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 7543
THIS year, many people’s gardens have not looked as impressive as they did in 2020. Lockdown restrictions last year resulted in more time being spent weeding and cultivating domestic gardens – after all, there was very little else that people could do. Now that the country is back ‘open’ again, lawns and weeds have been allowed to thrive as events beyond our own backyards beckon us out. One such event encouraging many to put mowing the lawn on hold for another week is the Chelsea Flower Show, which starts on Tuesday (21 September). More than two dozen separate show gardens can be visited this year and among them is the Bible Society’s Psalm 23 Garden. In this week’s War Cry we speak with the garden’s designer, Sarah Eberle. ‘Psalm 23 is pretty much a parable for life,’ she says as she explains why her garden is based on a song found in the Bible. ‘It’s about the journeys you go through: some are pleasant and some are unpleasant. The destination you reach is one where you are at peace.’ Sarah is right – the psalm includes references to lying down in green pastures as well as walking through the ‘valley of the shadow of death’. Somebody whose life’s journey has included both pleasant and challenging times is Paul Atherton. In this week’s issue he describes how his experiences of renal failure resulted in him needing a kidney transplant. ‘It was a real test of my faith,’ he says. But, as he looks back on the time that he was ill before receiving his new kidney, he adds: ‘I know that God has helped me. Having faith in him means I am never on my own.’ Being a Christian does not mean that we go through life without facing challenges. But it does mean that we face those challenges with God alongside ad the War C e re us, helping us to flourish whatever our ry v ’ u circumstances may be.
Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 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 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 Walstead Roche Ltd, St Austell, on sustainably sourced paper
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
From the editor’s desk
When yo
What is The Salvation Army?
CONTENTS 8
FEATURES
3
Birdwatching
New film The Starling is released
5
In tune with nature
Garden based on biblical song at
Chelsea Flower Show
8
An act of genuine generosity
How organ donation changes lives
10 Switching karma for Christianity
10
The Hindu man who found Jesus
REGULARS
4
War Cry World
12 Team Talk 13 Keys of the Kingdom
15
14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: KAREN BALLARD/NETFLIX © 2021