What is The Salvation Army?
From the editor’s desk
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.
THE Bible does not give a description of what Jesus looked like. However, in western society, there is a perception – even among people who would not consider themselves Christians – of what he was like: white, with long hair and a beard. It is very unlikely that this is accurate, but the idea is so firmly rooted in people’s subconscious that when James Burke-Dunsmore – who is white with long hair and a beard – is out in public, people have been known to ask him to turn water into wine. It could be considered irksome, but James is an actor who has played the Son of God in a number of productions, and he is happy to look the part. In an interview in this week’s War Cry, James talks about how he first played Jesus in 1998. Some of his friends, he tells us, were concerned that, if he took on the role even once, he could become typecast as Jesus. ‘But I knew that there were such depths of his character to look into,’ he says. ‘I challenge anyone to find the full depth of Jesus.’ Next Friday (15 April), James will be aiming to reveal more of Jesus’ character to the general public as he plays the part of the Messiah in this year’s Passion play in London’s Trafalgar Square. In the play, he will depict Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion and death as well as his resurrection, which Christians will celebrate on Easter Day. James describes the events he portrays as ‘one of the most engaging and life-changing stories, because it offers a mirror to our lives, and then an opportunity for our own transformation’. The real actions of Jesus that James recreates have transformed the lives of millions of people. They give Christians an eternal life full of purpose and meaning. While we may not know what Jesus looked like physically, we know that his life, death ad the War C and resurrection can change the way our lives e re ry u’v look for ever.
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 7571
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Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN
CONTENTS
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
FEATURES
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in Grantchester 5
Slash, bang, wallop – what a picture!
Vandalised paintings inspire art 6
Chapter and verse
Churches host ‘Waste Land’ poem
INFO
festival 8
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2 • WAR CRY • 9 April 2022
Sinner sought Vicar is on the hunt for a killer
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
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
‘I had to do a lot of soul-searching’
Actor on playing Jesus REGULARS 4
War Cry World
12 Team Talk 13 Past Times 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV