Author gives alternative take on success
WAR CRY
13 January 2024 50p/60c
Muscle memory
As Gladiators returns, former star reveals his new source of strength in life
Father Brown is on the case again
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 7661
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 A NEW bunch of Gladiators are ready to compete, as the Saturday night show returns to our screens more than 30 years after the first series was broadcast. TV bosses must be hoping this latest revival will turn out to be as popular as when Gladiators became essential viewing for millions back in the 1990s. Among the stars of that time was Warren Furman, better known as Ace. In an interview in this week’s War Cry he tells us about his time on the show. ‘Being Ace was a phenomenal experience,’ he says. ‘I was part of the biggest game show on telly and became famous overnight.’ However, Warren also reveals the stresses that the Gladiators had to live with. ‘We knew that if we didn’t win 70 per cent of our games, we could be sacked – so there was an unspoken pressure to be the best or the leader of the pack,’ he says. The pressure to succeed isn’t only faced by contestants on TV shows. It is felt by many people in their daily lives, and it is a subject to which author Pete Portal has turned his attention. This week, he tells us how easy it is to be caught up in judging success by ‘outputs and externals, appearance and applause’. But he believes that ‘success in God’s Kingdom looks more like the person we’re becoming than the things that we achieve’. He says: ‘The reason that culture is so obsessed with success is we’re desperate to prove ourselves to others.’ He explains that true success and fulfilment come from following Jesus, rather than performing for others. ‘If you give following him a chance, you will flourish in ways that you had never even imagined,’ he says. As we tackle challenges, it’s good to know that Jesus has the power to give us a full and meaningful life.
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2 • WAR CRY • 13 January 2024
CONTENTS FEATURES
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Delivering drama The ’60s draw to an end in Call the Midwife
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Successfully underachieving Author advocates new way to look at life
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Happier families How a charity is helping to tackle isolation
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‘I couldn’t believe what was happening to me’ Former Gladiator recalls his time on the TV show
13 Divine detection Father Brown is back on BBC1 REGULARS
12 Hands Together, Eyes Closed 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: TRINITY MIRROR/MIRRORPIX/ALAMY
Shelagh and Joyce visit Edna at home
BBC/NEAL STREET PRODUCTIONS/OLLY COURTNEY
Baby blues Midwives deliver help to single mum in BBC drama TV feature by Claire Brine
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O one said that being a parent was easy – but the joys of motherhood are proving particularly elusive for one young mum in BBC1’s Call the Midwife, which continues on Sunday (14 January). It’s 1969, and as the midwives of Nonnatus House in Poplar are tending to their patients, single mum Edna (Annabel Betts) is struggling to make ends meet. With a toddler, Tracey, to look after and a baby on the way, she wonders how she will juggle her work as a cleaner with the demands of caring for two children. At an antenatal appointment, nurse Shelagh (Laura Main) points out that maternity grants are available to parents facing financial hardship, but Edna refuses any handouts. Days after she has given birth to a baby boy, Edna receives a home visit from Shelagh and student midwife Joyce (Renee Bailey). She tells them that she intends to return to her job as soon as possible – but Shelagh is concerned. She can see that Edna is struggling to cope. She also notices
that little Tracey is suffering with a bad cough. When Sister Veronica (Rebecca Gethings) pops in to see Edna a couple of days later, she discovers that her living conditions are less than ideal and that Tracey is now struggling to breathe. After being taken to hospital, Tracey is diagnosed with bronchitis – and the next 24 hours are critical. Edna feels she can’t take any more. Describing the world as filthy, stinky and making her children sick, she sobs: ‘I feel ashamed of the way I have to live.’ While hospital staff tend to Tracey, Shelagh visits the council offices to see if they can do anything to assist Edna. She’s saddened to see her patient feeling crushed by the weight of so much shame and wants to help her. Though Edna is desperate for her life to change for the better, taking the step of admitting her problems isn’t easy. Telling someone the things we are ashamed of rarely is. We have no idea how they will react. When we reveal who we truly are,
Many of us carry hidden guilt
we can’t control what people think of us. Perhaps that’s why so many of us carry hidden guilt for our past, or struggle to forgive ourselves for our mistakes. But we don’t need to spend a lifetime living in shame. When we turn to God and admit the parts of our life that we are ashamed of, he promises to listen, understand and treat us with love. When we confess to him our wrongdoing, he offers his forgiveness and strength to start afresh. A complete transformation in who we are is possible through faith in his Son, Jesus. The Bible says that ‘there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus’ because his Spirit ‘has set you free’ (Romans 8:1 and 2 New International Version). Trusting in Jesus’ love for us doesn’t guarantee us a life free from hardship, but it can bring healing from past hurts. Receiving God’s forgiveness for our mistakes can help us to become the kind of people we were always meant to be. God’s offer of a new start is available to anyone who asks for it. There is no shame in seeking his help. 13 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 3
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED… EMILY BRIGHT
Church leader and author PETE PORTAL explains why appearing to underachieve can actually represent real success Interview by Emily Bright
Pete Portal on a visit to London
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BOOK titled How to be (Un)successful isn’t necessarily one you’d want your boss to catch you reading. But between the covers of a new book bearing that name are pages encouraging the reader to see success differently. The author of this ‘unlikely guide to human flourishing’, Pete Portal, tells me that his faith offers an alternative take on achievement. ‘Success looks like faithfulness to what God has asked us to do. In a world that is focused on outputs and externals, appearance and applause, I think success in God’s Kingdom looks more like the person we’re becoming than the things that we achieve.’ He bases his theories on examples
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from the Bible, such as the story of how God called a young man named Jeremiah to be a prophet. ‘God tells Jeremiah: “I’ve appointed you to give these words to the nations,”’ says Pete. ‘What God doesn’t tell him is that he will be misunderstood and violently opposed. ‘Success for Jeremiah doesn’t necessarily look like everybody heeding the warnings that he gives them from God. In God’s metrics, Jeremiah is a success because – although he is at risk of being misquoted and misunderstood – he perseveres.’ Pete is no stranger to perseverance. He left a comfortable job in kids TV in London for the townships of Cape Town in 2009. In 2015 he and his wife, Sarah,
opened their home to young men who were looking to find freedom from drugs and gangs. They now run a church community in one of the townships, Manenberg. Tree of Life helps young men escape gangs and recover from addictions, provides them with vocational training in upcycling furniture, and offers pastoral care and education to young girls. Our Zoom conversation is interspersed with the sound of gunfire between neighbourhood gangs, a sobering reminder of the scale of the challenge that he and Sarah face. Pete still grapples with the concept of success in his own life, sometimes feeling the need to be seen as worthwhile in the eyes of other people. ‘Things in Manenberg move at a glacial
FREDDIE REED
Pete runs the Tree of Life community in Cape Town, which helps young men escape gang life pace,’ he says. ‘Some of the guys I work with have relapsed or died, while others have got free of addiction. Everything’s balanced on a knife-edge. That’s why I find the metrics of Jeremiah’s call so useful.’ He is also heartened by stories of very human and fallible heroes in the Bible, such as Gideon. ‘He was hiding in a winepress,’ Pete says. ‘Yet when the angel of the Lord announced to him his spiritual DNA – which was his identity as a warrior for the Lord – he was able to win battles with a handful of people, because of the presence of God with him. ‘That’s encouraging to me when I fall again for the counterfeit promises of society. I can look at Gideon hiding or at the disciples of Jesus, who squabbled over who was going to be the best. These people are so pathetic, and yet they are our exemplars of what to aim for.’ Pete believes that our view of success is shaped by who we’re ‘performing’ for.
‘The reason that culture is so obsessed with success is we’re desperate to prove ourselves to others,’ he says. ‘People who are quietly getting on reading their Bible, giving to the poor and loving their spouse and their kids may feel like that’s not enough. But that faithful plod, which may be unseen by others, makes you infinitely more successful in the eyes of God. ‘The point is not comparing yourself or finding where you fit in with everyone else on a sort of leader board; the point is recognising that God has given you the fuel to do whatever he has called you to do. If you run on the fuel he has given you, then you need never lose heart or despair.’ I’m intrigued to discover more about Pete’s relationship with God’s Son, Jesus, which fuels him. Pete explains that Jesus means everything to him. ‘He is my brother and friend. He understands me when no one else does. Sitting in the presence of Jesus, I know that he fully sees me, he fully gets me. He
Jesus is the ultimate safe place
is not one to condemn. He is the ultimate safe place in a world where more safe places are needed.’ Pete adds that Jesus was also a radical, with an alternative definition of success. ‘He is a liberator for those under oppressive systems. His love for his enemies, his sacrificing of himself for others and his orientation towards the poor and the oppressed is the example that he gives us for life in all its fullness. It is the answer to every question that the world is asking. ‘If you give following him a chance, you will flourish in ways that you had never even imagined.’
l How to be (Un)successful is published by SPCK
13 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 5
Better together KAT OSBORN, CEO of Safe Families, explains how the charity is tackling loneliness and isolation one family at a time Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku
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OW that the Christmas festivities are over for another year, some families may be settling back into normality and coping with whatever everyday life brings. For others, however, the new year may mean the continuation of their struggle to manage life. ‘We bring volunteers around those families,’ explains Kat Osborn, CEO of Safe Families, a charity that supports parents who are isolated or overwhelmed by their circumstances. ‘They play the role of a good friend, neighbour, aunt, grandparent. ‘Having such support and friendship makes a huge difference to a family’s ability to thrive and to stay together. Being seen, heard and valued by someone who is not a paid professional is significant.’ Nearly all the families supported by the charity have been referred by local authorities. ‘Some may be at “early help” stage, just beginning to struggle,’ Kat says, ‘while others are right up to the edge of care work, meaning that the children could be removed, but with more support the family could stay together.’ Safe Families was launched in the UK by philanthropist Sir Peter Vardy in 2012. He learnt that a high percentage of the prison population had experienced being in the care system, and Kat Osborn
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he wanted to see what early intervention he could make so that young people could stay with their families and be less at risk. He discovered Safe Families for Children, a US organisation that had been started by child psychologist Dave Anderson, who had been asked by a mother if he could take care of her children for a couple of days so she could have time to sort out issues in her life. Dave couldn’t, but, influenced by his Christian faith, he set up Safe Families for Children. Through it, he was able to support parents who needed a bit of help but didn’t have friends or family to rely on. Sir Peter decided to bring the concept to the UK. Kat explains: ‘Probably all of us can identify with those moments in our lives where if it hadn’t been for a good friend, neighbour, aunt or grandparent helping out, our stories might look different. Some people just need someone to say: “You go and have a bath. I’ll look after your child for a couple of hours.” If they don’t have that, things can escalate.’ Safe Families’ volunteers connect with people facing social isolation either as ‘family friends’, offering support when it’s needed, or ‘host families’, opening their homes to children for short stays to give parents a regular break. The charity also offers a ‘resource friend’, who can provide useful items or skills to a family.
Volunteers are of any faith or none, but the charity’s proactive recruitment is through Christian networks, because, Kat explains, such work is ‘in the DNA’ of the Church. ‘When I was growing up, my mum was pretty poorly and used to have to go into hospital for three weeks at a time. My dad needed to stay in work to support us, so our church community came around us. There was a rota of friends’ houses I could go to after school, and they’d feed me and make me do my homework. It seemed really normal. ‘Safe Families can help churches who don’t know where the families in need are. We’re able to bridge the gap between local authority and church, giving the local authority confidence in the role that volunteers can play and providing the church with confidence that safeguarding and support are in place, to enable the Church to do what it was born to do.’ Safe Families recently launched its Belonging Course online, which aims to help people help others. Kat believes it can make a difference in a culture where loneliness is rife. ‘There’s a shame associated with loneliness that we need to sort out,’ she says. ‘We need to talk about our own loneliness. The Belonging Course helps people recognise the scale of loneliness across our nation and understand it. Then it gives practical tools on how to help others feel seen, heard and understood,
We bridge the gap between local authority and church
and how to do that in a way that protects their own boundaries and wellbeing.’ Not only does the work of Safe Families affect the families being helped, but those doing the helping also benefit from the relationships that are built. Kat shares the example of an older volunteer. ‘She was about to turn 90, and the kids in the family she was supporting said they had to throw a party for her, so they hosted her 90th birthday party. Then during Covid she was vulnerable and had to isolate, and it was that family who brought her food.’ Kat emphasises that volunteers don’t have to change a family’s circumstances or solve its problems. The difference they can make is in ensuring that the family aren’t going through their difficulties alone. ‘This work isn’t about us fixing other people,’ she says. ‘It’s about us creating connection.’
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Gladiator: I was ready to go on a quest NG HU C/ BB RY AR
BE ED
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To mark the launch of a new series of Gladiators on BBC1 this week, bodybuilder WARREN FURMAN looks back on the game show that brought him fame and fortune in the 1990s. As Ace, he thought he had it all. But then he felt something was missing – and he found himself searching for God Interview by Claire Brine
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O you feel the power of the Gladiators? In the 1990s, it was a power impossible to ignore. Every Saturday night, millions of families would gather round the TV, ready to cheer on the likes of Warrior, Wolf, Jet and Lightning as they wielded giant pugil sticks to defeat any fresh-faced contenders daring enough to challenge them to a duel. Fast-forward to 2024 and the game show of skill, strength, speed and stamina is back on our screens, with a set of 16 new
Gladiators in the spotlight and a bunch of eager contenders ready to take them on. Hosted by father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh, Gladiators features old favourites such as Hang Tough, Powerball, Gauntlet and Duel while also introducing a few new games, including the Edge, in which contenders must cross a network of narrow beams 30ft above the arena floor without falling or being thrown off. Ahead of the broadcast of the new series – which begins on BBC1 today (Saturday 13 January) – I catch up over
Warren sets up inflatable courses in churches, where he talks about the value of physical and spiritual fitness 8 • WAR CRY • 13 January 2024
the phone with bodybuilder Warren Furman, who more than 25 years ago was better known as the Gladiator Ace. After telling me about the appeal he sees in the programme, and describing the pain of being hit over the head countless times with a pugil stick, he reveals the excitement he felt at being part of the original show – and how joining Gladiators changed his life. ‘I was like a kid in a sweet shop, because being Ace was a phenomenal experience,’ he says. ‘When I found out I got the job, I had no money, no home and no opportunities. Then, all of a sudden, I was part of the biggest game show on telly and became famous overnight. I thought I’d died and gone to Heaven. I couldn’t believe what was happening to me.’ Before joining the Gladiators family, Warren had been an avid fan of the show, watching every week and wondering if he had what it took to be up on the podium. ‘In my mind, Gladiators was about being famous,’ he says. ‘That’s what appealed to me. It was never about winning money, cars and holidays – it was a chance for me to get my face out there. ‘But for families, I think the attraction was different. They liked the show because
NICK EAGLE/BBC/HUNGRY BEAR MEDIA
Warren Furman
The new Gladiators are ready for action
it was something they could watch all together. There were exciting games, which lasted just a couple of minutes, and then the results would be in, so it offered instant gratification.’ Keen to be part of the action rather than just a spectator, Warren applied to be a Gladiators contender. It’s a part of his story that he has never spoken about publicly before. ‘The producers invited me for a tryout, and I failed miserably,’ he laughs. ‘So I went away, kept watching the show and bulked up by doing more bodybuilding. A while later, I sent a letter to the producers, saying things like: “I could bash up all your Gladiators because I’m bigger, badder and better than them!” I really blew my own trumpet. The next thing I knew, I was invited to a tryout as a Gladiator. Suddenly I thought: “Oh no! I’m going to have to step up and prove myself now.”’ At a school in London, Warren undertook a fitness test to see if he had Gladiator potential. ‘I met about 60 other bodybuilders that day – huge men, built like powerhouses – and they all looked like they wanted to kill me,’ he says. ‘Then we were given pugil sticks and told to duel with one another. It
Warren and his wife, Dionne was horrible. You think these are big, soft, padded sticks, but when you’re constantly being hit over the head with them, your neck feels as though it is being crushed down into your ribcage. Looking back, that was not a nice day. But I got the gig at the end of it!’ Under the Gladiator name Ace, Warren made his debut on the programme in 1996. I ask him if any of the contests became
I had my nose broken in Gauntlet
his favourites. ‘I didn’t think so much about whether I liked the games or not, because it was more about self-preservation,’ he explains. ‘The whole series of Gladiators was filmed over one month and we filmed two shows a day, which could mean competing in six games a day. So I had to be sensible about the games I would choose, because I had a whole series to get through. If I got injured, I’d
Turn to page 10 f
13 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 9
From page 9 be out of the show. ‘I tended to look for games that were lower-impact, such as Hang Tough and the Wall. I’d consider those to be easy days at work. But when I did Gauntlet and Powerball, I knew I’d get injuries. I had my nose broken in Gauntlet. But that was nothing compared with some people’s injuries.’ Despite the rough and tumble of the programme, Warren loved being part of the Gladiators squad. The fame and fortune that came his way were a far cry from his background. ‘Before Gladiators I was working as a labourer and roofer for my dad,’ he says. ‘And I was living in a Christian-run hostel based in Harlow. Officially, I was considered homeless. But then I got the Gladiators job, and the contrast in my life was huge. I remember this stretch limo coming to pick me up from the hostel in order to take me to Heathrow airport. It was there that I met the other Gladiators for the first time, and we flew first-class to Mauritius for a training camp. But it wasn’t really a training camp – it was a big party.’ For the next few years, Warren threw himself into life in the spotlight – and it didn’t disappoint. He loved it when fans approached him in the pub to talk about the show and when women queued up to meet him. He also enjoyed the thrill of working in television and the camaraderie he shared with his fellow Gladiators. ‘It was a competitive place to work,’ he reveals. ‘As Gladiators, we knew that if we didn’t win 70 per cent of our games, we could be sacked – so there was an unspoken pressure to be the best or the leader of the pack. At the same time, we were always there for each other, because we knew we shared a unique experience.’ I ask Warren to tell me about how the unique
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Being Ace changed Warren’s life
experience went on to change his life. ‘For a long time, I thought Gladiators would be the answer to everything,’ he says. ‘I imagined that once I got into showbusiness, everyone would love me and I’d live happily ever after, with loads of money and friends. But then the time came when I discovered that celebrity culture was empty. I saw that the more pleasure I sought, the less it satisfied. ‘During my years as a Gladiator, I became conceited and began engaging in destructive behaviours, such as drinking too much and selling lies about my relationships to newspapers. I thought money was power and so looked down on people who didn’t have any. I was all about the red carpets, celebrity bashes and champagne. ‘My identity was wrapped up in being Ace. On the outside, I looked as though I had everything. But on the inside, I was desperately lonely, unhappy, fearful and spiritually empty.’ By the time Gladiators came to an end in 2000, Warren had reached the conclusion that money, fame and success hadn’t brought him happiness. He found himself questioning the meaning of life, so he embarked on a spiritual quest in his search for answers. ‘For two years I examined different religions and spiritual teachings,’ he says. ‘I felt that, if there was a God, I wanted to know him. So when someone invited me on an Alpha course at a church in York, I went along to see what it was all about. It was there that the gospel was clearly explained to me – and it challenged me so much. ‘Growing up, I had always believed that Jesus was just a weak man who
was nailed to a cross – and that didn’t interest me at all. But Alpha taught me that Jesus was the way to God. ‘I learnt about his forgiveness, unconditional love and how I could be filled with his Holy Spirit. I also discovered that I could have a relationship with him if I invited him into my life. ‘What I was hearing sounded too good to be true. I wondered why I hadn’t heard it before. Gradually, the penny dropped. Jesus was real. God had a divine purpose for me. And as soon as I believed that, everything in my life changed.’ After years of striving for power, fame and success, Warren found the ultimate acceptance in God’s love. ‘It sounds cheesy, but I came out of the rat race and stepped into God’s grace,’ he says. ‘Since becoming a Christian, I feel liberated. I have peace and joy every day. I don’t fear anything. People talk about wanting a blessed life – and the only way to find such a life is by knowing God. He means everything to me.’ After his baptism nine years ago, Warren found that he was presented with countless opportunities to speak about his Christian faith publicly. So in 2018, he and his wife Dionne decided to launch a Christian ministry called Ace Active. ‘We go into schools and churches where I set up assault courses and inflatables and tell the kids about gladiators – not just on the TV show, but gladiators from history as well,’ he says. ‘We look at what it means to be healthy in terms of our body, mind and soul. I challenge them to make sure they are fit for eternity. And I share my story about how God set me free. ‘Basically, we use all the opportunities
I thought ‘Gladiators’ would be the answer
BBC/HUNGRY BEAR MEDIA
A contender faces a Gladiator in Hang Tough in the new BBC series
that we have to share the gospel. The message for these kids is: You are good enough. God loves you. He created you. He has a plan for you.’ Warren and Dionne’s next plan is the priesthood. The couple have moved from York to London, where they are
undergoing training for ordination in the Church of England. ‘I’ve got to say, I didn’t see that one coming,’ says Warren. ‘But God has called us and we should complete our training later this year. It’s phenomenal really, because I have no GCSEs but here I am
doing a degree in theology. ‘And the only body I’m interested in building these days is the body of the Church. Finally, I know that I am living in my divine purpose – and nothing is more exciting than that.’
Warren reflects on his memories of being a Gladiator
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Prayerlink 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, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. 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. Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit.
Hands together, eyes closed Andrew Stone looks at the Lord’s Prayer
Our Father THE sunlight glistened on the sea as the waves lapped against the beach, which was packed with happy holidaying families. But the hum of relaxed conversations and sandcastle-making was pierced by a young child’s voice crying out one word: ‘Daddy!’ Scores of men instinctively looked up in response to the cry, ready to act if the voice belonged to one of their children. Many dads have an automatic drop-everything reaction to the cry of ‘Daddy’. When the call comes, they are ready to act for the good of their child in any situation. When we begin the Lord’s Prayer by saying ‘Our Father’, we can know that God’s attention is immediately gained. That’s because God regards us all as his children. But if we have never personally experienced the love of a human dad, this concept is perhaps hard for us to imagine. We may have been let down or betrayed by a man who could not give us what we needed from a father. That will never happen with God. We can go to him in prayer as our loving heavenly Father and know he will always be there for us, ready to help and encourage us. Our Father, which art in Heaven, If we want to know what God is Hallowed be thy name, like, we need look no further than Thy Kingdom come, his Son, Jesus, who taught his Thy will be done, in earth as it is disciples the Lord’s Prayer and who in Heaven. said: ‘Anyone who has seen me has Give us this day our daily bread; seen the Father’ (John 14:9 New And forgive us our trespasses, International Version). The way to As we forgive them that get to know God as a loving Father trespass against us; is through Jesus. He said: ‘No one And lead us not into temptation, comes to the Father except through But deliver us from evil. me’ (John 14:6). For thine is the Kingdom, If we follow Jesus, he will show the power, and the glory, us the way to know God as a Father For ever and ever. who wants the best for us and who Amen is ready to respond when we call out to him.
God will always be there for us
Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen
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Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International
Or email your name and postal address to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk 12 • WAR CRY • 13 January 2024
Father Brown tried to prove that Sister Boniface was innocent
BBC STUDIOS/GARY MOYES
QUICK QUIZ 1 2 3 4 5 6
Which monarch founded Royal Mail in 1516, when he knighted the first ‘master of the posts’? Which band had a No 1 hit single last year with ‘Now And Then’? In 2012 who became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing? Which comedians present the podcast Off Menu? To the nearest metre, how tall is the Eiffel Tower? Which chemical element in the periodic table is represented by the letter H?
ANSWERS
Nun on the run? Father Brown examines the evidence in daytime crime drama TV feature by Claire Brine
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MAN dropped dead at a village arts and crafts fair. It seemed that a respected nun was the key suspect. But, when BBC1 crime drama Father Brown continued its latest run yesterday (Friday 12 January), one curious cleric wasn’t convinced of her guilt. After the previous week’s series opener, in which Father Brown (Mark Williams) cracked the case of the poisoned spinach, the residents of Kembleford staged a village fair, aiming to lift community spirit. But when an artist collapsed after drinking some wine that was delivered by Sister Boniface (Lorna Watson), Father Brown had a race on his hands to prove his friend’s innocence. Having reached his 11th series as the 1950s crime-busting priest, Mark Williams admits that he’s thrilled to be back in the cassock, looking for clues and solving mysteries. He feels that addressing crime from a perspective of faith is what makes the character of Father Brown special. ‘For him, it’s not an intellectual puzzle in the Sherlock Holmes tradition,’ Mark explains. ‘The reward is not to solve the puzzle; the reward is somebody’s soul. When the peace of the world is riven by bad things, he wants to put them right. He wants there to be peace.’ He’s not alone. Many of us are searching for peace – whether we are living in guilt and turmoil as a result of our own mistakes or have suffered injustice imposed by another. When life is hard, when we have regrets, when we can’t work out a way forward, peace is what we need to keep going. As Father Brown would testify – along with real-life Christians all over the world – unlimited peace is available when we know Jesus. At a time when his followers were uncertain about their future, Jesus promised them: ‘I give you peace, the kind of peace that only I can give’ (John 14:27 Contemporary English Version). As we experience the highs, lows and mysteries of life, putting our faith in Jesus can bring comfort, courage and calm. When we ask him to transform us with his never-ending love, his peace – which is like no other – will finally be revealed.
Peace is what we need
13 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 13
1. Henry VIII. 2. The Beatles. 3. Nicola Adams. 4. Ed Gamble and James Acaster. 5. 330m. 6. Hydrogen.
PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 3. Inn (3) 7. Waver (6) 8. Affront (6) 9. Tax (6) 10. Culpable (6) 11. Female sheep (3) 12. Putrefy (6) 14. Rue (6) 17. Wager (6) 21. Botch (6) 24. Anger (3) 25. Powerful (6) 26. Frightened (6) 27. Humble (6) 28. Rubber (6) 29. Japanese currency (3) DOWN 1. Display (6) 2. Stern (6) 3. Favour (6) 4. Larger (6) 5. Enquiring (6) 6. Joyous (6) 12. Thick mist (3) 13. Snake-like fish (3) 15. Australian bird (3) 16. Fasten (3)
SUDOKU
Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9
4 6
3 8 4 9 7 8 6 4 7 6 3 1 9 3 1 2 8 3 18. Writer (6) 19. Smashed (6) 20. Fourscore (6) 21. Defeated (6) 22. Usual (6) 23. Linger (6)
3 7 6 6 5 4 1 7 9 6
W RDSEARCH
4 6 7 3 1 8 2 5 9 2 5 8 4 9 6 3 7 1 Look up, down, forwards, 3 1 backwards 9 7 2and5diagonally 4 6 8 on the grid to find these bestselling books 1 7 4 8 3 9 6 2 5 B F L I T T N9G H P W4 F 7 Q V8 F 1 D 3 2 P5D 6 Y Q BMY H U Z C J X K Q I O I O N 8 M3M 2 S H A R P E S6C O A N5D 1 C J9T 4 A 7 Y R T S I M E7H C S N8O 4 S S1E 3 L 2 9 N6 I 5 N T O U Q A HWU Q Z K Q A G I F D 3 G1V 9L S6X W 2 Q7O 8E 4 V L M H H N T5N M J L I T Z W D8Y 4 T Q2G 1 A F7H 3 P Z5U 9 S 6
M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number
V L C I B H N AMG N I L BMA R I Z N H A T O A E L A I B E H T G T M Z T A S B D AWH F I C J B R R H O F WB D Q I R F T A OQ E O A QWR G Z I N O E A B Y MM UWR Q I I P GQ T L Q D L H I L S NWT K V N A I D S TWT K N Z E U E E Z J P G D C Q B I ZWG B F PWR Q T S C T Q G L B O N I J U S V J E N F G N K C P PWY G C L B Q C D R E U B H Y E C GMP H E Z D Q YMV F T I Q X Z
1. Fortified building 2. Bodyguard 3. Chimney on a ship 4. Type of bread or cake 5. Call on as a witness 6. Type of edible seed
ANSWERS 4 2 3 1 9 6 7 5 8
6 5 1 7 2 8 9 3 4
7 8 9 4 5 3 6 1 2
8 3 1
3 4 7 8 6 2 5 9 1
1 9 2 3 4 5 8 6 7
8 6 5 9 7 1 4 2 3
2 3 4 6 8 9 1 7 5
5 7 6 2 1 4 3 8 9
9 1 8 5 3 7 2 4 6
2 7 3 9 6
HONEYCOMB 1. Castle. 2. Minder. 3. Funnel. 4. Muffin. 5. Invoke. 6. Sesame. QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 3. Pub. 7. Falter. 8. Insult. 9. Tariff. 10. Guilty. 11. Ewe. 12. Fester. 14. Regret. 17. Gamble. 21. Bungle. 24. Ire. 25. Strong. 26. Afraid. 27. Modest. 28. Eraser. 29. Yen. DOWN: 1. Parade. 2. Strict. 3. Prefer. 4. Bigger. 5. Asking. 6. Blithe. 12. Fog. 13. Eel. 15. Emu. 16. Tie. 18. Author. 19. Broken. 20. Eighty. 21. Beaten. 22. Normal. 23. Loiter.
14 • WAR CRY • 13 January 2024
9
A PROMISED LAND ATOMIC HABITS BE USEFUL BECOMING FOURTH WING GROWN UPS HAMNET
KLARA AND THE SUN LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY RAMBLING MAN SHARPE’S COMMAND SHUGGIE BAIN THE MAN WHO DIED TWICE UNRULY
SERVES 4
Thai green fish curry INGREDIENTS 30g fresh coriander, plus extra to garnish 3 green chillies, trimmed 6 spring onions, trimmed 5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and chopped 3 garlic cloves 1tsp ground cumin 1tsp ground coriander 1tsp olive oil 200g fine green beans, trimmed 200ml light coconut milk 250ml unsweetened soya milk 2 skinless salmon fillets or firm white fish (about 260g), cut into chunks
METHOD Place the fresh coriander, chillies, spring onions, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, cumin and ground coriander in a blender or food processor, then whizz into a coarse curry paste. Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan and stir-fry the green beans for 2-3 minutes. Add the curry paste, coconut milk, soya milk and fish. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Scatter over the prawns, baby spinach and lime zest. Serve with lime wedges.
200g cooked jumbo prawns 75g baby spinach leaves 2 limes, finely grated zest, plus extra wedges, to serve
SERVES 6
Salmon fillets in ginger and honey marinade INGREDIENTS
METHOD
6 skinless salmon fillets (about 125g each)
Place all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Add the salmon fillets, coat in the marinade and set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.
For the marinade 1tbsp reducedsalt soy sauce 2tsp sesame oil Chilli flakes 1tsp fresh ginger, grated
Cook the fillets in a pan for 3-4 minutes over a medium heat. Add any remaining marinade, then turn over and cook the other side of the fillets for 3-4 minutes, until cooked through. Garnish with the coriander and spring onions, to serve.
2tsp runny honey For the garnish 1tbsp fresh coriander, chopped 4 spring onions, shredded
Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Diabetes UK website diabetes.org.uk 13 January 2024 • WAR CRY • 15
Stick with love… Hate is too great a burden to bear Martin Luther King Jr
WAR CRY