Chef digests the value of Veganuary
WAR CRY
15 January 2022 50p
Finding peace of mind Katie Piper on how faith has helped her Kelvin ploughs on with farming challenge
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.
JUST before Christmas, when we spoke with broadcaster and author Katie Piper for the interview in this week’s War Cry, she didn’t give any hint that she was to be appointed OBE in the new year’s honours list. Katie suffered life-changing injuries in an attack in 2008, and she has been recognised for her services to charity and for her support for other survivors of burns and disfiguring injuries. In her interview, Katie explains how being introduced to the Christian faith while she was initially treated after the vicious attack helped her to cope with the trauma. ‘In my personal experience,’ she tells us, ‘finding faith has stopped me from asking questions all the time, such as “why?” or “what if?” Coming to faith was about surrendering to God and finding peace of mind. It was very soothing to get to that place.’ Katie also explains how being a Christian encourages her to show other people compassion and understanding, adding: ‘I’d like to think my faith helps me to be more tolerant, respectful and kind.’ The desire to show kindness to others is a trait of many Christians and Christian organisations. In this week’s issue, we report on another individual who was honoured in the new year. Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant was appointed MBE as an acknowledgment of The Salvation Army’s work during the Covid-19 pandemic. From the start of the first lockdown in March 2020, the church and charity has continued to respond to a huge range of needs in communities, supporting so many people through challenging and tragic times. Caring about other people’s welfare and wellbeing is a central value of the Christian faith – and not just in times of national crisis. Throughout its 157 years, The Salvation Army has worked to help people in their time of need. ad the War C e re ry And it will continue to do so for many years u’v to come.
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 7559
When yo
Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk
CONTENTS
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 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
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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
FEATURES
3
Peaks and troughs
Former Emmerdale star tries his hand
at farming
5
Putting faith in movement
Class combines exercise and Scripture
8
‘God brings peace and comfort’
Interview with TV’s Katie Piper
10 Chef plants good recipe ideas
8
O 15
Discovering vegan alternatives
REGULARS
4
War Cry World
12 Team Talk 13 Now, There’s a Thought! 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: DAN KENNEDY
Kelvin embarks on a new adventure with his young family
BBC/JON PARKER LEE
Former Emmerdale star takes on a real farming challenge TV preview by Emily Bright
H
AVING played fictional Emmerdale farmer Andy Sugden for 20 years, it seems apt that actor Kelvin Fletcher is ploughing his energies into farming life for real. The former Strictly winner has purchased a disused 120-acre farm on the edge of the Peak District. He’s keen to restore it. However, in the documentary series Kelvin’s Big Farming Adventure – which starts on BBC One on Monday (17 January) – the wheels appear to be coming off. Kelvin, wife Liz and their two children up sticks from Oldham, Greater Manchester, to pursue his childhood dream of living in the countryside. However, he has zero agricultural experience. He’s keen not to come a cropper, so seeks out the expertise of neighbouring sheep farmer Gilly, who sells her rare breed fleeces to fashion designers across the globe. She gives Kelvin an introduction to shearing, wrangling and deworming sheep. Gilly quickly realises that Kelvin doesn’t have a clue about farming, so remains on hand to share her words of wisdom.
As time goes on, Kelvin faces a growing list of maintenance tasks on his very own animal farm. There’s a six-bedroom home to look after, as well as outlying barns and an 18th-century cottage that requires renovation. All the while, Liz and Kelvin have to raise two young children. The couple become overwhelmed as they try to balance the time-consuming reality of farming, childcare and their careers as working actors. Kelvin’s hardly as happy as a pig in muck. As narrator Maxine Peake succinctly puts it, ‘The Fletchers’ farm is only 30 miles from Oldham, but it’s a million miles from their old lives.’ Like Kelvin, we may sometimes feel overwhelmed at the scale of the challenges we face in life. We may be dealing with difficulties in our workplace, spiralling costs or pressures on our relationships and friendships. At such times, Christians find comfort in the words of a Bible writer, Paul. He
played a pivotal role in supporting the early Church, and he had a great relationship with God. But he struggled sometimes too. He wrote about how he had a metaphorical thorn in his flesh, which he could not remove. While he didn’t specify what particular challenge he was grappling with, he felt God say to him: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Corinthians 12:9 New International Version). Those words transformed the way Paul viewed his testing circumstances. He realised that, in his helplessness, he could rely on God’s power and strength to see him through, and together they could tackle the problem head-on. We, too, can root ourselves in a relationship with God, who will sustain us, whatever challenges we may experience. All we need to do is invite him into our lives, and we will reap a more fulfilling life than we could have ever dreamt.
We may sometimes feel overwhelmed
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IN honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Christian churches, charities and youth organisations are working together on a challenge to carry out 70 acts of service in their communities. Hope Together, a Christian organisation, has suggested 70 simple ways to make a positive difference, and is inviting people to choose a handful of acts or to complete one a day for 70 days. The acts include making a care package for someone in need, writing a letter to someone facing persecution and collecting goods for a food bank. But those taking part can come up with their own ideas for serving others. The suggestions have been posted on the website theplatinumjubilee.com, which also includes advice for churches on planning a Platinum Jubilee party for the community on the fourday bank holiday in June.
a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk @TheWarCryUK TheWarCryUK
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Community service recognised by new year honour
Good shepherd has a ring to it FN A
A SALVATION Army officer named in the new year’s honours list said he was ‘delighted to accept the honour in recognition of The Salvation Army’s work across the United Kingdom throughout the pandemic’. Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant, who is the church and charity’s secretary for communications in the UK and Republic of Ireland, has been appointed MBE ‘for services to the community through The Salvation Army’. After the announcement of the honours list – in which Salvation Army fundraising head Julius Wolff-Ingham was also appointed OBE – Lieut-Colonel Pallant said that everyone ‘mobilised extremely quickly when lockdown started, and we’ve continued to adapt brilliantly. Our 650 churches continue to respond to a huge range of needs in all corners of the UK. Our staff have done an amazing work to keep open our residential centres for people experiencing homelessness, for older people and for survivors of modern slavery. We’ve also ramped up our services to help people find work, training and deal with debt.’
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A RING bearing an image that symbolises Jesus has been found by archaeologists off Israel’s coast, the BBC reports. The Roman-era gold ring, which the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has described as an ‘exquisite and rare find’, is set with a green gemstone, into which is carved a figure of a shepherd boy carrying a sheep on his shoulders. The image was used by early Christians to represent Jesus, who describes himself in the Bible as ‘the good shepherd’. The ring was discovered among artefacts in two shipwrecks near the ancient port of Caesarea, home to one of the first Christian communities, and the place where Jesus’ disciple Peter baptised the Roman centurion Cornelius. ‘The ships were probably anchored nearby and were wrecked by a storm,’ said Jacob Sharvit of the IAA’s marine archaeology unit. He added that Cornelius’s baptism ‘was the first instance of a non-Jew being accepted into the Christian community. From here, the Christian religion began to be disseminated across the world.’
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Moving meditations
Ruth Carpenter
RUTH CARPENTER talks about why she has created a movement class called Psalms & Stretches, which combines exercise with Scripture Interview by Emily Bright
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INCE welcoming in 2022, those people who valiantly vowed to become fitter and healthier in the coming year may have begun to feel that their workouts are now waning. But some exercise classes feel more sustainable than others. One example is Psalms & Stretches, a gentle movement class that combines exercises with meditations on the Bible’s Book of Psalms. What began as a class in a coffee shop in London has now become a brand with sessions taking place online and in person across England and Scotland. ‘Each class starts with a prayer, then we look at the verses from Psalms that we’ve picked for the day,’ explains Psalms & Stretches founder Ruth Carpenter. ‘We have a gentle warm-up and then build with a series of little exercises to prepare the body for doing a psalm sequence, where we combine the words of the Bible with the movements. There’s also room for
reflection about the psalm.’ Ruth, who trained in dance for 10 years, began to develop the idea of Psalms & Stretches back in 2016 when she was teaching other fitness classes, one of which offered time to relax at the end. ‘I felt like God was saying: “I can use this space.” It was a meditative, quiet space that people are often looking for. I felt that Christians were missing an opportunity to find God in a modern wellbeing activity. ‘I wanted to bring God into the centre of my practice of attending to my wellbeing – physically, mentally and spiritually. At the same time, I wanted to remember Bible verses but didn’t learn them easily. However, I could remember dance routines and choreography. ‘I realised I could combine my skills to create a form of alternative worship, where people could
We combine the words of the Bible with the movements
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From page 5 minister to their wellbeing but also learn Scripture. It was the kind of class I wanted to go to myself.’ So Ruth decided to translate the words of the Psalms into actions through a choreographed sequence of stretches, which are repeated in classes for several weeks in a row. ‘That way,’ she explains, ‘not only do you learn them in your head, but they also filter into your heart, and you’ll remember them through muscle memory as well.’ Psalms & Stretches aims to be as inclusive as possible, with chair-assisted classes on offer from selected instructors. It seeks to appeal to men and women (Ruth’s husband and other men from her church take part) and to Christians and non-Christians. She explains how, even for those unacquainted with the Bible, the classes remain relevant and enjoyable. ‘We describe the Psalms as poetry from
the Bible, and we read them in the light of the New Testament. The simplicity of it is that it is the Bible and exercise – two things which we know to be good for us. ‘We create and facilitate space for people to engage with Scripture if they want to. So, even though there’s a reflection that instructors offer about each psalm in a couple of sentences to get people thinking, there isn’t a sermon.’ She suggests that this gentle introduction to the Christian faith has a lot of potential. ‘In the early days of Psalms & Stretches, someone said: “Wow that was good. I’ve never read the Bible. I might give it a go.” People are a lot more open to it than you’d think.’ Ruth believes that one of the reasons people are happy to engage with the Psalms is that they are lines of poetry that reflect the ups and downs of life. ‘The Psalms are so beautiful,’ she says. ‘We pick lots of different ones. Some
The Psalms speak to challenges that we experience
6 • WAR CRY • 15 January 2022
of them really speak to challenges that we experience, and so I think they’re universal. We want the classes to be as accessible as possible.’ In that spirit, she decided to expand her idea to reach more people. In February 2020, she started training courses for new instructors. She remembers: ‘I felt God tell me: “This is about what the classes could bring to other people.” And I knew there would be so many other talented instructors who had the same gifts and skills and who could build community and relationships where they were.’ Psalms & Stretches now has 21 instructors from a range of fitness and dance backgrounds, who offer a mixture of online and in-person classes. During the pandemic, the expanded programme took off. Ruth is certain that it did so because people were looking for ways to care for their wellbeing. She received positive feedback from instructors and class participants, with one person who attended a taster day
Psalms & Stretches operates both in-person and (below) online
saying that it felt as if she’d been in a spa for three weeks. Ruth is delighted to be helping so many people and hopes Psalms & Stretches will enable them to connect with God in new ways as they exercise. ‘Movement is powerful, and there’s definitely something spiritual about it,’ she says. ‘It’s quite an underutilised part of our human expression that we can use to connect with God.’ She speaks from personal experience. ‘On one occasion, I wanted to pray for someone who said they were really struggling but hadn’t given me details. So I drew on a psalm sequence I’d created. ‘The psalm said: “May the Lord answer you when you’re in distress, and the name of
the God of Jacob protect you, may he grant you help from the sanctuary.” It is a prayer on someone else’s behalf. So I felt it was something active that I could do.’ Brought up in a Christian home, Ruth decided to follow Jesus for herself in her twenties after attending a church which operated out of a Soho bar and which enabled her to ask questions about faith. ‘You don’t expect to meet God in a bar in Soho on a Wednesday night,’ she says. ‘Yet that’s where I knew he was real, as opposed to someone my parents had told me about. Since then, there have been definite moments where I’ve encountered the Holy Spirit and known I’m not alone.’ Ruth elaborates on what a relationship with God means to her. ‘Faith, for me, speaks about
who I am and why I’m here,’ she says. ‘It’s something that gives me a sense of purpose and belonging. ‘It’s comforting but also so freeing to know that our Father in Heaven loves us completely and has a plan for our lives. ‘With my Christian faith, I have a sense of being seen and being known. It’s about being loved and finding your place in God’s Kingdom. I want to share that with other people. I would love to see Psalms & Stretches utilised in schools, prisons and care homes. I believe God has a plan, and I can’t wait to see where he will take it.’
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tv presenter KATIE PIPER explains how knowing God can bring peace and comfort in times of busyness Interview by Claire Brine
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T’S tempting in January to list all the virtuous things that we would like to achieve over the next year. Get fit. Go green. Give up something that’s bad for us. But TV presenter Katie Piper is encouraging people to apply the brakes to their busy schedules and spend some time in reflection. ‘It’s often difficult to find time to pause, because many of us feel so busy and overwhelmed,’ says Katie, who is part of the presenting team on BBC One’s Songs of Praise as well as a panellist on ITV’s Loose Women. ‘I think that in the first Covid lockdown, we saw the power of being able to stop. Having that one walk a day did something positive for people. But, although taking time out is important, it doesn’t just happen. You have to seek it out and make it a reality. When you find a book or an app that reminds you to be consistent with it, that can help.’ To mark each day of 2022, Katie intends to read aloud on Instagram the affirmations from her latest daily devotional book A Little Bit of Faith. But she explains that there are plenty of other sources that can be useful for getting into the habit of conducting daily reflections. ‘The Lectio 365 app is good. The person speaking on it guides you through a prayer, then they read a passage from the Bible and share their interpretation of it. I like to listen to that.’ In the introduction to A Little Bit of Faith, Katie talks about her Christian faith and what it means to her. Some of the daily affirmations in her book are direct quotes from the Bible. She describes God as someone who
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makes time for faith DAN KENNEDY
helps her to make sense of life. ‘I suppose everyone sees God differently,’ she tells me, ‘but in my personal experience, finding faith has stopped me from asking questions all the time, such as “why?” or “what if?” Coming to faith was about surrendering to God and finding peace of mind. It was very soothing to get to that place.’ Although Katie wasn’t raised in a churchgoing family, she became a Christian in her early twenties, after she was attacked and was left with severe injuries, internal and external, and which require ongoing operations. ‘In hospital, I met a nurse who had a faith – and she shared her faith with me,’ she says. ‘The more she talked about it, the more I felt God reassuring me that my life would get better, that I mustn’t give up and that I needed to hold on. I wasn’t dreaming – this was
The God I believe in brings peace and comfort something I really experienced. It was a standout moment. To this day, I feel God working in my life. His presence is real.’ When Katie was well enough to leave hospital, she began attending church. ‘I found it to be a place of high energy and positivity,’ she says. ‘Sometimes it was emotional. Sometimes overwhelming. The people at church were great. I always felt welcome there.’ Over the next few years, as Katie tried to come to terms with the trauma of her attack, she found that her faith became stronger. In 2020, she decided to put her love for God in the spotlight when she joined the presenting team on Songs of Praise. Though she describes the job as ‘a dream come true’, some of her social media followers felt differently. They jumped to conclusions about what Katie must think on certain issues, and they began to criticise her. ‘I felt it was important to let them have their say, then I tried to answer their questions,’ says Katie. ‘Sometimes the Bible is misquoted or misinterpreted – but the God I believe in brings peace and comfort. In what can be a chaotic, fast-paced life, he brings me reason. I believe he has a plan for me and my life, and it’s one I can trust in. He’s my creator.’ A hugely important part of Katie’s life is her charity, the Katie Piper Foundation,
Katie with her book of daily affirmations
which works for ‘a brighter future for all survivors of burns and scars’. She was appointed OBE in the new year honours for services to charity. She concludes our conversation by reflecting on one particular passage in her book which she hopes will encourage readers to treat others with Christian love, patience and forgiveness. ‘I think it’s true that hurt people hurt people,’ she says. ‘And I believe that people become angry, irritable and unkind because of fear. But when we recognise that fact, we can begin to move to a place of empathy. We can
show compassion and understanding. We never really know what people are going through in life, and I’d like to think my faith helps me to be more tolerant, respectful and kind.’
l A Little Bit of Faith is published by SPCK
15 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 9
Lifestyle change gives To mark Veganuary – a campaign that encourages people to try veganism for the month of January – chef and blogger TOMI MAKANJUOLA talks about her decision to change her diet and how she is still able to enjoy the dishes she loves Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku
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T is said that change doesn’t happen overnight, but for Tomi Makanjuola the decision to become a vegan was almost instant. ‘While I was studying English and French at university I spent a year abroad in France, and I had a lot more time to think about my health and wellbeing,’ she says. ‘I asked myself questions about what I was eating and the Tomi Makanjuola effect it was having on my energy levels. I was also starting to look at animal agriculture – the way it’s carried out and the way we treat animals – that, I was led down a path to discovering says, ‘so faith has always been a big part and I just didn’t agree with it. veganism. And I pretty much went vegan of my life, and I draw on the principles of ‘As consumers, we don’t always know overnight.’ compassion and stewardship. God created where our food comes from and we don’t Tomi made her decision just before the the Earth, and he created us to live in always investigate to find out how it’s Christmas holidays, when she would be harmony with nature and the world around processed. Once I took a closer look at leaving her French hosts and us. The way we are returning to her family home in destroying the planet England. The break gave her a and the way we are chance to implement her new treating animals goes lifestyle choice. in opposition to that in ‘I cut out meat a big way.’ completely, then I cut As Tomi continued out dairy and eggs, with her plant-based and by the end diet, she tried out new of the week, I felt so dishes in the kitchen and experimented much better that I was with the meals she grew up eating, which convinced I wanted to eventually led her down another path. live that way long‘I started a blog, The Vegan Nigerian, term,’ she says. to document the ways that I was ‘After that, I didn’t “veganising” a lot of traditional Nigerian look back.’ meals,’ she explains. ‘My love for cooking One influence and food grew exponentially, so that by on her decision the time I graduated I decided to seek was her employment in a vegan restaurant.’ Christian faith. In 2018, after a couple of years working Although not as a professional chef, and a brief stint all Christians in another industry, Tomi began working are vegans, solely on The Vegan Nigerian. Tomi felt that ‘In 2019 alone I catered for weddings it was the and led in-person cooking classes in right way London,’ she says. ‘I did food festivals for her to and continued my dining events. I was express her trying out lots of things to see what beliefs. worked and what didn’t, but then, of ‘I was born course, 2020 hit. And I had to pivot to A vegan version of and raised online.’ a traditional Nigerian in a Christian In addition to the blog she has been dish, plantain and household,’ she running for years, Tomi is on Instagram egusi stew
I draw on the principles of compassion and stewardship
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food for thought
Before the pandemic, Tomi ran cooking classes
where she has a following of more than 26,000 people, so she was well equipped to run cooking classes online when Covid-19 restrictions were introduced. She has also released her second cookbook, Vegan Nigerian Kitchen, and was asked to speak virtually at a Cop26 side event about how it was possible to have a plant-based diet that is good for the planet without losing your culture. One of the ways in which Tomi is able to enjoy her culture is by using substitutes in traditional Nigerian dishes. ‘In my stews and soups, I’ll use things like mushroom or aubergine instead of meat,’ she says. ‘There are lots of different
Pancakes made using pounded yam – a popular Nigerian food
ingredients people can use. I think what people are really enjoying in a meal is the texture and the taste, not the animal itself. So if you can take care of the taste with a blend of spices and seasoning, and replicate the texture using plant-based ingredients, I don’t think you miss out on anything.’ While Tomi is a vegan all year round, she supports the aims of Veganuary, a campaign that encourages people to try veganism throughout January. ‘I’ve seen a lot of people who have tried Veganuary,’ she says. ‘Even if they don’t go fully vegan, they do end up implementing changes, like reducing their meat intake, which is a good thing.’ As well as having an influence on her
I’ll use mushroom or aubergine instead of meat
choice of food, Tomi’s faith enables her to make an impact on people’s lives through what she does. ‘My faith allows me to talk about veganism from a completely different lens, because it’s not just about me. I see that God can have a hand in it. What I’m talking about can help someone in their life, and spread positivity and goodness.’
l For more information visit vegannigerian.com 15 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 11
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, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.
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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.
talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK Tick, tock, it’s time to start slowing down
Sarah Olowofoyeku gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters
FROM dancing babies to DIY hacks to a day in the life of a pilot’s daughter, social media app TikTok has everything you could possibly imagine. Last month, a BBC news item highlighted how religion has been booming on the app, with videos using #christiantiktok collectively gaining almost 11 billion views. Reporter Sofia Bettiza spoke with two nuns from the Daughters of St Paul in Boston, USA, whose videos of pranks at the convent have amassed millions of views, prompting users to comment on how nice it is to see nuns having fun. The app, which has one billion active monthly users worldwide, gives people from all walks of life the opportunity to share their everyday reality with others, so I’ve seen anything I could – and couldn’t – think of on there. And that includes content from some of the billions of people on the planet who have a Christian faith. Other videos on #christiantiktok feature both humorous and serious content about faith experiences. Some users explain the Scriptures or address difficult questions. Others post videos of themselves praying directly into the camera as a way of praying for all the people who will see their video. I think it’s a great way to introduce (or reintroduce) people to faith and to show that Christians are normal and have fun, but also that there are things that we still find challenging. One of the downsides, however, is that it might be hard for viewers to reach anything but a surface level of Christianity through the three-minute-or-less videos on a social media app. In all areas of life, it seems, we are becoming increasingly accustomed to quick solutions – whether that’s next-day delivery, instant messaging or social media soundbites about complex topics. Maybe this year we can resolve to take the time to slow down, learn (or relearn) the art of patience and engage with topics that interest us on a deeper level. A TikTok video can be amazing, but perhaps it would be even better if we use it as a springboard to having a conversation with someone or taking some time to read up on the Bible. It might offer us more than we could possibly imagine.
Christians are normal and have fun
Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen
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War Cry 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN
Basic reading about Christianity Information about The Salvation Army
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 • 15 January 2022
NOW, THERE’S A THOUGHT!
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QUICK QUIZ 1
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Who starred as Scottish warrior William Wallace in the 1995 film Braveheart?
Jacinda Ardern is the prime minister of which country?
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Which Anglo-African composer wrote ‘Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast’, premiered in 1898? St Basil’s Cathedral is in which Russian city?
What TV drama, starring Adrian Dunbar as DSI Ted Hastings, follows the investigations of a police anti-corruption unit? Who wrote the sci-fi novel Dune? ANSWERS
by Barbara Lang
A winter’s tale can give more than cold comfort A
S the winter season takes a grip, it is a time to try to keep warm and wear more layers or thicker clothes. Despite the cold, I know many people who thoroughly enjoy getting out on a frosty morning when the sky is a piercing blue, or donning their wellies to walk through freshly fallen snow. Other people, however, do not have the opportunity to walk in the crisp air and see the winter landscape. Frailty or poor health can mean they have to stay indoors more when winter comes. For them, winter is marked by the desire to heat their homes and to switch the lights on earlier in the day. But, whether we embrace it or feel we have to endure it, winter is only one season. It may feel long and make us weary, but it is passing. Each cold day leads us closer to spring, which in turn will give way to summer. These things cannot be halted or postponed. The seasons, and all the changes they bring, continue to rotate around us. They are part of the natural world. People have been reflecting on the natural rhythm of the world for centuries. One ancient scribe noted that there were different times and seasons not only in nature, but also in everyone’s lives. Some were good and some difficult. He said that there was ‘a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance … a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away’ (Ecclesiastes 3:4 and 6 New International Version). Ideally, we would all be living through a time of peace and joy today. But if we are not, we can remember that the season we are in right now can change, and that, if we ask him to, God will be with us whatever the weather.
The season we are in right now can change
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1. Mel Gibson. 2. New Zealand. 3. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor. 4. Moscow. 5. Line of Duty. 6. Frank Herbert.
PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Captivate (7) 5. Decoration (5) 7. Frankness (7) 8. Between (5) 10. Kiln (4) 11. Persuade (8) 13. Stretch (6) 14. Steady (6) 17. Declare (8) 19. Note (4) 21. Additional (5) 22. Letter (7) 23. Shelf (5) 24. Hang (7) DOWN 2. Nunnery (7) 3. Excited (4) 4. Dullness (6) 5. Encourage (8) 6. Condescend (5) 7. Work together (9) 9. Accordingly (9) 12. Rise and fall (8) 15. Respire (7)
SUDOKU Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9
6
2
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7 1 4 8 9 2 3 5 4 7 8 9 4 3 1 9 6 2 7 1 3 8 5 16. Entry (6) 18. Recorded (5) 20. Prejudice (4)
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WORDSEARCH
6 5 7 2 4 3 8 9 1 8 9 2 5 7 1 4 3 6 Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on 4 3featuring 1 8artificial 6 9intelligence 2 7 5 the grid to find these films 3 1 5 9 2 4 7 6 8 Y O V E L S R A W R A T S G Z K B F V C F H X R Q O L E Q S G P Z D 7 2 8 1 5 6I T V K 9 4 3 M G O Q X Y Q E D Z W Z E Q N J N K B 9 I 6R C U 4 3I T Q A T X Q 8 7 1 5 2 G D S H O R T C X N Z F E Q J N Y M V Q E U M H J U R 1 7 9 6 3 2 5 8 4 K I X J Y U G E E R F R H L E E Q B N 5 4 6 7 1 8 3 2 9 C E V F V X L G S O S V A M T Q G D B K V K K Q L J 2I F 8T W 3 I 4A R R E R T X 9 5 6 1 7
M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number
D B Z M A K Y L E A N T O B O R I Z L L G R W Z H N L O N R N Z Q P K H N M S J Y C Q Z L E E I E B Y X O U W Z X S O Z R Z A T T X M V E B N L N R D P Z O P W R Z N N C R Q Y A V I S G W R D S O P Q E F I Z E H Q B A S P Z H S Q Z C J C R L R L T Z K A L Z Y M X Q S N O I T A R E N E G K E R T R A T S U V B J A Q Y P F H H G B K I Q J P L X M O Z R X H U A T H H M K F A H Y W D H R W S I E S Z Q F K Y Y V O J V A
1. Damage 2. Push forward 3. Stick used in the game of hurling 4. Reddish brown colour 5. Afternoon nap 6. Auctioneer’s gavel
ANSWERS 6 8 4 3 7 9 1 5 2
7 2 1 5 8 4 9 6 3
5 9 3 1 2 6 7 4 8
2 5 8 9 1 3 6 7 4
4 7 6 2 5 8 3 1 9
3 1 9 4 6 7 2 8 5
8 4 2 7 9 1 5 3 6
9 6 2 7 1 3 5
8
9 3 7 6 4 5 8 2 1
1 6 5 8 3 2 4 9 7 7 4
HONEYCOMB 1. Impair. 2. Propel. 3. Hurley. 4. Russet. 5. Siesta. 6. Hammer. QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Enchant. 5. Medal. 7. Candour. 8. Twixt. 10. Oven. 11. Convince. 13. Extend. 14. Stable. 17. Announce. 19. Memo. 21. Extra. 22. Epistle. 23. Ledge. 24. Suspend. DOWN: 2. Convent. 3. Agog. 4. Torpor. 5. Motivate. 6. Deign. 7. Co-operate. 9. Therefore. 12. Undulate. 15. Breathe. 16. Access. 18. Noted. 20. Bias.
14 • WAR CRY • 15 January 2022
2 4
BICENTENNIAL MAN FREE GUY I, ROBOT INTERSTELLAR METROPOLIS ROBOCOP SHORT CIRCUIT
STAR TREK: GENERATIONS STAR WARS SUPERINTELLIGENCE THE MATRIX THE TERMINATOR TRON WALL-E
Tuna and egg pie Ingredients 675g potatoes, peeled 75g butter 6 large British Lion eggs 3tbsp plain flour 450ml milk Salt and freshly ground black pepper 100g cheddar cheese, grated 400g can tuna chunks in brine, drained and flaked 75g frozen peas 75g frozen sweetcorn
Method Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Cut the potatoes into large even-sized chunks, then cook in boiling salted water for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash with 25g butter. Set aside. Meanwhile, place the eggs in a medium pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 7 minutes. Drain, then rinse in cold water. Peel off the shells and cut the eggs into large chunks. Set aside. Place the remaining 50g butter in a medium pan with the flour and milk. Gently heat, stirring with a wire whisk until the mixture boils and thickens. Reduce the heat and cook for 1 minute. Season to taste and stir in 50g cheese. Set aside. Scatter the chopped eggs, drained tuna, peas and sweetcorn over the base of an ovenproof dish. Pour over the cheese sauce and lightly stir. Use a fork and spoon to spread the potato on top. Scatter over the remaining 50g cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until piping hot and golden on top, to serve.
SERVES
4
Salmon, pea and broccoli egg muffins Ingredients 8 British Lion eggs 50g fresh white breadcrumbs 50g self-raising flour Pepper 2 cooked skinless salmon fillets, flaked 3 spring onions, finely sliced 100g frozen peas, thawed 100g broccoli florets, finely chopped
Method Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with squares of non-stick baking paper. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then add the breadcrumbs and flour. Season with lots of pepper and mix well. Fold in the salmon, spring onions, peas and broccoli. Divide the mixture between the muffin cases. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden and springy to the touch. Leave the muffins to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve after cooling or store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
MAKES
12
Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the British Egg Information Service website egginfo.co.uk
15 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 15
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace! Attributed to Francis of Assisi
WAR CRY