War Cry 17 October 2020

Celebrities write to thank NHS workers

17 October 2020 20p/25c

Saturday night’s alright for dancing Strictly waltzes back

Former cop’s work to arrest racism

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity providing services in the community, particularly to those who are vulnerable and marginalised. Motivated by our Christian faith, we offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK to all who need them, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. To find your nearest centre visit salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church

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 7496

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 UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Helpline: 020 7367 4888 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org 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 Territory with the Republic of Ireland 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 Walstead Roche Ltd, St Austell, on sustainably sourced paper

Your local Salvation Army centre

INFO 2 • War Cry • 17 October 2020

EDITOR From desk From the editor’s desk

GENERATIONS of people who grew up watching TV classics such as SINGING is good forJuliet you. So sayand scientists on the Dixon of Dock Green, Bravo The Billquoted developed a certain BBC Future saidcould that singing boost to perception of website. the policeThe as experts people who always can be trusted ourthe moods and sense of social do right thing.

Children were connection. taught that if they became lost, they Perhaps it is for with these benefits in mind that people have been should look out a constable on the beat and, in an age before joining online choirs during lockdown.

In this week’s issue, the mobile phones, the advice was: if you want to know the time, ask Cry’s Sarah Olowofoyeku joins a virtual rehearsal of the London aWar policeman.

International Gospel to discover for herself pleasures Sadly, this was not Choir everyone’s experience.

In thethe 1980s, when a peoplesuggested have foundtoofLeroy singing alone, others. his mentor Logan thatyet hetogether becomewith a policeman, Meanwhile Austen found similar value in running. initial thought was: ‘DoHardwick I look likehas a racist?’

This week’s War Cry also includes an interview the marathon Leroy’s experiences of the Metropolitan Policewith while growing up as runner who found that his sport helped him to regain his life afterBut a young man of colour in London had been anything but positive. hebelieved sufferedthat three strokes while in early the forties. he if he was going to his change experiences of future However, it was not only running that helped recovery. generations, he would have to do that within the Austen’s Met. His Christian faith played a vital part in him taking a positive Once he became a police officer, Leroy rose through the ranks, approach becoming to all that a hesuperintendent. faced. eventually He also helped to form the ‘When I was in hospital,’ Austen says, ‘I asked God take the what Black Police Association (BPA), despite opposition fromto within I was going through and to transform me through it.’ force. Before he retired, his efforts were recognised when he was Christians believe that God canpolice take any or anything appointed MBE for services to the andsituation community relations. that they do or face and use it to make a positive impact others’ In an interview in this week’s War Cry, Leroy describes the in impact his lives or their That been the experience of painter Oliver Christian faith own. had on hishas work.

Pengilley.

‘What I had to do with the BPA was God’s work,’ he tells us, adding: Oliver hadI’ve developed a successful as aninartist some ‘I don’t think been doing it alone …career I’ve been God’swith hands.’ of his work selling for significant sums of money.

But, as he tells Leroy is one of many people whose stories have been told in the War theover War many Cry this week, he grew frustrated.

Cry years – Christians who felt compelled by their faith to ‘I didn’t see the meaning of it,’ he Now he travels to they make a difference in the situations andsays. communities in which churches all over the world to paint pictures during worship found themselves. sessions and his faith-based hasahelped other people in That is because Christianity artwork is not only personal religion which their own faith journey. provides the believer with a relationship with God. It is also a faith that It istoanchallenge amazing wrong truth that God can and takeactions any skilland, a person hasso, wants perceptions in doing or any they are facing and can transform it into something make lifesituation better for everyone. that can change their lives and the lives of the people around them.

Contents

What is The Salvation Army?

FEATURES 3

Keep dancing!

Strictly steps back into the spotlight

5

A century of thanks 100 celebrities write in praise of the NHS

6

Sow much care Rural chaplain talks about his role

8

‘The Met can be for all communities’ Former police officer speaks out

REGULARS 4

War Cry World

12

Team Talk

13

Now, There’s a Thought!

14 Puzzles 15

6

War Cry Kitchen

8

Front-page picture: BBC/DAVID OLDHAM

15

TELEVISION Professional group dances were recorded ahead of the live shows

Emily Bright looks forward to the uplifting return of a dancing spectacle

K

EEP dancing! Strictly Come Dancing embodies its catchphrase, adapting to coronavirus restrictions as it returns to BBC One today (Saturday 17 October).

First broadcast in May 2004, Strictly is now a staple of the Saturday night TV schedule every autumn. Each week, celebrities and their professional dance partners spin, sway and sashay across the dancefloor to delight the judges and voting public.

The Strictly crew has leapt into action this year to implement a socially distanced live orchestra, pre-recorded group dance routines filmed within bubbles and a video link enabling one of the judges to cast an eye over the choreography. As it takes two to tango, each celebrity will create a support bubble with their professional dance partner, with one of the pair living alone. If any of the contestants contract coronavirus, they will be automatically eliminated.

Although the nine-week series may look different this year, viewers and competitors alike can continue to share in the joy, fun, sparkle and drama of the show.

Television presenter Katie Piper, who took part two years ago, was happy to tell the War Cry about her time on Strictly: ‘What an experience!’ she says.

‘It was incredible to try to learn a new

ce partner Katie Piper performs with her dan

skill, but my overriding memories are fun, new friends, sequins, spray tans and amazing outfits.’

Journalist Jeremy Vine, who was a contestant back in 2015, tells the War Cry about the programme’s wider significance: ‘Strictly brings joy because it is such a joyful show to be a part of. You go through all these crazy emotions and it’s completely unreal. In a way, it’s an unreality show – and it’s perfect for this period in British history where we are all sick and tired of real life.’

As the world reels from coronavirus, we can all feel overwhelmed by its financial, social and medical implications. But feelgood shows that we have followed for years can provide some comfort and joy.

While many people may seek escapism in entertainment, some have found the Bible to be an unbeatable source of strength. The book is brimming with stories of how God has helped people overcome seemingly

It is such a joyful show

Gorka Marquez in 2018

impossible situations.

The Book of Jeremiah chronicles the fall of Jerusalem, which forced the Jewish people into exile in Babylon. All seemed lost. But God had not forsaken them, and he consoled them by offering a hopeful glimpse of the future.

He pledged that they would eventually be restored and that they would experience joy again. He told them: ‘Young women will dance for joy; young men will join them, old ones too. For I will turn their mourning into joy. I will comfort my people and replace their sorrow with gladness’ (Jeremiah 31:13 The Voice).

God fulfilled his promise in that ancient time and place, and he is still at work everywhere today, redeeming heartbreaking situations and bringing joy, peace and comfort to millions.

Sometimes it can seem that the situations we face are spinning out of control. But if we trust in God, he will give us all that we need for every situation we face.

Will we get in step with him?

17 October 2020 • War Cry • 3

BBC/GUY LEVY

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THE brother of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman has paid tribute to the actor, who died in August, and reminisced about their Christian upbringing.

Pastor Derrick Boseman shared his memories of growing up with Chadwick (pictured) with The New York Times, which reported that ‘faith was an anchor in their lives’. The feature added that the boys went to Sunday school, youth group and Bible studies and sang in the choir at the Welfare Baptist Church in South Carolina.

Chadwick’s family believed that biblical teachings encouraged the actor to support his community, even purchasing ‘hundreds of movie tickets for needy children in Anderson’. The paper said that Chadwick ‘took that faith to his dying breath’, taking virtual prayer calls with his family.

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Lennon’s key moments remembered at Strawberry Field THE piano used by John Lennon to compose ‘Imagine’ has gone on display at Strawberry Field in Liverpool, courtesy of the estate of singer George Michael. The instrument was delivered to the Salvation Army site to mark what would have been Lennon’s 80th birthday and has been installed in its visitor centre exhibition. As a child, Lennon played in the grounds of The Salvation Army’s Strawberry Field children’s home, which later inspired him to write the Beatles song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’.

Commenting on the loan of the upright Steinway piano – purchased by George Michael in 2000 – a representative of his estate said: ‘We know that the piano will be a source of hope and inspiration to all who come to see it, in the same way that it inspired George since he bought it some 20 years ago.’

Lennon’s sister, Julia Baird – who is honorary president of Strawberry Field – says that the ‘wonderful gesture will bring joy’ to the hundreds of thousands of Beatles fans who visit the site.

‘Strawberry Field played a pivotal role in John’s childhood as one of the first places that sparked his young imagination,’ she said. ‘It’s fitting, therefore, that this piano should find a new home here where The Salvation Army continues to do such good work with young adults with learning difficulties.’

After closing as a children’s home in 2005, Strawberry Field was reopened by The Salvation Army last year as a centre that provides opportunities for young people who face barriers to employment. The new hub offers training, skills and work placements.

Julia Baird with the ‘Imagine’ piano

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Thanks a million!

FEATURE

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SIR CLIFF Richard will talk about what his Christian faith means to him when he makes a guest appearance on Radio 2’s Good Morning Sunday tomorrow (18 October).

In a remotely recorded interview, the singer will reveal how his faith has sustained him ‘through tragedy and turbulence’.

During the interview with the Rev Kate Bottley and Jason Mohammad, he charts his life from his family’s emigration to postwar Britain from India in 1948 to his becoming the third best-selling artist in the UK. He describes the shock of listening to Elvis for the first time, reveals what it was like to perform his first gigs in a Soho coffee house, and talks about his enduring passion for music ahead of his latest album release, ‘Music … the Air that I Breathe’.

Celebrities share why they love the NHS, reports Claire Brine

W

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

The stories are inspirational

@TheWarCryUK TheWarCryUK

B salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

Library picture posed by model

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CHURCHES in Exeter have launched an initiative to offer practical and emotional support to university students who are facing local lockdown restrictions.

The Studenthelp scheme includes deliveries of food to students who are self-isolating, a dial-a-toastie service, socially-distanced guided tours of the city for freshers, outdoor coffee meetups and online and in-person church services. Some of the churches have also set up a Studenthelp email address so that students or their parents can make contact and ask for help.

The Archdeacon of Exeter, the Rev Canon Andrew Beane, who is helping to co-ordinate the initiative, said: ‘We will connect students with a church who might be able to help if they are self-isolating, feeling alone, afraid, worried or just want to make a connection with the community.’

University students in Exeter have not been permitted to meet indoors with anyone who is not in their own household, after a rising number of coronavirus cases on campus.

HAT do Stephen Fry, Malala Yousafzai, Paul McCartney, Dawn French and Trevor McDonald have in common? They, along with millions of others, are grateful for the NHS. In Dear NHS: 100 Stories To Say Thank You – compiled by author Adam Kay during lockdown – more than 100 household names have put pen to paper to share their experiences of the National Health Service.

Graham Norton recalls the life-saving treatment he received after being stabbed as a student. Miranda Hart remembers a colonoscopy appointment, during a time when she was enjoying ‘an increased level of fame’. Naomie Harris reflects on a spinal operation, describing the nurses who cared for her as ‘living, breathing angels’. While the stories are a mixture of the funny, sad, surreal and inspirational, the writers behind them share one crucial sentiment: appreciation.

The NHS is ‘the thing keeping us together’, writes Emma Watson, commenting on the coronavirus pandemic. ‘How can I possibly thank you enough?’ An answer comes in another story, written by Matt Haig, who quotes a nurse as saying: ‘You just get on with it, don’t you?’

It’s a fair statement. NHS staff or not, many people believe that getting on with what’s in front of them is all they can do.

There’s no telling what tomorrow will bring.

So they crack on, and perhaps cross their fingers for the best.

But Christians believe there’s another option.

They trust that, whatever happens in the future, they won’t have to face it alone. They believe that they will be given the strength and grace to cope with anything that life throws at them – because they have faith in someone who is bigger than any global pandemic.

Jesus told his followers: ‘In this world you will have trouble. But take heart!

I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33 New International Version).

When a difficult year causes a whole country to feel isolated and afraid, we can choose to face our uncertain future with Jesus, who is willing to help us at every turn and bring us peace in every circumstance. His love, which conquered death on a cross, still conquers all. Thank God for that.

17 October 2020 • War Cry • 5

WE PLOUGH THE FIELDS Salvation Army rural chaplain ANDREW JARROLD tells Emily Bright about planting the seeds of faith in rural and farming communities

Andrew Jarrold

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HE Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.’ Those poetic words, frequently quoted at funerals, echo down through the generations. They are taken from Psalm 23, a passage in the Bible that has been translated into hymns, literature and art. The verses have brought comfort to many people who have experienced heartbreak.

They take on an added significance when speaking to Salvation Army rural chaplain Captain Andrew Jarrold, who is well acquainted with the peaks and troughs of farming life. He pastors his own flock at a Salvation Army church in Ipswich as well as the wider agricultural community in Suffolk.

Andrew volunteers for the Farming Community Network (FCN) helpline, which fields calls from agriculturalists across the UK. The organisation also offers a range of online resources which provide advice to farmers.

FCN was set up 25 years ago in response to a soaring suicide rate among farmers, who feared for their financial future as commodity prices tumbled. The organisation began as a joint faith-based venture between the Agricultural Christian

E R T T AND SCA Fellowship and national rural charity The Arthur Rank Centre. Despite its Christian roots, FCN is not overtly religious and helps anyone who is in need, regardless of their beliefs.

Each year, FCN takes on about 1,000 cases through its helpline and third-party referrals. Callers can seek help on issues including animal welfare, the running of the farming business, retirement, wills, relationship difficulties and health problems.

‘Two or three times a month, I do a four-hour stint on the helpline,’ Andrew explains. ‘People can phone for a listening ear and for signposts to financial help or counselling. We also pass them on to their local FCN representatives who can guide them through their situation.

‘We encounter all sorts of issues, from people who are finding it particularly hard financially to problems and stress caused by marriages or families. Mental health is a big concern at the moment, especially with the poor harvest this year adding to a farmer’s financial stress. That’s where FCN comes in.’

Andrew has sought to connect with rural residents locally. He has joined a Suffolk-based group called Lightwave, which facilitates the meeting of Christians of many different denominations and

those with no faith at all. They socialise, carry out acts of kindness within the community and, where appropriate, worship God and share their faith.

‘We look at new ways of doing church in the rural community whether that’s meeting in pubs, going for coffee or organising a walking group. I know somebody who’s trying to set up a clay pigeon shoot. It’s just a way of meeting together in a rural context.’

One of Lightwave’s initiatives is Love Rural, which aims to tell people about Jesus through love in action. It connects church congregations with projects that support people in their area, and seeks to highlight the role that Christianity can play in cultivating a sense of community. Andrew is one of Love Rural’s chaplains as an extension of his Salvation Army role. As such, he seeks to build relationships with those on his doorstep, including the agricultural college.

‘Up until lockdown and the temporary closure of the college, I was visiting Suffolk Rural College every week. I’d walk around, talk to people and just be a presence there, to answer any questions

INTERVIEW

they may have about faith. That was a valuable time, talking to students and staff alike.’

Additionally, Andrew is present at farming events such as the Norfolk, Suffolk and Hadleigh County shows.

‘We provide a chaplaincy service at the agricultural shows,’ he explains. ‘People can either come to our base for a chat or we can walk around and talk to exhibitors.

We talk to farmers who are showing animals and to whoever else we meet.’

More recently, Andrew’s focus has been on caring for his Salvation Army church congregation amid the coronavirus outbreak. ‘It’s mainly about getting around and talking to people on their doorsteps. To see a friendly face now and again is important, certainly it was in the earlier part of lockdown, when people were unable to get out.’

As Andrew seeks to be a positive presence within his community, he takes inspiration from the Bible. ‘If we think about what Jesus did, he walked around and he met people. Very simply, that was his ministry. And rural chaplaincy is not that different. We share our faith with people and provide help wherever it’s needed.’

The poor harvest has added to the farmers’ stress

17 October 2020 • War Cry • 7

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8 • War Cry • 17 October 2020

INTERVIEW

you be with the force LEROY LOGAN has just published a book about his experiences as a police officer and is being played by Star Wars actor John Boyega in a new film about his life.

He tells Philip Halcrow why he feels he was led to join the Met

I

F you want to know about timing, ask former policeman Leroy Logan.

He had been writing Closing Ranks, which arrived on bookshop shelves last month, ‘for the best part of ten years’.

He says that writing the book, about his experiences of joining the Metropolitan Police and helping to set up the Black Police Association, has been ‘a labour of love after finally coming to the realisation that I’ve got something to say – and it needed to be said – about being a black man in this country.

‘Bringing it to the here and now, I suppose it is timely in the way that it correlates with Black Lives Matter and what happened to George Floyd.

Everyone wants to know about the issues around policing and wider society.

‘It also correlates with a film that has been made about my life, by Steve McQueen with John Boyega from Star Wars playing me.’

Red, White and Blue is one of a series of dramas, under the banner Small Axe, made by the director of Twelve Years a Slave and Widows. It has already been screened at the New York Film Festival and is scheduled to be shown on BBC One in December.

Not every police officer’s career is turned into a drama. But not every police officer decides to join the service even though their father has recently been

beaten up by the police.

‘I don’t think it’s a coincidence,’ says Leroy about the appearance of his book around the same time as the drama and during a year when the issues of policing and racism have been highlighted. ‘I think there’s some divine intervention there.’

With hindsight, Leroy believes that his whole career in the police service was more than a series of random incidents.

Even his decision to join the Met was prompted Leroy rose through the ranks to by a string of unexpected become a superintendent episodes that ‘seemed just to develop’.

Leroy remembers that in the 1970s He says: ‘In 1982, I was happy working the ‘sus law’ enabled a police officer to as a scientist at the Royal Free Hospital in stop and arrest someone simply on the lovely surroundings in Hampstead. suspicion that they intended to commit an ‘These two guys used a leisure facility offence. In the case of too many officers, at the hospital. After a few months of he says, all that was needed to arouse bumping into them at the gym, in the pool suspicion was a person’s black skin. He and at the bar, they revealed that they had been stopped as a schoolboy outside worked as police officers. They showed his school gates. me a side that was different from how Leroy’s encounters at the hospital leisure the police came across to me and my community when I was growing up in London.’

Turn to page 10 ➥

17 October 2020 • War Cry • 9

From page 9 facility with the men who showed him another face of policing added to another conversation he had at the hospital.

He recalls: ‘I had an appraisal with my boss, who said: “Leroy, I like your work, but I just can’t see you being a scientist for the next 40 years. I think your personality doesn’t suit it.”

‘I asked him what I should do. And he said: “What do you think about being a police officer? You’re an outward-going person.”

‘I thought: “Do I look like a racist?”’

Conversations with his fiancée and with a community activist who suggested that

the police needed to reflect the makeup of London only reinforced what he describes as ‘a recurring voice that kept saying “you’ve got to do this”’.

The nudges did not stop even when, during Leroy’s application process, his dad was beaten up by police and accused of resisting arrest – a case that was later withdrawn.

‘I thought no way was I going to join the police. But then my boss said that actually I needed to be in the organisation – to change it.’

Leroy decided to follow the ‘recurring voice’ through training days, when he

would hear some other recruits using racist language and felt uneasy at the ‘them and us’ attitude they had towards the public.

He followed the voice through his probationary period, during which he worked in the area where he grew up, and as he made his way through the ranks, dealing with the everyday challenges that make up a policeman’s lot as well as more targeted incidents such as having a racist epithet daubed on his locker.

He also attended a series of meetings held at Bristol Polytechnic to look into the lack of diversity in the Met and, along with others who attended, began to form the Black Police Association (BPA). Beginning in the capital before spreading nationwide, the association saw its mission as improving the working environment for black police officers and staff so that they could better serve the needs of the black community.

The early years of the BPA coincided with the racist murder of Stephen

I saw the reason why I joined the police service

Leroy with his MBE insignia

10 • War Cry • 17 October 2020 10 • War Cry • 10 October 2020

Lawrence and the subsequent Macpherson Inquiry, which would highlight elements of racism, sometimes unwitting, within the Met’s structures and behaviour. At the same time, Leroy was coming to make sense of the recurring prompting that had guided him into joining the police.

‘I didn’t recognise 30-odd years ago that it was the Holy Spirit telling me to go through with this,’ he says. ‘It’s clear to me now that the Lord was setting this righteous path for me to follow, but at the time I didn’t have the lens to see it.

‘The penny dropped in 1994. That period didn’t start too well because my wife had left me. I had become too possessed by my police work. She told me that she was not coming back to me until I got the balance right. She said that we had to have God in our relationship.’

Leroy got God into their relationship.

He was baptised and found a supportive church.

‘I was born again in February ’94,’ he says. ‘It was just as the Black Police Association began to formulate its work on what it wanted to do so that the Met Police could be a public servant for all communities and be open and transparent. But then I was literally stopped in my tracks.’

His ankle injured in the line of duty,

INTERVIEW

BBC/McQueen Limited/WILL ROBSON-SCOTT

Leroy sensed that God wanted him to stop and listen.

‘Slowly things began to make sense.

Then a friend invited me to hear Jesse Jackson preach at Bloomsbury Baptist Church on the 30th anniversary of Martin Luther King speaking there. At the service, Jesse Jackson quoted a Bible verse that urges: “Do not conform to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” It hit me.

‘Everything came flooding back. I saw the reason why I joined the police service.

I saw that what I had to do with the BPA was God’s work.

‘I realised that in stepping up, I was going to be subjected to hostility, but I didn’t have any fear. I knew the Lord would protect me.’

John Boyega as Leroy in Steve McQueen’s film ‘Red, White and Blue’, due to be shown on BBC One in December

L

eroy explains that the BPA was met with resistance from some within the police.

‘I knew a lot of colleagues within the Met would be very anti-us because we were challenging the internal practices of the organisation that were not fit for purpose.

‘The police federations, which have a lot of clout in the different police forces, would say that we did not need a Black Police Association and that we should just be quiet. It was tempting to think that we should not rock the boat. But I realised that we had to rock the boat to get change for the greater good.

‘I was absorbed by the spiritual purpose that was underpinned by that sermon in ’94.’

Leroy speaks of how ‘silence can be a violence in itself’ in an organisation such as the Met. ‘The police can close ranks for the wrong reasons sometimes. It can be culturally unacceptable to challenge inappropriateness, unprofessionalism or even criminality. I realised that I could not conform to those norms and values.

‘From the values my parents instilled in me, I decided that as a black man I was going to integrate not assimilate. I was not going to condone bad behaviour from the public or the police. Then, when I was born again, I knew that I had to be God’s servant and challenge the microaggressions or the insidious racism and the way the leadership, in not addressing the issue, fuels the culture that perpetuates a whole attitude.’

Leroy is still concerned by the type of attitude he detected at the beginning of his training and which was apparent when he was growing up on the other side of the thin blue line.

‘It’s an attitude of “them and us”.

It’s about the public being against the police – about the black community being against the police. But no, it should be us all together. As Robert Peel said in 1829:

“The police are the public and the public are the police.” So why aren’t the police being what they’re supposed to be – a service rather than an occupying force?

‘When that testosterone-driven culture is not challenged, it just allows casual racism, sexism and prejudices.’

In his time at the Met, Leroy saw many flaws, but he also witnessed it working well. He believes he saw his emphasis on

must have encounters with the public that foster relationships. The default cannot be “I’m going to arrest you”; it should be “I’m here to serve you.”’

More than a decade before Leroy retired from the police with the rank of superintendent, he had been appointed MBE for services to the police and community relations. He has continued to seek ways to serve the community. He has

The Met can be an organisation that is for all communities community engagement achieve results, assisting in the investigation into Damilola Taylor’s murder and reducing gun and knife crime. He talks of the successful policing of the London 2012 Olympics.

He says that the organisation is making improvements in terms of gender equality, though it is still struggling to recruit and retain officers from minority ethnic communities.

‘I’ve always been clear that there’s nothing wrong with the Met that can’t be solved by what’s right with the Met,’ he says. ‘It can be changed. It can be an organisation that is for all communities. It should be in a better place – which is what I suppose you could say about society as a whole.’

‘The Met loves to be told it is the greatest police service in the world, and in a lot of ways it is. But it needs the good people to step up and say to the rogue cops and those who make decisions by decibels and fear: You have to stop. You

worked with Spark2Life, which mentors offenders and those at risk of offending.

He has offered advice to politicians on issues such as gang violence, not all of it – he regrets – heeded. He is also chair of Voyage, a social justice charity that aims to help marginalised black young people and strengthen relationships between communities and the police.

‘I’ve been banging this drum for 20-odd years now,’ he says.

‘But I don’t think I’ve been doing it alone. I know that this is what the Lord has wanted me to do – I’ve been in God’s hands and in the right place at the right time.’ l Closing Ranks is published by SPCK

17 October 2020 • War Cry • 11 10 October 2020 • 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. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon­don SE1 6BN. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.

j

talk ‘ ’

Team talk

EXPLORE

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.

Team talk

We all need to buy into Black History Month

Sarah Olowofoyeku gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

A SUPERMARKET chain received a backlash on social media earlier this month, after tweeting that it would be celebrating Black History Month.

It ended its statement by saying: ‘Anyone who does not want to shop with an inclusive retailer is welcome to shop elsewhere.’ A lot of people took them up on that offer, replying that they would be going to other supermarkets.

Such incidents are upsetting, and it is hard to live with the reality that there can be such a strong negative reaction to black people wanting to be treated equally – that some people still consider me a second-class citizen because of the colour of my skin.

But it is also a reminder to me that Black History Month is of great significance. I didn’t learn much about black history at school. As I got older, I took to the internet to do my own research and found out more about the history of black people in the US. It’s only in recent years, however, that I’ve learnt important information about the extent of Britain’s role in the slave trade and events such as the Bristol bus boycott, as well as about civil rights activists in the UK such as Olive Morris and Dr Harold Moody.

Those are people and events that the majority of the population don’t know about. I think that an incomplete understanding of history can contribute to a persistence of racism against black people. When someone tells a Black British person to ‘go back home’, I wonder if they realise that Caribbean people were invited to this country to help build the workforce after the Second World War. Do they know that the country my father comes from is still dealing with political and economic instability caused, at least in part, by the legacy of British colonialism?

That’s why Black History Month is important. It wasn’t implemented to cause division. Rather it is a remedy to centuries of white history months. It’s an opportunity for young black children to feel a sense of worth at seeing their contributions to modern life. It’s a reminder that God made us equal – a truth that should be reflected in the histories we tell.

Caribbean people were invited to this country

Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.

"

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

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a

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 Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

12 • War Cry • 17 October 2020

Name Address

Or email your details and request to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

EXPRESSIONS

Now, there’s a thought!

by Jim Burns

q

quick quiz 1

What is the name of the lead singer and co-founder of the rock band Coldplay?

2

In cricket, what is the maximum number of players each team can have on the field at any one time?

a 3

4

5

6

What is the capital of Brazil?

Who played the Dowager Countess of Grantham in TV series Downton Abbey?

In which year were women first allowed to vote in the United Kingdom?

How many degrees is the sum of all the interior angles of a triangle?

ANSWERS

It can always be the most wonderful time of the year

H

APPY Christmas! Too early? Well, according to Magic Radio, it isn’t. Bauer Media, the company that owns Magic, launched Magic 100% Christmas, a station that plays non-stop festive music, back in August. Around the same time, department store John Lewis started its online Christmas shop.

A survey by Bauer Media revealed that almost 25 per cent of people agreed that they would start their Christmas celebrations earlier this year, as they needed something to look forward to.

John Lewis opened its online store two weeks earlier than usual in response to increased demand for Christmas lights, trees and baubles.

Those shoppers probably agree with the words of the song by Wizzard that said ‘I wish it could be Christmas every day’. And it does seem that most people are kinder and happier during December, despite the financial and emotional strain that can accompany the buying of presents.

I wonder what it is about Christmas that cheers people? For in the same way we are reminded that ‘A dog is for life, not just for Christmas’, it often seems that when January comes, we revert to our old ways and lose the kindness and happiness. Perhaps it is because by then we have realised we spent too much, or simply because we miss having some time off work to spend with friends and family.

The principal reason that Christians enjoy Christmas, however, is one that can bring joy all year round. The birth of Jesus is remembered at Christmas time, but Christians are encouraged to welcome Jesus as much on the other 364 days of the year as they do on 25 December.

Jesus’ coming into the world offers a sense of joy, peace and hope and points towards the gift he went on to offer when he died to save us all. His sacrifice means that we can experience his love and know meaning in this life.

He once said: ‘My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life’ (John 10:10 New Living Translation). He didn’t promise that just for Christmas, but throughout our whole lives.

That’s something worth celebrating every day.

People are kinder and happier during December

17 October 2020 • War Cry • 13

1. Chris Martin. 2. Eleven. 3. Brasilia.

4. Maggie Smith. 5. 1918. 6. 180 degrees.

CROSSWORD CROSSWORD PUZZLES

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Pour (4) 3. Cushion (3) 5. Thrash (4) 7. Hilarity (9) 9. Tarry (4) 10. Haul (4) 11. Intends (5) 14. View (5) 15. Presentiment (5) 17. Affray (3-2) 18. Mirror (5) 19. Swift (5) 20. Sailing vessel (5) 23. Man (4) 25. Of the mouth (4) 27. Very good (9)

28. Amphibian (4) 29. Perish (3) 30. Bewilder (4)

DOWN 1. Melt (4) 2. Encounter (4) 3. Money bag (5) 4. Devil (5) 5. Discover (4) 6. Mob (4) 7. Unhappy (9)

8. Carry goods (9) 11. Muddled (5) 12. Loft (5) 13. Not tall (5) 14. Droop (3) 16. Secreted (3) 21. Leading (5) 22. Bisect (5) 23. Lament (4) 24. Way out (4) 25. Burden (4) 26. Grass (4)

SUDOKU

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

HONEYCOMB HONEYCOMB

2

6

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

Answers

2 9

3 1 8 5 9 7 4 9 6 5 3 7 2 4 5 6 7 6 6 4 9 8 9 4

Wordsearch ASSISTANCE CHEER

COMFORT

CONFIDENCE

CONSOLATION FAITH

FORTITUDE

HELPFULNESS HOPE

INSPIRATION

REASSURANCE REFRESHMENT RELIEF

STRENGTHENING

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Teem. 3. Pad. 5. Flog.

7. Merriment. 9. Wait. 10. Drag.

11. Means. 14. Scene. 15. Hunch.

17. Set-to. 18. Glass. 19. Rapid. 20. Yacht.

23. Male. 25. Oral. 27. Excellent.

28. Newt. 29. Die. 30. Stun.

DOWN: 1. Thaw. 2. Meet. 3. Purse.

4. Demon. 5. Find. 6. Gang. 7. Miserable.

8. Transport. 11. Messy. 12. Attic.

13. Short. 14. Sag. 16. Hid. 21. Ahead. 22. Halve. 23. Moan.

24. Exit. 25. Onus. 26. Lawn.

HONEYCOMB 1. Fodder. 2. Number. 3. Babble.

4. Partly. 5. Sunday. 6. London.

5 4 9 8 2 3 1 6 7

1 6 8 5 9 7 2 4 3

2 7 3 6 4 1 8 5 9

7 3 1 9 6 8 4 2 5

4 5 6 7 1 2 3 9 8

9 8 2 3 5 4 7 1 6

3 1 5 2 8 9 6 7 4

6 2 7 4 3 5 9 8 1

8 9 4 1 7 6 5 3 2

SUDOKU SOLUTION

SUPPORT

9

4

14 • War Cry • 17 October 2020

5

ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch

1. Food for cattle 2. Amount 3. Talk rapidly in a foolish way 4. To some extent 5. Day of the week 6. Capital of the UK

3

Look up, down, forwards, backwards

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

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

6 4 7

9

2 4 5 6 7 6 8

D Spicy chicken and salad sandwich Ingredients 1tbsp low-fat plain yoghurt ¼ tsp mild curry powder 85g cooked chicken, chopped ¼ lettuce, shredded 1 small carrot, grated 2 slices wholemeal bread ¼ cucumber, sliced

Method Mix the yoghurt and curry powder in a bowl, then add the chicken.

Place the chicken mixture, lettuce and carrot on top of one of the bread slices. Cover with the other bread slice to make a sandwich.

Cut into quarters and serve with the sliced cucumber on the side.

SERVES

1

Roasted root veg with beetroot and cucumber dips Ingredients

For the cucumber dip

250g small carrots, trimmed, scrubbed and halved

50g cucumber, finely chopped

250g small parsnips, trimmed, scrubbed and quartered 250g sweet potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced 1tbsp olive oil For the beetroot dip 100g cooked beetroot, roughly chopped 100g canned cannellini beans in water, rinsed and drained 2tbsp low-fat low-sugar plain yoghurt

100g low-fat low-sugar plain yoghurt

SERVES

4

Method Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Place all the vegetables in a roasting tin and add the olive oil, tossing to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, then turn the vegetables over.

Roast for another 15 minutes, until tender.

in a blender and blend for 20 seconds until smooth.

For the cucumber dip, mix the cucumber and yoghurt together by hand. Spoon the dips into separate dishes, cover and chill in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, prepare the dips. To make the beetroot dip, place the ingredients

Once the roasted vegetables are ready, serve with the dips.

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

17 October 2020 • War Cry • 15

The Lord is a mighty tower where his people can run for safety Proverbs 18:10 (Contemporary English Version)