War Cry 11 March

WAR CRY

Coach journey

Woody Harrelson’s basketball teacher is out of his comfort zone in Champions

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 7618

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

AS a comedy fan, Alex Frost watched The Vicar of Dibley. But, not having a faith, he probably little imagined that he would one day be a vicar.

Despite being surrounded by countryside, Burnley, where Father Alex ministers, may seem a world away from the fictional village of Dibley –though the Rev Joy Carroll, who served as an unofficial adviser for the sitcom, had worked in urban settings and once told the War Cry that she was glad ‘a thread of social concern’ had run through the show.

When The Vicar of Dibley returned for some lockdown specials two years ago, it was at a time when TV news reports were showing Alex caring for vulnerable people in his community.

In an interview in this week’s War Cry, Alex speaks about how his church provides food, moral support and comfort to people who are experiencing poverty, not just of money but ‘poverty of aspiration, of mental health, of self-care’ and whose voices ‘just aren’t being listened to’.

Elsewhere in this week’s issue, Bekah Legg describes how churches are helping to tackle a specific social problem. The organisation that she heads, Restored, is assisting congregations to support survivors of domestic abuse. Bekah says that churches, through their running of food banks, debt centres and toddler groups, ‘are already hubs in the community, and they can also be a safe space for survivors’.

Even though domestic abuse is a problem that ‘requires massive social change’ to be made, she says, ‘we can start doing it, bit by bit’.

When citing what is broken in society, Alex Frost does not focus on a process or a strategy. He says: ‘What I do believe is broken is a lack of the gospel – a lack of love and care and empathy.’

The work being carried out by Alex, Bekah and the churches they work with is an invitation to consider the potential of the gospel and of the words that grabbed Alex’s attention when he first began to think about faith: ‘Love thy neighbour.’

INFO INFO

A WHOLE NEW BALL GAME

Basketball coach pursues fresh hoops and dreams

Film feature by Emily Bright

IT’S a slam dunk. But a basketball star’s shot is interrupted by a rewind of the TV clip by coach Marcus (Woody Harrelson), who is replaying the footage from the comfort of his bed. So begins comedy drama Champions, which was released in cinemas yesterday (Friday 10 March).

Marcus is frustrated in his role as assistant coach of the Iowa Stallions. He feels that he belongs in the big league, the NBA, and that his boss Phil (Ernie Hudson) never listens to his sound advice. When he openly criticises Phil in a team huddle at a game, the tension between them escalates until Marcus lashes out, pushing Phil over.

Things go from bad to worse when Marcus decides to drive while three times over the limit and ends up crashing into a police car. He faces a court hearing, where the judge dispenses 90 days’ community service of teaching basketball

to people with intellectual disabilities at a recreation centre. He does it only to avoid the unthinkable alternative: an 18-month prison sentence.

The first few sessions don’t bode well – the players aren’t very good and they spend a fair amount of time clowning around. But as he hears their life stories –their relationships, hobbies and jobs – he begins to care more than he ever thought he would about those that he coaches. As he witnesses prejudice towards his students, he confronts it head-on.

And as the team grow in confidence, they apply their self-belief and courage to challenges they experience in their personal lives.

They aim to qualify for the North American regional title at the Special Olympics in Winnipeg. But, as time goes on, Marcus realises his definition of a champion has changed completely. It is all about who the person is rather than the final result.

It can be easy to define ourselves by our achievements, looks or by the money we have – or don’t have. But the reality is that our value is found in who we are, not what we do or have.

Christians believe that everyone can find their true identity in a relationship with the God who created us, loves us unconditionally and treasures everything about us.

They understand the picture of divine love painted by one Bible passage which describes God as ‘the champion who will rescue you’, who ‘will joyfully celebrate over you’ and who ‘will rest in his love for you’ (Zephaniah 3:17 The Voice).

The God of the universe rejoices over us and rescues us from any misconceptions we have about our value. We never have to prove ourselves or earn his affection – he gives it freely. In him, we can discover our true sense of worth and live life to the full.

Investigating a relationship with God is definitely worth a shot.

Coach Marcus celebrates with his basketball team and supporters

The team grow in confidence

‘ ’

j TEA M TALK

Mistake is met with warm welcome

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

LAST year TikToker Pavlina Livingstone-Sudrich made the mistake of telling her followers that Wales was in England. She sparked such an online backlash that the first minister of Wales invited her to visit the country.

According to a report on the BBC website, Pavlina – who comes from Yukon, one of the smallest of Canada’s three territories –regularly creates TikTok videos that document her ‘outdoor adventures’. More than 210,000 followers enjoy watching the clips. But after she uploaded content in which she claimed that her hotwater bottle carrier – made by an online friend – was from ‘Wales, England’, the video went viral. It wasn’t long before Mark Drakeford suggested she visit the country to see ‘just how different it is’.

During Pavlina’s Welsh tour, she took in the sights of Cardiff, Brecon and Anglesey. She described the country as ‘incredibly beautiful’. But, she added, ‘the best part of Wales is at the dining table with people who are from there – so keen and warm and inviting’.

How people make us feel matters

It warmed my heart to read that the kindness of the Welsh people had such a positive impact on Pavlina – interestingly, even more positive than the sights she visited. I then found myself reflecting on a variously worded and variously attributed saying: ‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’

When I look back over different periods in my life, I’m aware that I have forgotten a lot of the detail – but I can remember clearly the emotions I experienced. How people make us feel matters.

It always has done. Jesus spoke often about the importance of being kind, inclusive and forgiving to others. ‘Love your neighbour,’ he said. ‘And your enemies.’ He knew that the way we treat people can affect how they feel – and how they feel can, in turn, affect how they treat others in future.

Jesus’ words continue to pose a challenge, because, if we were to follow his teaching, who knows the positive impact we could have on people all over the world?

Team talk Team talk

Shadow minister sees employment help

THE shadow minister for levelling up, Alex Norris, has said that ‘a lot’ can be learnt from The Salvation Army.

Visiting the church and charity’s Employment Plus centre in Sneinton, Nottingham, the MP heard about the churchled initiative which provides jobseekers with training, advice and access to IT equipment.

The MP for Nottingham North said: ‘The Salvation Army’s Employment Plus service is a fantastic programme which helps people that are disadvantaged not only to find work, but also to stick with it. This personalised service works with individuals who have been left behind and are not able to access statutory services.

‘I believe that there’s a lot we can learn from support services like those run by The Salvation Army.’

WAR talk talk

Alex Norris (left) with Salvation Army staff

WAR CRYWnRLD

New bellringers shown the ropes

THE BBC reported on a group of bellringers in Suffolk who are training for the King’s coronation.

According to the online article, new members of the group have answered a plea from the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers for people to come forward and learn the skill in time for May’s celebrations. Amanda Richmond of the Association of Ringing Teachers has begun training the group of established and new bellringers at the Church of St Clement in Ipswich.

‘We want to make sure there are ringers for every church so that we can all ring out for the coronation,’ she said.

The article reported that the association is receiving many more enquiries than usual.

Thousand-year-old Bible up for auction

THE earliest most complete copy of the Hebrew Bible could become the most valuable historical document ever sold at auction when it goes on sale in New York in May, says Sotheby’s.

Codex Sassoon, which dates back more than 1,000 years, is estimated by the auctioneers to be worth between $30 million and $50 million.

It contains all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, missing just 12 leaves, and is seen as an important link between the last of the Dead Sea Scrolls, dating from the first century, and today’s modern Bible.

The Hebrew Bible is split into three sections – the Torah

(teachings), the Nevi’im (prophets), and the Ketuvim (writings) – and is the basis for the Christian Bible’s Old Testament.

‘The Hebrew Bible is the sacred, foundational text for peoples across the globe,’ said Sharon Liberman Mintz, a senior Judaica specialist in Sotheby’s books and manuscripts department.

‘The biblical text in book format marks a critical turning point in how we perceive the history of the divine word across thousands of years and is a transformative witness to how the Hebrew Bible has influenced the pillars of civilisation – art, culture, law, politics – for centuries.’

nFILM star Mark Wahlberg has said that his Christian faith is ‘everything’ to him.

Speaking on US morning TV programme Today, the actor said that his relationship with God had ‘afforded me so many things’. He explained what his faith meant in practice, saying: ‘God didn’t come to save the saints. He came to save the sinners… We want to be better versions of ourselves, and through focusing on my faith, it’s enabled me to do that.’

BInjured woman forgives drink-driver

A DRINK-driver has been forgiven by the woman he injured in a fatal crash, reported news website Manchester World.

Ryan McElroy was more than three times over the drink-drive limit and driving at 60mph when he crashed into another car, injuring its passenger, Louis Dube, and the driver, Nikita Balfour. Louis, aged 25, died later in hospital.

Nikita suffered a fractured pelvis. She made a victim statement heard in Manchester Crown Court, which said: ‘I am a child of God and forgiveness is part of my very fibre and, whatever made the man who did this do what he did, I forgive him.’

Friends Louis and Nikita were returning from an evening at Christian Revival Church in Manchester when the accident took place.

Codex Sassoon dates back to the late 9th or early 10th century

SOTHEBY’S

‘Awareness is critical to get ting domestic abuse sur vivors safe’

No More Week,

Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

‘DOMESTIC abuse is something that happens behind closed doors,’ says Bekah Legg, CEO of Restored, a faith-based organisation which works with churches to offer safe spaces for survivors. ‘It happens in secret, which means that it’s very difficult for people to speak up about it.

‘There’s a weird hidden stigma and shame to it and a fear that perhaps nobody else is going through it or understands. So the more we talk about it, the more we break that taboo. Awareness is critical to getting people safe and to getting the education out there that stops it happening in the first place. Awareness is at the heart of what we do.’

To people who are aware that things in their home are not right and are thinking about getting help, Bekah says: ‘It is important to know that you’re not alone. There are people out there who would love to help you. If you are able to, find a friend or somebody you trust and let them know. You don’t have to say everything

all at once, but perhaps ask if you could meet and just say, “Things aren’t great” and begin to tell your story.’

Bekah knows personally from her past experience about feeling the need to take the first step of talking about a relationship. She says that she went on to leave her marriage to a husband ‘who was very abusive’. It is one of the reasons she joined Restored.

would have been easier to imagine flying to the moon.

Churches are hubs in the community

‘My journey has been one of learning to flourish again, to love again, to raise children as a single mum. I did remarry, but I was learning how to do all of that while trying to recover from what I had been through. Back then, I couldn’t

‘But for me, the first step was telling my mum. That took ages, because I was too ashamed to tell her that things weren’t good, too ashamed to tell her that I’d made this terrible mistake. Coming from a Christian background, I believed marriage was for life, so I didn’t know how to get round that either. But the conversation with my mum changed the course of my life and my children’s lives.’

Bekah describes being supported by ‘amazing people’ from her church.

‘I now realise that what I had was extraordinary. I appreciated it at the time,

Bekah Legg

which began on Sunday (5 March), is a campaign that raises awareness of the issue of domestic abuse – whether physical, psychological or economic –and offers resources demonstrating how everyone can take action to help end it. BEKAH LEGG, CEO of Restored, an organisation that works with churches to support survivors, speaks about how Christians can bring about change

but I didn’t realise how fortunate I was and that many people don’t have that. The realisation compelled me to be part of Restored and to help make sure that there are people who will walk alongside survivors, who will say: “You’re not on your own, you haven’t got to fight your way through this by yourself, because we’ll do it with you.”’

One of Restored’s main functions is equipping churches to help survivors of domestic abuse.

‘The reality is,’ says Bekah, ‘that there’s a church in every village, town and community. These churches are often already helping people through food banks, debt centres or toddler

groups. They are already hubs in the community, and they can also be safe spaces for survivors. As Christians, we believe that the Church should be doing things. If we can equip them to be safe spaces and challenge domestic abuse in their communities, then we have got this network that could really change the world.’

The Salvation Army has recently partnered with Restored to create safe churches.

Bekah explains: ‘Through the Restored Beacons programme, we work with churches to train them to become safe

Turn to page 8 f

From page 7

spaces. They don’t need to become legal or financial experts, but they need to know how to be family to somebody who has been isolated. We’re working with The Salvation Army, starting with its church in Sale, Manchester, and looking to see the programme take root across the organisation.’

The programme has three levels, starting with basic training for volunteers and people in the congregation to help them spot signs of domestic abuse and know who to refer to for the next steps.

The second level helps church leaders to think about what to say when they’re talking to people or preaching. Bekah explains that some ‘beautiful, wonderful’ concepts in Christianity, such as forgiveness, can be twisted, manipulated and weaponised by abusers when trying to control others. She says it’s important that church leaders are aware of this.

The third level of training is more specifically about how to support a survivor – practically, physically, spiritually and mentally, beginning with a basic understanding of trauma.

As well as working with churches,

Restored seeks to engage men more widely in ending violence against women.

‘Helping men get in on the conversation is something I’m passionate about, because we need everyone to get involved,’ Bekah says. ‘Men can make a difference through simply choosing not to be part of a conversation that denigrates women. They can choose not to engage in some of the behaviours that can be intimidating to women.

‘For example, you may know you’re not a threat when you’re running in the dark and a woman is ahead of you, but she might not know that. So why don’t you cross the road so that she feels absolutely confident you’re not running up to mug her. It seems like “I shouldn’t have to do that because I’m not going to mug her”, but it’s a kindness to make it clear you’re not going to.’

Bekah is hopeful that, through the work of Restored and other organisations, domestic abuse can come to an end, but she says it’s a ‘long, long road’.

‘Last year, 2.4 million people experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales. And that’s the tip of the iceberg. It’s a big issue and we’ve got a long way to go. It requires massive cultural change.

We can’t do this by healing one person at a time; we need to start changing the conversation. We need to work through schools, parenting and the media to say that this is about us learning how to value one another, to be there for one another and respecting and putting other people first. That’s a whole cultural change, but we can start doing it, bit by bit.’

As well as motivating the work she is engaged in, Bekah’s faith helps her to have hope.

‘My faith is critical, because the truth is that when I listen to some of the stories I hear, it can all feel quite hopeless sometimes. But I believe in a God who is able to do what seems to people impossible, and that gives me hope. If we were reliant on human beings to fix the issue, I might lose hope altogether. But with God, all things are possible.’

You can ring the free domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, where somebody is available 24/7 to listen and help

This is about learning to value one another

To laugh or cry

Father ALEX FROST once had ambitions to be a comedian. But his life took an unexpected turn and when he appeared in the spotlight, it was on BBC news programmes where he was seen shedding tears as he tried to help people in Burnley during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic. He talks about the joys and sorrows of his ministry among people who face difficult times but get through with hope and humour

Interview by Philip Halcrow

ASITCOM theme tune played a pivotal role in changing Alex Frost’s life and setting him up to engage with some serious issues in his home town of Burnley.

While working in retail at Argos, Alex not only loved to watch comedy but would also write his own jokes and sketches. At one point he had an agent who was getting him a few stand-up bookings.

perhaps you were in for an exciting journey through life. I floundered at the bottom. Just tying a knot in the rope was about the level of my success.

‘The comedy was very much in the northern style, making fun of myself rather than others.’

But – true story – one day Alex found himself in an unexpected situation.

reference to loving thy neighbour as thyself.

‘Driving down the avenue back to my house from the service, there was some suspicious activity going on in somebody’s garden, and I pulled over and phoned the police. I found that quite incredible: if I’d not gone to church and heard that sermon about loving thy neighbour, I wouldn’t have been on the avenue at that time and I wondered, in any case, whether I would have had the same inclination to call the police. It was clear that the first visit to the church had

‘In my comedy set, I wrote a lot about school and about the trappings of failure,’ he says. ‘For example, I wrote a bit about the monkey ropes in primary school and how they were maybe a good metaphor for how everybody was going to do in life. If you could get to the top of the monkey ropes without too much difficulty, Turn to page 10 f

‘Growing up, I didn’t have a faith,’ he says. ‘I didn’t go to church. But my daughter wanted to go to Sunday school because her friends were going. So I said that I’d take her, which led to me going to a small village church.

‘I felt like a fish out of water, but I listened to the sermon, and it was a

Alex Frost

The comedy was making fun of myself

From page 9

left a mark. So I went back the following week.

‘As I was leaving, the vicar, Reverend Richard, tapped me on the shoulder and said: “You’re a new face. Do you fancy coming for coffee?” My head was saying, “Just say no”, but I said, “Yes.”’

Alex was worried that, when they met up, the vicar would ask him questions that he would not know how to answer.

‘Instead we talked about my love of comedy. He asked if I was familiar with the sitcom The Vicar of Dibley. When I confirmed I was, he asked if I knew the theme tune. I knew it, but I didn’t know much about it. He said: “The theme tune is the 23rd Psalm. Why don’t you have a little read of it over the next few weeks?” He had to lend me a Bible, because I didn’t have one. But that’s what I did.’

As someone who enjoyed poetry – ‘like John Cooper Clarke and the poetry of Leonard Cohen’ – Alex was attracted by the psalm-turned-sitcom-theme, which portrays the Lord as a shepherd guiding his sheep to green pastures and quiet waters.

‘It struck me as a beautiful piece of writing, explaining that life can be difficult, but that ultimately storms rage only for so long and must come to an end. Now I use

that psalm for my own personal care but also with others who have experienced a bereavement or a challenging situation on the estate.’

Alex talks of using the words with people who are going through challenging times

because Psalm 23, the coffee with the vicar and his visits to the church helped lead him to faith and even to his becoming a priest. He was ordained as a deacon at Blackburn Cathedral in 2015 and now serves as the vicar of

With Pastor Mick Fleming

St Matthew’s Church in the changing landscape of Burnley

St Matthew’s Church in the town that he knows ‘inside out’.

‘Burnley’s a fascinating place,’ he says.

‘The landscape has changed. It was an industrial place for big manufacturers, but those sites have been replaced by call centres. There are some affluent areas. There has been some regeneration, but, as in other urban settings, there are a lot of empty shops now.

‘Many people were already going through difficult times – and then the pandemic made the situation worse.’

In the years of lockdowns and social distancing, Father Alex’s ministry was featured on BBC news programmes. Viewers saw him working with Pastor Mick Fleming, who runs the Church on the Street, as they distributed food and aimed to comfort people struggling with bereavement, isolation and desperation.

‘We got quite a lot of media attention,’ says Alex. ‘I broke down on the BBC news documentary. Afterwards I received hundreds of letters and our church received

money to help support our community. The media interest passed, but the ministry didn’t.

‘We have a lot of issues in the town with addiction and poverty – and I don’t mean just money. I mean a poverty of aspiration, of mental health, of self-care. And the voices of people who are living difficult lives just aren’t being listened to.’

Father Alex tries to get the voices of people heard locally, attempting to persuade services to give them the help they need. He has also written a book, Our Daily Bread, in which he describes their struggles.

‘One of the chapters is about Jenny Swears-a-Lot,’ he says. ‘She is called that because she does. Her life has got some big challenges – her son is seriously poorly, she has children who have autism. Yet when she has reached out for help, she has received only a minimalistic form of support for them. For example, when she has looked for mental health help, she has simply been given a leaflet and told that there’s a 14-week waiting list to see somebody.

‘She’s extraordinary. She’s a hardworker. She manages for her family by cooking up big pans of pasta that last for days. Her standard response when she doesn’t get the help she needs is, in a typical Burnley way, “It’ll be rait.” But it’s not right that she gets only that low level of care and support.’

Alex talks of how his service to people can be ‘challenging, difficult and frustrating’. It sometimes seems as if

society makes it ‘almost impossible’ for them to overcome obstacles.

‘I tried to make the book not political, but what I do believe is broken is a lack of the gospel – a lack of love and care and empathy,’ he says. ‘People are happy to do almost the bare minimum, to tick the box. There doesn’t seem to be the compassion in society to go beyond that.’

Alex is keen to point out that, although their stories can be heartbreaking, the people he ministers among are ‘kept going by their sense of humour, their ability to laugh at themselves’.

‘And there is hope,’ he says, ‘because when they come to our church – whether it’s for the community kitchen or whatever other help – they feel safe and that they’re not being judged. They don’t have to do something before we’ll help them. It’s an unconditional relationship.

‘In all the darkness they’re going through, they’re hanging on to a faith in Jesus. Actually they’re hanging on to the 23rd Psalm: they are waiting to be led to quiet waters.

‘At St Matthew’s we try our best to do that.’

People were already going through difficult times

Father Alex at the church where people ‘feel safe and that they’re not being judged’

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’.

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

Wisdom in the words

Mal Davies explores song lyrics that have

of truth about them

SOME musical acts arrive gradually. They build a following based on live performances and have minor hits for years before making it really big. Others arrive in a hurry and are famous quickly. One moment you’ve never heard of them; the next they are a fixture in the music scene and celebrity circles.

Lewis Capaldi is an example of the latter. The Scottish singer-songwriter’s debut album went straight in at No 1 in May 2019 and his first No 1 single ‘Someone You Loved’ was the biggest-selling single of that year.

Other No 1 UK singles followed – ‘Before You Go’ reached the top of the chart in 2020, and last year ‘Forget Me’ and ‘Pointless’ did the same.

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

‘Pointless’ is a lovely ballad about how a man and his partner care and provide for each other. ‘I bring her coffee in the morning/ She brings me inner peace,’ Lewis sings. ‘I make her cards on her birthday/ She makes me a better man.’

The couple seem to know, love and support each other. Lewis recognises the value of that when he sings, in each chorus: ‘Everything is pointless without you.’

Many people have felt the same about someone else. Whether it’s their romantic partner or their child, a best friend or a parent – there’s someone they’ve known who helps to make life complete. Without that other someone, everything else seems pointless.

Millions of people in the world have said the same about Jesus. In fact, writer and Oxbridge academic CS Lewis said: ‘I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else.’

Knowing Jesus gives life clarity and purpose. Everything is pointless without him. Someone well worth knowing, don’t you think?

Someone they’ve known helps to make life complete

Not so pointless

a note

QUICK QUIZ

1 2 3 4 5 6

In the children’s cartoons, what is the name of Dick Dastardly’s canine sidekick?

Who wrote the BBC1 crime drama Happy Valley?

Which US state shares its name with a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein?

What type of pastry is used to make profiteroles?

In which year did Martin Luther King Jr make his ‘I have a dream’ speech during the March on Washington?

What is the maximum score a player can achieve in a tenpin bowling game?

MORE THAN PUPPY LOVE

Dogs are on display at Crufts

Feature by Emily Bright

EVERY dog will have its day at Crufts, as the canine event at the NEC Birmingham heads towards its finale with the best in show presentation on Sunday (12 March).

The show highlights the finest attributes of our four-legged friends through displays and trials of agility and obedience.

More than 200 pedigree breeds, rescue dogs and crossbreeds from all walks of life are enjoying the limelight this year. There are displays from police dogs and from medical detection dogs, who can recognise odours of an illness or alert their owners to impending emergencies such as diabetic sugar level problems. There is even a hero dog award. Nominees include a dog that assists his owner in dealing with chronic pain and a Labrador retriever that has helped a family through hard times.

There is even a hero dog award

Showcasing schnauzers, spaniels, beagles and boxers, Crufts allows people to paws for thought about the comfort and love that canines can bring.

Support is welcome when we face trials in life, whether it comes from spending time with a pet, receiving a call from a loved one or encountering the kindness of a stranger.

But, even if we do experience such moments, there can still be times in our lives when we need more. Whether we’re in the depths of grief or struggling to make ends meet, it can seem difficult to carry on. However, there is someone we can turn to who can provide all the comfort, love and strength we need.

The early Christian writer Paul endured his fair share of hardships –including imprisonment, shipwreck and persecution. But he relied on his relationship with God to see him through. He wrote: ‘He is the Father of compassion, the God of all comfort. He consoles us as we endure the pain and hardship of life so that we may draw from his comfort and share it with others in their own struggles’ (2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4 The Voice).

God is ready and waiting to provide us all with the same comfort today – we just need to run to him for help. If we do, he will show himself to be our best companion in life.

A four-legged friend is put through its paces at Crufts

YULIA TITOVETS

PUZZLES

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

19. Tell (6)

Draw out (6)

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these Beatles songs

BACK IN THE USSR

CAN’T BUY ME LOVE DAY TRIPPER FROM ME TO YOU HELLO

GOODBYE

HELP!

HEY JUDE

I FEEL FINE

LADY MADONNA LET IT BE LOVE ME DO PAPERBACK

Banoffee tart

SERVES 4

Roast cod with tomatoes

INGREDIENTS

EQUIPMENT

Scales

Large bowl

Wooden spoon

Rolling pin

INGREDIENTS

175g butter

45g caster sugar

Salt

1 egg yolk

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and a pinch of salt with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and a little bit of the flour and combine. Add the rest of the flour and mix until it just holds together. If too stiff, add a couple of splashes of water, but don’t mix the dough too much. Bring together into a ball, wrap in clingfilm and put in the fridge to rest for

Roll out the dough on a floured worktop to the thickness of a pound coin, and place in the flan tin, pressing it in well. Put some clingfilm in the tart, and fill with the baking beans or rice. Bake for 15 minutes, take the clingfilm and filling out, then put back in the oven for another 7 minutes. Allow to cool for half an hour. Meanwhile, whip the cream until it holds its shape well. Once the pastry is cool, trim the excess. Spread caramel on the bottom. Slice the banana into coins and layer them on the caramel. Top with the whipped cream. Grate some chocolate over, if desired,