War Cry 20 May

Students learn about what disability doesn’t mean

WAR CRY

Sister act

Siblings seek answers to a family mystery in TV drama

What is The

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.

Issue

No

Editor: Andrew Stone, Major

Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow

Production Editor: Ivan Radford

Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku

Staff Writer: Emily Bright

Staff Writer: Claire Brine

Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk

Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston

Graphic Designer: Mark Knight

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway

London

SE1 6BN

Tel: 0845 634 0101

Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org

Founder: William Booth

General: Brian Peddle

Territorial Commander:

Commissioner Anthony Cotterill

THE latest chapter in the history of a well-loved story will arrive next Friday (26 May) with the release of The Little Mermaid. The film is Disney’s liveaction version of its 1989 feature-length animation, which itself was a retelling – if fairly loose – of the 19th-century fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen.

As we note in our film feature, Mark Henn, who worked on the 1989 version, once told the War Cry that the animated Little Mermaid marked a milestone in the history of Disney’s ‘leading ladies’, because, unlike previous characters, Ariel ‘took matters into her own hands’.

It’s testament to the power of the original story – with its themes of identity and yearning – that it has resulted in films, plays and ballets and has come to mean so much to Hans Christian Andersen’s native Denmark that a harbourside sculpture of the character has become an emblem of Copenhagen.

An even more significant piece of literature is on the mind of Nicky and Pippa Gumbel in this issue.

‘Even for a lot of people who wouldn’t call themselves Christians, it’s on their bucket list to have read the Bible,’ says Nicky, who describes it as ‘the most powerful book in the world’.

Recognising, however, that some people are unsure how to tackle it, the couple have produced a series of Bible in One Year resources, including a book and an audio app, to help make it accessible.

‘Many people use the app while they’re running or going to work,’ says Pippa. ‘It can be part of your busy life.’

The Bible can become part of life in more ways than one. Those who take in its words find that it influences their everyday actions.

And stories in this week’s War Cry – such as our feature on a Salvation Army-run school for children with additional needs or our news snippet on how sports broadcaster Simon Thomas felt a sense of peace during a painful bereavement – show how its message of God’s love is still having a ripple effect.

INFO INFO

A tale of two sisters

Betrayal and loss threaten family relations in new ITV drama

TV preview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

THE news that her mother has been found dead is shocking enough. But Becca is also stunned to learn where her body was discovered. In the three-part drama Maryland – scheduled to begin on ITV1 on Monday (22 May) – Becca and her sister Rosaline investigate the circumstances surrounding their mother’s death. Along the way, they uncover some unexpected family secrets.

Mary (Judy Clifton) had told her family that she was visiting Ireland with friends, so Becca (Suranne Jones) is confused as well as devastated to receive a call informing her that the body of a woman who may be her mother has been found on the Isle of Man.

Becca has a strained relationship with Rosaline (Eve Best), but she calls her and asks her to accompany her to the island to identify the body. It isn’t long after their arrival that they begin to suspect their mother had not been entirely truthful

about the life she led.

Rosaline, who moved to London years before and built a successful career, is distant from the rest of the family in more ways than one. When she receives the call, she is in hospital facing a health scare and has no one to share her worry with.

Becca, who stayed in Manchester, married young and had two daughters. She thought she was walking a path set out for her by her mother. But discovering the details of her mother’s life brings her own decisions into question, and she feels a sense of betrayal.

As revelation follows revelation, it remains to be seen whether learning about things that have gone unsaid for years will tear the sisters apart or bring them closer together.

What goes unsaid in families is of interest to Anne-Marie O’Connor, the show’s writer.

‘A lot of the time in TV world, people say exactly what they’re thinking,’ she says. ‘But families do not operate like

that. A lot of the time, people just do not want to say what’s going on.’

Secrets kept and words left unspoken are not uncommon in families. Sometimes family members choose to leave things unsaid to protect the feelings of others, but silence can also be the result of a desire to save face or even to cause hurt. Whatever the reason, betrayals often have a devastating impact. Such experiences may leave us distraught and unable to trust other people easily.

In the world of the Bible, many people were betrayed by their families – brothers were abandoned and birthrights stolen – but many of those betrayed people uncovered a truth that God could always be trusted. He would never let them down.

One Bible writer, who had been betrayed by his son but found security in God, prayed: ‘I trust in you, my God… No one who trusts in you will ever be disgraced’ (Psalm 25:2 and 3 New Living Translation).

Whether we have experienced betrayal or not, if we decide to put our faith in God, we will uncover the truth that he can always be relied on to care for us and help us in every detail of our lives.

Secrets are not uncommon in families

Rosaline and Becca uncover their mother’s secrets

‘ ’

j TEA M TALK

Should I be worried about AI?

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

ANOTHER day, another set of stories about artificial intelligence. ‘AI is the most dangerous thing we’ve ever invented,’ said the headline above an article in The Telegraph by blogger Zvi Mowshowitz. The Guardian warned that, according to experts, ‘AI could harm the health of millions and pose an existential threat to humanity’. In a BBC interview, computer scientist Dr Geoffrey Hinton asked: ‘What do we do to mitigate the long-term risks of things more intelligent than us taking control?’

Feeling overwhelmed by the potential dangers of AI, I hunted for more positive stories. I wondered what were the benefits to developing AI. After a bit of clicking online, I found a number of pros: AI can automate repetitive tasks. It reduces human error. It can undertake jobs that are dangerous for humans. It can work 24 hours a day.

I wondered what were the benefits

WAR

Faith groups ‘contribute immensely to society’

AN independent review commissioned by the UK government has found that faith ‘is a force for good’.

According to its report Does Government ‘Do God’?, the review of how government engages with faith found that ‘faith often informs people’s priorities and helps cultivate pro-social sentiments such as kindness, generosity and compassion’.

The report says: ‘Faith-based organisations contribute immensely to the effectiveness and success of government when it attempts to tackle some of the most pressing social challenges, whether poverty, loneliness, mental health or support through the Covid-19 pandemic. In short, faith is a force for good which government cannot afford to ignore.’

However, even though more than half of respondents declared a religion in the 2021 census for England and Wales, the review’s call for evidence found that 53 per cent of people believe freedom of religion or belief is under threat in the UK.

Though the science leaves me baffled, it sounds as if AI has the potential to make certain areas of life better. Easier. More efficient. Who wouldn’t want that?

The more I think about such a question, the more I struggle to answer it.

AI can do great things – especially in medical fields, where it can help to save lives. But I worry about what humanity stands to lose if it relies on AI infinitely. If AI does the hard work so we don’t have to, how will that affect us longterm? If it reduces human error by preventing us from getting things wrong, how will we learn – for ourselves – what is right?

Typically, I’m a fan of anything that makes my life easier, and I rarely embrace challenges that push me beyond my comfort zone. But I have to admit that the hardest experiences I’ve faced over the years have shaped me far more than the easiest. And some problems – ones which I would have rather offloaded to some genius robot – have taught me patience, tolerance and perseverance. They have also prompted me to get better at putting my faith in God, who doesn’t always eradicate my problems, but unfailingly helps me as I work out how to solve them.

Team talk Team talk

talk talk

The review has laid out a set of recommendations for the government, among them that it should expand the role of the prime minister’s special envoy for freedom of religion or belief to include the UK.

Children’s commissioner backs religious education

RELIGIOUS education needs better support in schools, said the children’s commissioner for England when she spoke at a 50th anniversary celebration of the Religious Education Council of England and Wales, held in London.

According to a report by the Premier Christian News website, Dame Rachel de Souza said that RE allows young people to discuss ‘important and exciting philosophical, religious and moral conundrums’ in a safe space.

She said: ‘Children have told me that they want school to be the place where they can learn about life skills, relationships, and how to set themselves up for the future. The RE curriculum is the one place that children can learn these important things.

Presenter felt God’s peace during ‘hell’ of loss

TELEVISION presenter Simon Thomas has spoken of how he felt God was with him after his wife Gemma passed away unexpectedly in 2017. Speaking on an episode of evangelist J John’s YouTube series Facing the Canon, Simon recalled the pain of losing his wife and the mother of their eight-year-old son to acute myeloid leukaemia just three days after her diagnosis.

He described that time as ‘hell’, saying that ‘it was a battle on lots of different fronts’. But he remembered how he felt God’s ‘remarkable peace’ during the crematorium service after a friend prayed for him. Since then, he has remarried and now has a young daughter. Looking back on the past five years, he added that he could now see how God had always been with him. ‘I felt at times he’d gone, but he hadn’t,’ he said. ‘He was always there, walking sometimes quietly, but every step of the way, he walked me through.’

Free cuts help as costs rise

Disability group aims to draw on power of music

A LEARNING disability-friendly music group is being launched by The Salvation Army in Lancashire next month.

The new regional group of the Music Man Project, a music education charity for children and adults with learning disabilities and their carers, will be hosted by The Salvation Army’s centre in Clitheroe. Monthly drop-in sessions will encourage participants to sing, use Makaton signing and play instruments.

Daniel Elson, music and creative arts outreach mission partner for the UK Salvation Army, says: ‘At our Music Man Project groups in other parts of the country we have seen people who are non-verbal find a new way of expressing themselves, people who were socially isolated gain confidence and people who have experienced all kinds of barriers finding opportunities to develop relationships through the power of music.’

A SALVATION Army community centre teamed up with a hairdressing college to offer free haircuts to people who can no longer afford them because of the rising cost of living.

Horden Salvation Army centre in Co Durham saw that people often give up trips to the barbers when they tighten their budgets. So it collaborated with Bella Marie Training Academy in nearby Seaham to offer haircuts and hot shaves at its community drop-in. The services were provided by the academy’s students, who benefited from gaining experience.

Angela Denton, community mission facilitator at Horden Salvation Army, said: ‘The clients were over the moon. When you look smart, you feel smarter in yourself and that’s good for your self-esteem.’

The Music Man Project holds a taster event at Clitheroe ahead of the group’s launch

Joy in learning

by Andrew Stone

IN the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, The Salvation Army is known for its support of communities through food parcels and uniform banks, as well as its work with people experiencing homelessness and with survivors of modern slavery.

Some of this work is replicated in the 131 other countries in which it operates. However, in some of those countries where the state does not provide universal education or healthcare, the church and charity runs schools and hospitals.

Across the world, some half a million children are educated at more than 2,000 Salvation Army schools. Some of those schools specialise in helping pupils with additional needs. One such school is Joytown, in Thika, Kenya, which has nearly 700 students who are living with a range of disabilities.

Children are first offered places from the age of seven at the primary school site, while the

secondary school next door takes students from the age of 14.

Joytown offers a full curriculum for its pupils, including maths, sciences and sports. The school also offers tailored instructions and specialised support and resources that the young people need. Students even help to grow and harvest food for the school kitchens.

One of the pupils at Joytown is 17-year-old

Josfridah Mumboa. She says she felt settled after only a few months.

‘I’ve learnt a lot,’ she says. ‘It’s fun, with a lot of activities. Students are really taken care of.’

Josfridah is living with spina bifida. One of the roles of the staff at Joytown is to help the students understand more about their disability and discover what they can and cannot do. Within wider Kenyan society, there can be a significant degree of stigma associated with disability, which Josfridah has experienced.

‘If I tell someone that I’m disabled,

A Salvation Army school in Kenya is helping children who live with a disability to learn that they can look to the future with hope

Feature

One of the physiotherapists based at the school gives exercise advice to a student

Josfridah Mumboa at Joytown’s secondary school

Staff help students discover what they can do

they look at me and then they’ll say it’s witchcraft,’ she says. ‘Or they’ll say that my mum is a witch and that’s why she gave birth to a disabled child. That’s what we face out there.’

Receiving such treatment, Josfridah explains, had a direct and detrimental effect on her.

‘Life was difficult. It still is. Ever since I was young, I had this difficulty of really accepting myself. I was bullied. People used to treat me as an odd one out, like an exception, because I was different from them.’

Enrolling at the school improved her life.

‘Before I came to Joytown, I really thought of myself as a burden,’ Josfridah says. ‘But when I came here, I saw kids in wheelchairs and they were really happy. They are being helped in the wheelchair, they can’t walk and they need to be supported to go to the washroom or to clean and they are happy.’

The school has a dedicated team to repair and maintain the pupils’ wheelchairs, and specialist physiotherapy, medical support and a hydrotherapy pool are available.

It is not only the physical wellbeing of the children that is important. Emotional and spiritual wellbeing is at the heart

of everything that goes on, and Salvation Army chaplains are on hand for support.

The school wants to help each student thrive and flourish, and Josfridah decided she was going to try to benefit from such support.

‘I engaged myself in different activities, different clubs,’ she says. ‘I tried to associate with people, tried to be social and tried to be me.

‘I want to become a person who can show the world that being disabled doesn’t mean that you can’t do things. Being disabled doesn’t mean that you’re a nobody.’ One part of school life has been particularly beneficial for Josfridah.

‘When I was young I used to love music, but I couldn’t sing in front of people, because I was afraid to be judged,’ she recalls. ‘But when I came here, I gave it a try because I love music so much. It’s where I can lift the weight above my shoulders and become free. The way the notes flow, the highness and

the lowness of the pitches mixing together is beautiful. I love music so much.’

Now that Josfridah has discovered a new confidence and has an opportunity to study, she has great hopes and dreams for her future, which she is willing to work towards.

‘I have these high goals I want to achieve,’ she says. ‘I really want to become a doctor, a neurosurgeon.

‘For me to achieve that, I have to work hard. I have to read a lot. Joytown has helped me because I’m opening a new chapter where I can at last write my story in a new way, a positive way.’

Students cheer on their peers at the school’s sports day

Josfridah in the school library

Before, I thought of myself as a burden

Alpha pioneers give and verse on Bible

Millions

of people around the world listen to the Bible in One Year app and take part in Alpha, an introductory course about Christianity. NICKY and PIPPA GUMBEL, who have overseen the growth of both ministries, talk about their desire to help people access the message of the world’s bestselling book

Interview by Emily Bright

ADVENTURER Bear Grylls, CBBC presenter Gemma Hunt and director of the human genome project Francis Collins come from very different fields. But what brings them together, like millions of other people who have participated in it, is the Alpha course. The trio all feature in a promotional trailer that invites people to ‘explore the questions of faith, life and meaning’ through the course, which consists of a series of videos and informal discussions. Alpha has been translated into more than 100 languages and is conducted around the globe.

Husband and wife Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, who have been engaged in Christian ministry for several decades, oversaw the development of the Alpha course from its earlier days in 1990 at the west London church of Holy Trinity Brompton, where Nicky was a minister. Back then, it was an 11-week course for people who had recently become Christians. But, as Pippa remembers, there was the potential to reach a much broader audience.

‘We realised we could use the course to reach people who didn’t have any church background. We reordered some of the talks to make the environment a place where those people could feel safe.’

Nicky explains that part of the appeal of Alpha is that ‘it’s a fun, relaxed, nonconfrontational, unpressurised way to explore the really important questions in life, like, “What is my ultimate purpose,

what happens when I die and what is forgiveness?”

‘There’s a verse in Proverbs, which says, “In the heart of every human being, there’s a deep well, and the wise person draws it out.” The task of a host on an Alpha course is to draw out the deep well that is in every human heart. Everyone has a lot to contribute. And, as we listen to one another, we learn from one another. There’s no preaching. It’s about just listening, learning and exploring together. And people love it.’

He adds that in Alpha groups, a sense of community quickly develops as people share what is going on in their lives.

‘Sometimes people are so open, and they say things like, “I’m an alcoholic” or, “I’m struggling to forgive my ex-husband” or, “I’ve just had a row with my mum.” It’s real, human and vulnerable, and people connect through that. As humans, we tend to think we’ll impress people with our strengths, but actually we form deep connections through our vulnerabilities.’

Nicky gives a word of advice to those exploring belief in God: ‘I would encourage people to go to an Alpha group. Most of our groups are not churchgoers, but people who are exploring Christianity and trying to find their way forward. If you don’t like it, there is no pressure to go back, and if you do like it, what an amazing impact it could have on your life!’

Nicky and Pippa know full well the

Pippa and Nicky Gumbel

The course is about listening and exploring

chapter

impact that exploring Christianity can have on lives. In his first year at Cambridge University, Nicky was an ‘argumentative atheist’, so was taken aback when two of his friends became Christian.

‘When our friends said that they’d become Christians, I thought I would explore faith to get them out of it,’ he recalls. ‘But I ended up reading the New Testament. I had an old copy from RE at school and began reading Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The story had a ring of truth. I encountered Jesus, and that changed everything for me.’

Before leaving for university Nicky was already friends with Pippa. She says that when he returned he was a ‘zealous’ Christian. ‘He came to me at a party, told me that I looked awful and that I needed Jesus,’ she remembers. ‘And I thought he’d gone completely crazy.’

Faith was not a particularly familiar concept to Pippa.

‘I grew up in a nominally Christian household, but it wasn’t something we talked about,’ she says. ‘I’d never heard about having a personal relationship with Jesus. I didn’t read my Bible or pray.

‘When I was 18 a group of young

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people, who had arrived in London and wanted to share their faith, converted a nearby garage into a soup kitchen for friends to drop in. And I started dropping in. I had no idea they were Christians. But I liked them. They were kind, loving and had purpose in their lives, very different from the superficial world that I was in.

‘Then one day, somebody opened the Bible and explained it to me, using John 10:10, where Jesus said: “I have come so that you might have life, and life in all its fullness.” I thought: “That’s what I want.” And I prayed the first meaningful prayer I’d ever prayed.’

which God speaks today. I want to hear what God is saying to me today.’

Material things alone don’t satisfy

The idea for Bible in One Year – now a range of resources designed to help people access the Scriptures – came about when a member of one of their Alpha groups admitted that he was struggling to read the Bible. Nicky offered to send him thoughts on the Bible for each day. Eventually he began sharing them with his church congregation too. ‘It evolved into something so much bigger than we ever imagined,’ says Pippa.

their workplace, their marriage, with their children and parents. We’re trying to help people see the relevance of the Bible and help people with some of the more difficult passages.’

Pippa adds that the Bible in One Year readings are easy to integrate into daily routines.

‘Many people use the app while they’re running or going to work. It can be part of your busy life. And a lot of people who don’t like to read books like to hear a podcast.’

Ever since Pippa and Nicky found faith through it, the Bible has remained integral to their lives.

‘I love the Bible,’ says Nicky. ‘I can hardly think of a day I’ve not spent some time with it. Just as I can hardly think of a day I’ve missed breakfast, because I need physical food, I also need spiritual food.

‘Jesus said that human beings can’t live on bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. In other words, food and material things alone don’t satisfy. The Bible is not only the word of God, but it is the book through

Bible in One Year grew into a website, a podcast and an audio app, which splits the Bible into 365 days of readings and which features commentaries from Nicky and Pippa on each passage. The app, launched in 2011, has more than one million users worldwide.

Nicky says: ‘Loads of people ask, “I’d like to get into reading the Bible, but how do I access it?” I think Bible in One Year is an easy way to access it, because you have a balanced diet of Psalms, New Testament and Old Testament.

‘This can help people to read in an accessible way. They don’t want to just read it; they want to know how a passage is relevant to them today in

However, for those who prefer the written word, Bible in One Year has now been published in book form.

Nicky says that the resources attract all kinds of readers and listeners.

‘Even for a lot of people who wouldn’t call themselves Christians, it’s on their bucket list to have read the Bible. Whether you’re a Christian or not, it is one of the greatest works of literature of all time – the most popular, most published and most powerful book in the world. Why would you not read it at some point during your life?’

For some, believing in the God of the Bible is too much of a leap of faith. But, says Nicky, we all trust in something.

‘Everyone has faith. Sometimes people say to me: “Oh, I envy your faith.” But

Bible in One Year is available as a podcast and on an app

everyone has it. Every time you get on an aeroplane, you’re exercising it. You haven’t interviewed the pilot to find out if he has passed all his exams or checked the plane to see if the engine is running. It’s a perfectly rational thing to get on an aeroplane, but it’s an act of faith.

‘Going on a date with someone is an act of faith. When you get married, that’s an even greater act of faith. Everything important in life involves faith. You can’t see love. But we believe love is real. And faith is real.

‘The ultimate act of faith is to put it in someone you can’t see. Jesus is someone you can’t see. But you can read about him in the New Testament. In the Letter to the Romans, Paul says that faith comes through hearing the word of God, the Bible. That’s what we’re finding with the Bible in One Year – people are becoming Christians through reading the word of God.’

Many Christians see their faith as not simply a religion, but a personal

relationship with Jesus. Nicky says that prayer, or talking to Jesus, is a key component of Christianity.

‘Every relationship grows through communication. It’s the same with Jesus – the more you communicate, the closer you are to him. Communication is praying, speaking to him, but I also believe, most importantly of all, he speaks to us. And the main way he speaks is through the Bible.

‘Each day you can pray, “Lord, please speak to me through your word”, and then expect that God will speak to you, feed your soul and satisfy your spiritual hunger every day.’

Pippa also sees her relationship with Jesus as central to her life.

‘He is my saviour, but he’s also my friend. He saves me from what’s known as our sins – failings and shortcomings – and I can know him personally. He has died, forgiven me for my sins and conquered death.’

Over many years of ministry, the couple’s relationship with God has

evolved, while remaining a constant for them, in good times and bad.

‘A relationship develops as you know someone longer,’ says Pippa. ‘You’ve gone through the highs, the lows and the times where you wonder: “God where are you? What’s going on?”

‘But the amazing thing is that faith is always there. It has taken the hard knocks of life, but in a sense it makes it all the richer for the difficult times God has brought you through. God is there even in the deepest, darkest moments, and that makes all the difference.’

l Bible in One Year: With Commentary by Nicky and Pippa Gumbel is published by Hodder & Stoughton

Every relationship grows through communication

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’.

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

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

How to…

pray

IN its simplest form, prayer is a conversation between you and God. It’s no different from a conversation between friends, or between a child and a parent. Prayer is not formulaic. It’s OK to use normal language. God can cope with anything we say to him. If you read the Book of Psalms in the Bible, those conversations with God are brutally honest. They talk about pain, suffering and challenges as well as the good things of life. Finding a space to be alone is a good way to start praying. Questions to begin with might be:

‘Dear God, are you real? Can you hear me?’ Some people like to talk to God out loud, while others pray in their heads. Some people find it helpful to write their prayers down or to paint them. However we pray, God will hear us. Personally, I find that if I’m praying silently, it’s harder to focus, because my mind wanders off. Speaking my prayers out loud helps me to stay present.

The biggest response to our prayers is God’s presence. We might want God to come in and lift us out of our situations, but often he parachutes in, saying: ‘I’m here with you.’

Be Still: A Simple Guide to Quiet Times by Brian Heasley is published by SPCK

Brian was speaking to Claire Brine

There are three answers that God tends to give when we pray. The first is ‘yes’, where what we ask for happens. The second is ‘no’ – our prayer isn’t answered how we’d like it to be. And the third is ‘wait’. Waiting isn’t always easy in our culture of immediacy, but prayer teaches us to persevere. Prayer is important to maintain our relationship with God. The only way we can sustain any kind of relationship is through communication, so for Christians to talk to God is crucial. Jesus prayed – and he was the Son of God! Prayer is laced throughout the Bible. Prayer also reminds us that we are not alone. We remember that there is a Creator behind creation. We pray because we know that God listens.

This week in our series of handy hints, international director for the 24-7 Prayer movement

BRIAN HEASLEY explains how we can speak with God

QUICK QUIZ

1 2 3 4 5 6

Mermaid’s tale

Ariel is back

Film feature by Claire

Brine

Prime, tierce, quinte and octave are positions in which sport?

In the Nato phonetic alphabet, what word indicates the letter ‘T’?

In which borough of New York City is the Empire State Building?

Which artist painted the oil on canvas Guernica?

Who plays Chas Dingle in the ITV soap Emmerdale?

In the Bible, what is the name of the garden in which Adam and Eve live?

THE seaweed is always greener in somebody else’s lake – which is why Ariel is longing for another kind of life in Disney’s live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, scheduled to be released at cinemas next Friday (26 May).

In the 1989 animated musical, young mermaid Ariel is fed up with living under the sea and dreams of adventure on the land above. When she makes a secret trip to the ocean’s surface, she falls in love with a handsome prince – and wonders if he could love her in return.

Following her heart, Ariel seeks help from the sea witch Ursula, who offers to turn her into a human so that she can stand a chance of bagging her man. But it’s a risky deal. In exchange for human legs, Ariel must give up her beautiful voice. And if the prince doesn’t kiss her within three days, she will turn back into a mermaid and be Ursula’s prisoner for ever.

She took matters into her own hands

Reflecting on the film’s storyline, Disney animator Mark Henn – who animated Ariel in the cartoon – once told the War Cry why the character represented a significant moment in Disney history.

‘In the early films – such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella – the leading ladies were a lot more reactionary,’ he said. ‘Things happened to them, they felt woeful and then dwarfs or mice came along to help them out. But with The Little Mermaid that traditional model began to change. When things happened to the character of Ariel, she took matters into her own hands.’

Perhaps Ariel’s response – her need to do something about her problems – is one we can identify with. We may know the frustration of things happening to us that we wouldn’t choose. Real life rarely goes swimmingly.

But, while some situations are beyond our control, our response isn’t. We have choices. And one choice we can make is to seek God’s help. No matter how hopeless we may feel, we can ask him for his strength and support. We can allow his love to transform us.

In situations that we don’t know how to change, God can always change us. When we invite him to be part of our world, we are on the brink of a whole new adventure.

Halle Bailey as Ariel in the new live-action film

© DISNEY

PUZZLES

Quick CROSSWORD

1.

HONEYCOMB

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

WLook up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these CS Lewis book titles

A GRIEF OBSERVED MERE CHRISTIANITY

MIRACLES

PERELANDRA

PRINCE CASPIAN

SURPRISED BY JOY THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH

THE

THE GREAT DIVORCE

THE

THE PROBLEM OF PAIN

THE SCREWTAPE

TILL WE HAVE FACES

SERVES 4

Leek and potato soup

INGREDIENTS

3tbsp unsalted butter

3 medium leeks, sliced and washed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1tbsp plain flour

4 medium floury potatoes, peeled and diced

1.25l vegetable stock

200ml double cream

METHOD

Melt the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat.

Add the leeks and a pinch of salt, then sweat for about 5 minutes, until softened. Reduce to a low heat and cook, stirring from time to time, for a further 15 minutes, until very tender.

Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the potatoes and whisk in the stock, bringing the soup to a rapid simmer. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender to the point of a knife.

Remove the soup from the heat and remove about two thirds of the leeks, reserving them for a garnish. Purée the soup with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth, working in batches, if necessary.

Return the soup to a simmer. Stir in the cream and simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top with the reserved leek and some more pepper, if desired, to serve.

SERVES 6

Pittas with lamb

INGREDIENTS

500g lean lamb mince

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 spring onions, diced

2tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp dried oregano

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small cucumber, diced

75g rocket

75g feta cheese, crumbled

2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juice

3 white pittas, split in half

Hummus, to serve

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Scrunch together the lamb mince, garlic, spring onions, spices, oregano, 1tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper in a large mixing bowl. Using wet hands, divide and shape into 6 patties. Arrange on the baking tray and leave a thumb imprint in their centres to help keep them even and flat during cooking.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, until golden-brown and cooked through.

Meanwhile, stir together the cucumber, rocket, feta, olive oil and lemon juice with some salt and pepper, to taste, in a mixing bowl.

Remove the lamb patties from the oven when ready. Let the pitta halves warm in the oven for a few minutes with the door ajar. When ready to serve, fill the pittas with the patties and salad. Serve with some hummus on the side.