has enabled me to fulfil my calling, through him. I had no idea that my life would be this tough, yet I wouldn’t change it.’

l Overcoming: My Fight Against FGM is published

by Lion Hudson

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Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for Billie, who is concerned about people who are struggling with addictions.

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’.

j

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.

talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK It’s noteworthy that people make faith a number one priority Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

A HEADLINE about a singer who ‘chose his faith over Adele tour’ caught my eye on the BBC News website. The report explained that a decade ago, Alex Clare, who is Jewish, ‘was given an ultimatum by his record label: commit yourself to the music fully, or follow your faith. He chose to follow his faith.’

Before highlighting Alex’s latest single, ‘Why Don’t Ya’, the article recapped the events that led to the singer previously being dropped. It said that Alex had ‘pulled out of a potentially life-changing spring tour in support of new superstar Adele because some of the gigs fell around the Jewish holiday Passover, as well as on the Sabbath’.

Alex later turned down a radio concert that fell on another Jewish holiday. He says his bosses told him: ‘It seems like you’re more into your religion than you are into your career.’ When it came to turning down Adele, says Alex, they ‘thought I was nuts’.

Considering Adele’s popularity at the time, I imagine that lots of people would have thought it odd that a singer would sacrifice his shot at fame for religious reasons. But I find such commitment to faith impressive. I’m also aware that faith has always compelled people to make choices that others find baffling.

Last year, on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, another singer, Cliff Richard, reflected on the moment in 1966 when he spoke publicly about his newly found Christian faith. His management had warned him to be ‘careful’ about sharing his beliefs. ‘But in the end,’ Cliff said, ‘I felt it was more important, even than my career.’

Putting faith first isn’t an easy choice to make – especially when onlookers don’t understand why.

And, as a Christian, I can’t help but remember that Jesus urged people to act in ways that many found confusing. He quoted the commands to love God and to love others as much as yourself. He urged people to forgive those who hurt them and love even their enemies.

To some, such words sound absurd. But those who put their faith in God find that doing so makes more sense than anything else.

People make choices that others find baffling

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

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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 • 6 November 2021

Q

QUICK QUIZ 1

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What was the name of the first probe to go into space?

The clock tower commonly known as Big Ben was renamed in 2012 as the Elizabeth Tower in honour of which of the Queen’s jubilees?

A 3

4

5

6

Steven Spielberg has directed a new film version of which Leonard Bernstein musical, scheduled to be released next month?

Which Holby City actor won Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 with Katya Jones?

The Roman numeral CLX equates to what number?

How many syllables are there in the first line of a traditional Japanese haiku?

ANSWERS

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

The wall came tumbling down ON 9 November 1989, residents of Berlin began streaming through the infamous wall that had been built in 1961 to separate East and West Berlin physically and ideologically. Soon, the Berlin Wall was officially redundant and was removed.

The unification of their city was a time of great celebration, as Berliners were free to journey along the streets without restrictions for the first time in almost three decades. Families were reunited, and the road to improved relations between the Soviet Union and the rest of the world was opened, leading to the end of the Cold War. The fall of the Berlin Wall was the first sign of a new era in German and European history. It was significant because, instead of attempting to hurt or blame those who inflicted the separation in the first place, the people of Berlin simply determined to become united once more. There was little hatred expressed, only a desperation to see loved ones and live their lives to the full.

The notions of freedom and peace are important to many people. We all long for a peaceful life. For some, that is a literal peace from war and conflict; for others, it is a desire to know peace and freedom within the relationships and circumstances that they experience every day. We can all wish for times when family arguments are resolved or our communities are no longer divided.

Christians believe that peace is a gift given by God, one which we unwrap through kindness, forgiveness, generosity and love for one another, despite any differences. The Bible encourages us to ‘strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace’ (2 Corinthians 13:11 New International Version).

This may seem easier said than done, but God offers to help us live at peace with others. If we commit ourselves to him, then God will give us his peace and enable us to pull down the walls that stop us living our lives to the full.

We wish for times when communities are no longer divided

6 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 13

1. Sputnik 1. 2. Her Diamond Jubilee. 3. West Side Story.

4. Joe McFadden. 5. 160. 6. Five.

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Valuable skill (5) 5. Mushrooms or toadstools (5) 8. Inuit hut (5) 9. Truism (5) 10. Unbending (5) 11. Nudge (5) 12. Competent (4) 15. Pressed (6) 17. Reliable (5) 18. Protective (6) 20. Owed (4) 25. Pilot (5) 26. Performing (5) 27. Upright (5) 28. Put into practice (5) 29. Postpone (5) 30. Loathed (5) DOWN 1. Flowering shrub (6) 2. Revolve (6) 3. Hourglass (5) 4. Sphere (5) 5. Send on (7) 6. Head (6) 7. Really (6) 13. Snake (3) 14. Thick mist (3) 15. Writing fluid (3)

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

3

7

5

2 3 3 2 7 4 9 4 6 2 4 9 6 5 8 1 2 6 8 7 2 9 1 4 9 3 1 16. Recede (3) 17. Giggle (7) 18. Frank (6) 19. Alleviation (6) 21. Range (6) 22. Savoured (6) 23. Essential (5) 24. Canines (5)

WORDSEARCH

2 9 6 4 1 3 8 5 7 8 4 7 6 5 9 2 3 1 Look up, down, forwards, 1 backwards 5 3 2and8diagonally 7 4 on 9 the 6 grid to find these words associated with encouragement 9 7 5 8 4 1 6 2 3 L O S I L G Z O Q U L C R B J 4 3 2 9 7 6S G A 1 8 5 J C X G K L D M E P O H L V W Y M R 6 8 1 3 I 2Q X 5 I 7 C G X Z T Q E N Z M V Q Z Z4 9 O H F L Z L X N F Z G A J E Y V X S 5 6 8 7 3 2 9 1 4 N H S Y Q G Q O N F Q Z P S S D T Z 7 1 4 5 9 8 3 6 2 F O Q E G Z R P G B M P R S R R A X I Z I J D T F Q Z H B Z B E E Z Z H 3 2 9 1 6 4 5 7 8

M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

D E Z T Z O H A W Z D Z L N F Z C E E D L K A S V O I E M I G L R F G D N Z G R O L R Y K T E T Q U E S C U C K S U P P O R T F H T L F S X J T E C N A R U S S A E R Q E P H G F I Q Z X L V Z I J N V W R Z L M D H T U V J V N B Q I Z O G C H E E R U R D F I K L Q N O Q T C Z N H N E V O O G Z K Z G C T P Y O Q T B T D Q F Z Z N F J E C N A T S I S S A F Z F R E J K W H Z Y Q C C T O B Q B G G

1. State between solid and gas 2. Untidy mixture 3. Make a journey 4. Optical illusion 5. Big wheel inventor 6. Burnt piece of coal

ANSWERS 9 4 5 7 3 8 6 1 2

2 8 1 9 4 6 5 7 3

6 7 3 5 2 1 8 4 9

4 6 2 8 9 3 7 5 1

1 5 8 4 7 2 3 9 6

3 9 7 1 6 5 2 8 4

8 2 4 6 1 7 9 3 5

6 8 7 2 9 1 4 9 1

3

5 3 9 2 8 4 1 6 7

7 1 6 3 5 9 4 2 8

HONEYCOMB 1. Liquid. 2. Jumble. 3. Travel. 4. Mirage. 5. Ferris. 6. Cinder.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Asset. 5. Fungi. 8. Igloo. 9. Axiom. 10. Rigid.

11. Elbow. 12. Able. 15. Ironed. 17. Sound. 18. Caring. 20. Debt.

25. Guide. 26. Doing. 27. Erect. 28. Enact. 29. Defer. 30. Hated.

DOWN: 1. Acacia. 2. Swivel. 3. Timer. 4. Globe. 5. Forward.

6. Noggin. 7. Indeed. 13. Boa. 14. Fog. 15. Ink. 16. Ebb. 17. Snigger. 18. Candid. 19. Relief. 21. Extent. 22. Tasted.

23. Vital. 24. Teeth.

14 • WAR CRY • 6 November 2021

ASSISTANCE CHEER COMFORT CONFIDENCE CONSOLATION FAITH FORTITUDE

HELPFULNESS HOPE REASSURANCE REFRESHMENT RELIEF STRENGTHENING SUPPORT

Old-school sausage and mash Ingredients 4 carrots, chopped 300g swede, cut into chunks 700g potatoes, cut into chunks 8 reduced-fat sausages 1tsp vegetable oil 1 large red onion, thinly sliced 100ml reduced-salt vegetable stock 200ml cold water 1tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Method Cook the carrots, swede and potatoes in a large pan of gently boiling water for 20 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill. When the vegetables have been cooking for 10 minutes, start grilling the sausages for 10-12 minutes, turning often.

To make the gravy, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the onion, cooking for 3-4 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Pour in the stock and water, then add the herbs. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add the blended cornflour and stir until thickened.

Keep hot over a low heat.

Drain and mash the vegetables. Season with a pinch of pepper, then serve the sausages with the mash.

1tsp dried mixed herbs 2tbsp cornflour, blended with 1tbsp cold water

SERVES

4

Ground black pepper

Piri-piri pomegranate popcorn Ingredients 2tsp vegetable oil 160g popping corn 1tsp piri-piri seasoning 100g fresh pomegranate seeds Freshly ground black pepper

Method Heat the oil gently in a large, heavybased pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the popping corn and put the lid on. Shake the pan to coat the kernels in the oil.

Turn the heat to medium-high. When the kernels begin to pop, shake the pan, and repeat occasionally.

When the popping subsides, remove from the heat. Cool for 10 minutes, then add the piri-piri seasoning, pomegranate seeds and some pepper and toss together.

Serve in small bowls.

SES EV VR RE SES

44

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Public Health England website nhs.uk/change4life

6 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 15

As kindness has been shown us, so we must show it to others Amy Reardon

WAR CRY