War Cry 21 November 2020

Urban conservation project makes a grow of it

21 November 2020 20p/25c

In the running for a personal best 800m champion Daniel Rowden on his goals after getting through tough times

A feline feelgood film fur Christmas

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 7501

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 • 21 November 2020

EDITOR From From the editor’s desk

AS in many other fields, ‘tough’ is a word that has been used good So say scientists quoted on the toSINGING describeisthis yearfor in you. athletics.

Events big and small have been BBC Future website.or The experts singing can boost cancelled, rearranged have had tosaid takethat place in empty stadiums. our sense of social connection.

Butmoods some and athletes have tried to find positives in it by winning Perhaps it is with in mind thatgood people haveOne been those races that havethese takenbenefits place and clocking times. joining online choirs during lockdown.

In this week’s issue, the such competitor is Daniel Rowden, who became British champion Warwent Cry’son Sarah Olowofoyeku joins a virtual rehearsal the London and to run the joint ninth-fastest time ever by of a Briton.

He International Gospel Choir to discover for herself the pleasures tells the War Cry this week that the season has been ‘positive upon people have of so singing alone, together with others. positive’.

And found he says having beenyet through some tough times in Meanwhile Austen Hardwick has found similar value in running. the past few years.

This week’s War Cry includes interview with by theamarathon Daniel’s progress in also the sport hadan been hampered painful runner who found that his sport helped him to regain life events after medical condition. He had been hoping to compete at his major he suffered strokes while hishe early forties. last year, but three his doctor told himinthat needed surgery. He had to it was not only running that helped Austen’s recovery. put However, his track career on ice.

His Christian faithhard played a vital ‘running part in him positive It was, he says, because wastaking a big apart of my approach to all that he faced. identity, how I saw success and how I felt validated in the world’.

‘Whenhad I was in hospital,’ Austen says, ‘I asked God take‘I what Daniel to ‘work through’ his discouragement.

He to says: came I was going through and to transform me through it.’ to understand that my validation as a human comes from God.’ Now God take any situation or anything thatChristians he is backbelieve on thethat track, hiscan Christian faith gives him perspective that they do or face and use it to make a positive impact in others’ to handle disappointments and successes. lives or their own.

That been that the experience ofencouraging painter Oliver As this week’s War Cryhas shows, same faith is Pengilley. people in various arenas – whether they are romantic novelist Toni Oliver had developed successful as an experiences artist with some Shiloh, who sees parallelsabetween hercareer characters’ and of his work selling for significant sums of money.

But, he tells or Jesus’ love enabling people to overcome their everydayasstruggles, the War Cry thispractitioner week, he grew frustrated. advanced nurse Karen Cloran, who says that ‘although ‘I didn’t see the meaning of it,’ he says.

Now difficult he travels to he God is not going to stop me from going through times, churches all over thepeace world and to paint pictures worship gives me hope, inner a desire to beduring the best I can be’. sessions his faith-based artworkpeople has helped other in Faith hasand a track record of helping in good andpeople bad times. their know own faith They that,journey. whatever happens, God will be with them from is an amazing truth that God can take any skill a person has startIt to finish. or any situation they are facing and can transform it into something that can change their lives and the lives of the people around them.

Contents

What is The Salvation Army?

FEATURES 3

A cat not just for Christmas Furry friend’s film return

5

Nuns’ classical No 1 Peaceful album strikes a chord

6

Natural progression Conservation project transforms wasteland

8

British 800m champion Daniel Rowden ‘I didn’t give my talents to me’

10 Seizing the days

How Toni used National Novel Writing Month

REGULARS

12

Team Talk

13

Faces of Faith

14 Puzzles 15

War Cry Kitchen

6

10

Front-page picture: PA

15

FILM Lionsgate

James Bowen (Luke Treadaway) and Bob

A winter’s tail Emily Bright watches a feline film about the festive season

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N a film purrfect for these difficult times, A Christmas Gift from Bob, which is now out on DVD, tells the real-life story of how James Bowen and his cat called Bob faced and overcame homelessness.

Recovering from a drug addiction and estranged from his father, James was forced to sleep on the streets of London. Then things began to change: he secured temporary accommodation and, one day, he was followed home by a stray cat, Bob, who adopted James as his owner. Together, they teamed up on the busking circuit and drew in the crowds, raising revenue for James.

From there, James rebuilt his life, not just for his own sake but so that he could take good care of Bob. James’s story was featured in the 2016 film A Street Cat Named Bob, based on the book he wrote about his experiences. This year, A Christmas Gift from Bob tells the story of what happened during his last Christmas in temporary accommodation.

The film opens with James (Luke Treadaway) attending an upmarket party after the publication of his memoirs. Feeling like a fish out of water, he makes a hasty exit, and a chance meeting leads him to reflect back on his last Christmas without a permanent home.

Life looked bleak back then. He worked relentlessly as a Big Issue

seller and busker simply to keep a roof over his head. He could barely pay to keep the electricity running or feed himself. As circumstances spiralled out of control, he wondered whether he’d lose his best friend Bob (played by Bob himself) for ever.

But as time went on, the kindness of friends and strangers transformed it into an unforgettable Christmas.

One organisation seeking to transform the lives of people experiencing homelessness is The Salvation Army, who run food banks and accommodation to support them.

Countless lives have been changed for the better thanks to the work of the church and charity.

Malcolm Page, of The Salvation Army’s homelessness services, tells the War Cry about the difficulties that those experiencing homelessness face during the festive season.

‘Christmas is often a time when people meet together,’ he says.

‘However, many of our clients’ relationships with friends and family have broken down. Estranged partners, children and families where there is little or no contact mean that this can, for many, be a time of heartbreak and an overwhelming

sense of isolation and loneliness.’

Malcolm says that the support of The Salvation Army is particularly important at the moment.

‘This year with the restrictions the pandemic places upon us, it will be vital that we provide safe and secure accommodation for those who may be rough-sleeping.

‘And our centres and those staff who support our clients in their own homes will go the extra mile at this time of the year, to ensure everyone feels connected.’

This can be a time of loneliness

21 November 2020 • War Cry • 3

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BLACK Panther actress Letitia Wright says that a popular Bible verse inspired the name of her new production company.

In an interview with fashion magazine Porter, Letitia explained that she called her company Threesixteen Productions, in reference to John 3:16 in the Scriptures, which starts, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’.

‘It was a name that was pressed on my heart,’ she said. ‘When I was in a dark place, God reached out to me and I kind of see my production company in that sense: there’s an issue and it needs a little bit of saving.’

Letitia wants her production company to diversify storytelling in the film industry.

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THE creators of a new national monument to prayer plan to donate a million bricks to social housing projects.

The Eternal Wall of Prayer, which will be constructed on the outskirts of Birmingham from one million bricks that represent answered prayers, is expected to attract 300,000 visitors each year and contribute £9.3 million to the local economy. The site will include a visitor centre, a café, a bookshop and a chaplaincy service.

Profits from ongoing operations will facilitate the donation of one million bricks to help build 100 new houses.

Richard Gamble, CEO of the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, said: ‘Social housing is at a crisis point in the UK and it is our hope that we can play a small part in supporting those most in need.’

A computer-generated image of the prayer wall

WAR CRY n

CHURCHES in the UK are seeing an increase in the number of people who want to find out more about the Christian faith, according to a report on congregations’ response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Evangelical Alliance’s Changing Church report, based on a survey of 890 churches and organisations, says that, of the churches who responded, 59 per cent said that they had experienced a rise in interest.

Approximately one in ten leaders had seen an increase in people making first-time commitments to follow Jesus.

The report also reveals that most churches (88 per cent) are working to meet the needs of vulnerable people in their communities. Of those churches, almost three quarters (72 per cent) are working in partnership with local authorities, other churches or charities.

Peter Lynas, UK director of the Evangelical Alliance, said: ‘Through these results, we can see that not only are churches still active, but that they also seem to be more engaging. We have seen a marked shift in the spiritual atmosphere of the country throughout the pandemic. More people are praying, more people have watched church online.’

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HOLLYWOOD actor Matthew McConaughey has spoken about how his Christian faith influences his daily life.

In an interview with American podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, Matthew said that ‘there’s a lot of great truths that come out of the Bible’.

He added that while he found some parts of the Bible hard to grapple with, it has had helpful practical applications for his own life. ‘There’s philosophies and there’s proverbs and there’s teachings that I think are very valid and very helpful,’ he said.

He explained: ‘I do know what to do with love your neighbour like yourself.

I do know what to do with some proverbs that I can take into daily practice and go: “Oh, I felt improvement, I felt success in my relationships, in my relationship with the day, with my career by following that, by treating others how I wanted to be treated – the golden rule.” So I take the practical stuff myself and try to utilise it.’

FEATURE Chris O’Donovan

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The Poor Clares listen to their album for the first time

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

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Appeal aims to give Christmas joy with toys TOYSHOP chain The Entertainer and The Salvation Army have launched an appeal to provide toys to struggling families at Christmas.

Customers can support the Big Toy Appeal by adding a £5 toy to their basket online on the websites of The Entertainer (TheToyShop. com) and the Early Learning Centre (elc.co.uk). The Entertainer then matches all donations, doubling the total number of toys given to The Salvation Army for distribution.

Although Entertainer and Early Learning Centre shops in England have had to close because of the latest lockdown measures, customers in other parts of the United Kingdom can still donate a toy in-store if they are allowed in shops.

About 60,000 toys and books have been donated through the Big Toy Appeal since it was launched three years ago.

This year’s appeal will run until 28 November.

The Salvation Army’s director of community services, Tony Daniels, said: ‘The pandemic has brought some extremely difficult situations for families throughout this year.

Christmas always brings extra demands on family budgets, but this year we’re anticipating it will be even more difficult for many.

The Big Toy Appeal allows us, with The Entertainer, to bring Christmas joy to families who need it the most right now.’

Sister act Emily Bright sings the praises of a hit album made by nuns

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HE hills are alive with the sound of music – at least in West Sussex, where the Poor Clares of Arundel have produced a choral album that has climbed the charts.

Released on major label Decca, Light for the World came about after music producer James Morgan approached the convent of nuns, who are aged between 40 and 90, with the idea of turning the choral style of music they use in their services into an album.

James and his fellow producer Juliette Pochin composed music for the release, taking inspiration from the writings of Clare of Assisi and Francis of Assisi – founders of the nuns’ order – as well as the Bible’s Book of Psalms.

The tracks offer a balm to the soul, and it seems could not have come at a better time.

Sales propelled Light for the World to No 1 in the classical albums chart.

‘It’s been a time of great anxiety and stress, and people really need to zone out and find a place of peace,’ Sister Gabriel told The Observer. ‘We want people to know the essence of our lives, what we believe in and what brings us joy.’

The nuns are part of a time-honoured tradition. For generations, Christians have found comfort and peace in worshipping with music. It is one way in which they express their feelings to God, whether of love, sorrow, anxiety or joy. By sharing heartfelt hymns and serene psalms, they feel a connection with God, who offers everyone the opportunity to experience a sense of peace because of the love for all humankind he revealed in his Son, Jesus.

One Bible writer assured people who put their trust in Jesus that they could ‘tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done’. Then, he wrote, ‘you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand’ (Philippians 4:6 and 7 New Living Translation).

If we vow to follow Jesus, he will give us something to sing about.

We want people to know what brings us joy

21 November 2020 • War Cry • 5

Community makes wasteland a site better KAILEAN KHONGSAI talks with Sarah Olowofoyeku about transforming an abandoned piece of land

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Apples grow in the orchard at Wolf Fields Nature Reserve 6 • War Cry • 21 November 2020

EFORE Wolf Fields Nature Reserve was the community hub it is today, it was a wasteland, covered in 54 tonnes of rubbish. The three-acre site in Southall, west London, was acquired by Christian conservation charity A Rocha UK in 2012, after a seed had been planted in reserve manager Kailean Khongsai’s mind.

‘My wife and I were walking around the area when we saw a neglected, wild and abandoned allotment site,’ remembers Kailean. ‘There was lots of rubbish piling up, but something attracted us to it. My wife asked me: “Can’t we transform this area?” I was working for A Rocha, but since it was a small charity with limited resources, I couldn’t think about demanding lots of money from my colleagues to start a new project. It seemed impossible.

‘That night, I couldn’t sleep, and I said to my wife that we should go back to see the site, and pray about it. If God was telling us something, then he would make a way.

We prayed that if it was God’s will, he would give us wisdom and resources, and help us transform it.’

Kailean contacted churches to ask for their support. They liked the idea. The next thing he had to do was to find out who owned the site.

‘It took us some time,’ he says, ‘because it sits on the border of Hounslow and Ealing councils. Eventually we found it was Ealing, and we set up a meeting with the heads of green space and the planning people. They liked our idea, but we needed to have a lease agreement and they needed to know what exactly we

INTERVIEW

When Kailean Khongsai (below) first saw the site, it was covered in rubbish

wanted the project to be like.’

Kailean’s vision for what today is Wolf Fields Nature Reserve was that it should be ‘a multipurpose green space for the community’.

He explains: ‘We wanted people to come and learn about nature, to have picnics, to socialise and enjoy nature.

We especially wanted to welcome the disabled community. We also wanted the faith communities to work together on it.

The council was happy with that, but they told us there was no money, so we had to raise it ourselves.’

A Rocha UK took out a six-year lease and, with support from churches, raised some seed money.

‘The site was full of mattresses, beer cans, whisky bottles, pushchairs, broken beds – everything piling up,’ says Kailean. ‘A group of A Rocha supporters gave us some donations, and we had enough to start.

We calculated it afterwards and we ended up spending some £15,000 just to clear the site.

‘More than 80 people came out to help us one day. It had been lying abused for years, so the more we dug, the more

rubble came out.’

In just over six years, the site has been transformed, and Kailean hopes that the lease will be extended.

‘It’s a hub and an outdoor classroom for the whole community,’ he says.

‘We work with about 90 schools.

There’s a storytelling area that is popular with them, and they use the site for outdoor education. Sometimes a church has held outdoor services here too.’

The nature reserve has a sensory garden and a food-growing project.

Cherries, plums, damsons and apples grow in a fruit orchard.

In the community allotment, depending on the season, there are squash, cabbage, potatoes and kale.

Kailean believes it’s important that the children learn about the outdoors.

‘Many of the students who have come down here haven’t been able to identify the stuff we grow. These kids are so disconnected, but they are the people who will be raising the next generation so we have a huge responsibility to show them how food works.

‘We live in a prosperous country

We have a responsibility to take care of the world

where you can find everything in the supermarket, on a shelf, in a nicely decorated plastic bag. We are trying to demonstrate what people can do in their own home and their own garden.’

The project also benefits people who don’t even visit the site, Kailean explains.

‘We don’t sell the food we grow. We give some to a homeless project, and we also give it to neighbours. We want to encourage people to come to the site and use it for themselves.’

In all the work he does, one of Kailean’s main desires is that people learn to care about the environment. That hope stems from his Christian faith.

‘We have this world, created by God, that he entrusted us to take care of,’ he says. ‘Because God is so gracious, he granted us everything for free. We have everything we need, but we don’t value it any more.

‘We have to rethink how we live. We are in a crisis and we have a responsibility to take care of the world, because this is the only one that we have.’

21 November 2020 • War Cry • 7

STAYING O British 800m champion DANIEL ROWDEN tells Sarah Olowofoyeku how his faith has kept him grounded during the highs and lows of his career

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ARLIER this year in Manchester, athlete Daniel Rowden became the British 800m champion. A few weeks later in Zagreb, his time of 1 minute 44.09 seconds was the joint ninth-fastest of all time by a Briton. Such successes were all the sweeter because Daniel had overcome a serious medical condition that had threatened to stop him taking part in the sport he had grown up loving.

‘I started on the athletics team in primary school, doing cross-country and district sports,’ he says. ‘Off the back of some good cross-country performances, I started running for a club when I was 12.

‘I was at that club for about six or seven years, until I left for university. At the start, I was training once a week and then it progressed to training almost every day by the time I left.

‘As I had started to take training more seriously and pushing my body harder, I would get intense stomach pains.

Sometimes it would be during training, and a lot of times after, especially in the winter months. I went to see various doctors who suggested IBS, lactose intolerance or a vitamin D deficiency, so I tried different things which helped a bit, but none of them seemed to take away the pain.’

Daniel struggled with the condition for

At the IAAF World Challenge in Zagreb, Daniel’s time in the 800m put him joint ninth in the British all-time list

8 • War Cry • 21 November 2020

about five years, unsure whether the pain was in his head or was a common running ailment that he couldn’t deal with. Then, in 2018, Daniel joined the World Class Performance programme with British Athletics, and had a medical assessment.

‘I mentioned my stomach problems,’ he says, ‘and the doctor said it sounded like Mals.’

Mals (median arcuate ligament syndrome) is a rare condition in which a ligament pushes on the artery and nerves connected to the digestive organs in the top part of the abdomen, causing abdominal pain.

‘I went to see a Mals specialist who confirmed that it was this condition which had caused my problems. I’d been hoping to compete in 2019, and had set my sights on the European under-23 title and trying to make the World Championships in Doha later that year. I wanted to finish the season and get surgery done in the winter, but the doctor said if I wanted to continue running, I had to have surgery then. If not, the condition could progress and become more lifethreatening.’

It was a tough decision to make as he had raced every year since starting the sport.

‘Running was a big part of my identity, how I saw success and how I felt validated

INTERVIEW

ON TRACK I can have satisfaction in just doing my best in the world, so not having that was hard.

I was discouraged and felt forgotten in athletics. I had to work through that in my mind, and it was a big learning curve. I came to understand that my validation as a human comes from God.’ Daniel became a Christian at the age of 15, after taking a year to study the Bible.

‘I grew up going to church, but as I was a good kid, didn’t get in trouble and did well at school, I found it hard to see why I needed Jesus or salvation,’ he admits.

‘I seemed to be doing well in comparison with others around me, so it wasn’t till I studied the Scriptures about sin and how I need a saviour and thought about everything Jesus went through on the cross that I thought: “This guy did a lot, and I need him.”’

Having a Christian faith while going through a significant health challenge has contributed to Daniel’s positive perspective in his sporting career.

‘It helps me to be more grateful,

because I’m aware that I didn’t give my talents to me. God designed me to have certain gifts. It means there’s a lot less pressure, and I can have satisfaction in just doing my best. My faith gives me a lot of peace. It helps me to stay calm before races, to deal with disappointments and, on the flip side, to deal with accolades and not let it go to my head when things go well.’

And, after a personally challenging 2019, things have gone well for Daniel in 2020.

He is now back to training six days a week.

‘It’s very hard work,’ he says. ‘I train because I enjoy racing and being good at it. I enjoy getting better at something. I enjoy training with other people, because of the camaraderie, and there are the endorphins and positive energy that come from running as well.’

He reflects: ‘This whole season has been a big surprise. I didn’t go in with many expectations, but it has been positive upon positive, and I’m grateful.’

PA

21 November 2020 • War Cry • 9

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SPIRING writers are hoping that November will enable them to open a new chapter in their lives.

They are spending their time typing, deleting, imagining and reworking, having committed themselves to write 50,000 words by the end of the month.

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) began in America in 1999 but has gone global. To date, hundreds of thousands of people have taken part, some going on to be published authors.

Toni Shiloh is one of those numerous writers who have completed the challenge, and since first doing so in 2015, she has had more than 20 books published.

‘I thought NaNoWriMo would be a great way to stretch my writing muscles and see if I was even capable of writing that many words in a month,’ says the American author. ‘I came up with a premise: a woman who has her life planned out to the dot gets to the time when she wants to check off the marriage box, but is single, so she puts an ad in the newspaper to find a husband.

‘I wrote 50,000 words in that one month, and I had a lot of fun doing it. I didn’t have an outline, I just sat in front of my laptop each day and worked.’

Those 50,000 words became Toni’s first novel, Buying Love, which was published in 2016.

Toni, who is based in Virginia, had started writing in 2014, after making a new year’s resolution to ‘finish a novel instead of always just starting them’. And while she managed to write a novella that year, completing NaNoWriMo the following year helped her learn about herself and her writing.

She explains: ‘I never plot anything, but doing the challenge

Toni Shiloh

10 • War Cry • 21 November2020

vel No A novel way to spend November

INTERVIEW

November is National Novel Writing Month. Sarah Olowofoyeku speaks with TONI SHILOH, one of the thousands of people who has penned a story in 30 days

proved that I didn’t have to. It also proved that I’m capable of writing so many words a day.’

She has taken part in the challenge again since, and this month is hoping to finish a longer novel by writing its last 50,000 words.

Toni has written books through November and completed others during other months of the year. But one particular season often features in her work: Christmas. Last month, two of her novellas were gathered together with works by other authors in the Christmas collections Something Borrowed and Hearts Aglow.

‘I enjoy writing stories set around Christmastime, sharing about the season and having people fall in love.’

But in Toni’s eyes there’s more to the season than romance.

‘In one of my stories, a woman returns home to her family at Christmas,’ she says. ‘She has been laid off from her job, her sister is going to get married to

her ex-boyfriend and she just feels like an utter failure. But in going through the Christmas season, she realises that God is always there. He is the thing that matters, not the other trappings that we deem make us a success.’

It isn’t only her characters who encounter God. Toni is a Christian. She says that, although she had made a commitment to follow Jesus when she was a young girl, it was not until she was in her late twenties that she was ‘completely changed’ by a realisation in her head and heart of what Jesus had done in bringing salvation to the world. ‘I wanted my belief in him to match how I lived,’ she says.

She takes her belief in God into her writing. She prays before she writes and says that she wants her readers to ‘connect with the characters, to be entertained and also to grow in their faith’.

As a romance writer, most of Toni’s books tell the tale of someone falling in love. She says that is, in part, a reflection of her faith.

I show how people fall in love

‘You can’t believe in Jesus without believing in love. In writing romance, I’m able to show how people fall in love and the things that they overcome. I can’t help but see the parallels between us struggling with everyday life and Jesus’ love being able to overcome that.’

Toni says that faith has helped her in her own everyday life. As she looks out at a troubled world, it gives her hope.

‘If something happens or I’m stunned by something I watch on the news, knowing that I have Jesus means that I can talk it out with him, get a better perspective and not follow the worry train to wherever it might take me,’ she says.

‘My faith gives me a hope that can withstand what is happening in the world. It helps me know that what I see on TV isn’t the end. There’s a bigger, better story.’

l For more information visit tonishiloh.com

21 November 2020 • War Cry • 11

EXPLORE

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’.

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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.

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

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

Team talk Team talk

talk ‘ ’ There’s still something about women such as Mary

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

A SCULPTURE commemorating Mary Wollstonecraft, the 18th-century author and ‘mother of feminism’, came in for criticism when it was unveiled in London.

‘I think it would have been nice to commemorate Mary Wollstonecraft with her clothes on,’ tweeted novelist JoJo Moyes in response to the nude female figure.

‘You don’t see a lot of statues commemorating male political figures without their pants on.’ The artist Maggi Hambling insisted the figure was a modern ‘everywoman’ rather than Wollstonecraft.

While it’s obvious that many people are angry, disappointed and even baffled by the creation, I’m feeling more frustrated. I worry that every time a report focuses on the ‘backlash’, Mary herself gets less attention. Wasn’t the point of the statue to commemorate her achievements – which were many.

Mary advocated women’s rights at a time when women didn’t really have any.

She had no formal education so educated herself and, at the age of 25, opened a girls’ boarding school. Aged 33, she wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, in which she imagined a social order with gender equality. She said that she did not wish women to ‘have power over men; but over themselves’.

Whatever people make of the statue, it’s indisputable that Mary’s work mattered. I can’t help but feel impressed when I read of women from history who, despite facing discrimination, strove to show the world how to do better.

In London’s East End stands a statue of Catherine Booth, who founded The Salvation Army with her husband, William. Perhaps Joe and Jo Public know little about this woman, but her work changed the lives of many women and men in Victorian England.

As a preacher of the gospel, she led hundreds to faith in God while paving the way for more women to move into Christian ministry. She successfully campaigned against the unhealthy conditions in which people in the matchmaking industry worked.

When the pressure of leading The Salvation Army grew, she refused to give up, but sought to overcome obstacles.

Thank God she, and others like her, did.

They strove to show the world how to do better

" Tick one or more of the options below, complete the coupon and send it to

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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 • 21 November 2020

j Q&A

EXPRESSIONS

FACES OF FAITH KAREN CLORAN from Failsworth on detective novels, nursing and helping others What’s your typical day?

I work part-time as an advanced nurse practitioner at a GP practice. I do consultations with patients, similar to a GP’s, from nine to five. At home, I do the usual household tasks and maybe go out for a walk.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was a child, I wanted to be a vet, but that changed in my teenage years.

What makes you feel like a grown-up now?

Getting older makes me feel more of a grown-up. I run my household and I have a husband and two grown-up sons.

What was the last book you read?

q a quick QUIZ 1

Who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories?

2

What is the chemical formula for carbon dioxide?

3

Who played the lead role of Peter Laurence MP in the TV drama Roadkill?

4

What nickname is often given to the Boeing 747 airliner?

5

What are the names of the four Pevensie children in CS Lewis’s story The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?

6

Which British band had a No 1 hit in 2006 with the song ‘When the Sun Goes Down’?

ANSWERS

Clean Cut by Lynda La Plante. I tend to read detective novels and interesting-looking books on the Sunday Times Bestsellers List.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

‘Life is a learning curve. Be bold. Try new experiences and trust that you will be okay.’ In my teenage years, I was always very quiet and I still am a quiet person, so maybe I didn’t grab opportunities that were there when I was in my late teenage years.

How did you become a Christian?

My parents were Salvation Army officers, so I’ve always attended The Salvation Army. My faith has developed over the years. It has been full of ups and downs, and in my twenties I drifted a little, but my belief in God was always there.

What’s good about being a Christian?

My faith gives me an intention to help and love others, though that’s not always easy. Although God is not going to stop me from going through difficult times, he gives me hope, inner peace and a desire to be the best that I can be. Knowing this makes me feel loved.

What one question would you ask God? Why does God allow innocent people and children to experience great suffering?

What do you pray about?

I pray for my family, my church and people who are ill. I pray for news topics such as Covid-19. And I pray for a deeper relationship with God. 21 November 2020 • War Cry • 13

1. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. 2. CO2.

3. Hugh Laurie. 4. The jumbo jet. 5. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. 6. Arctic Monkeys.

CROSSWORD CROSSWORD PUZZLES

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Fast train (7) 5. Student (5) 7. Depraved (7) 8. Cook by dry heat (5) 10. Coarse file (4) 11. Introduction (8) 13. Edify (6) 14. Niche (6) 17. Banished (8) 19. Just (4)

21. Armistice (5) 22. Akin (7) 23. Dupe (5) 24. Attempted (7)

DOWN 2. Sunshade (7) 3. Case for needles (4) 4. Lampoon (6) 5. Side by side (8) 6. Crash (5)

7. Fat (9) 9. Cherished (9) 12. Wealthy (8) 15. Precisely (7) 16. Funeral car (6) 18. Feather (5) 20. Alack (4)

SUDOKU

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

HONEYCOMB HONEYCOMB

3

3

7

HONEYCOMB 1. Hourly. 2. Blower. 3. Follow.

4. Plunge. 5. Scheme. 6. Occupy.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Express. 5. Pupil.

7. Corrupt. 8. Roast. 10. Rasp.

11. Prologue. 13. Uplift. 14. Recess.

17. Expelled. 19. Fair. 21. Truce.

22. Related. 23. Cheat. 24. Essayed.

DOWN: 2. Parasol. 3. Etui. 4. Satire.

5. Parallel. 6. Prang. 7. Corpulent.

9. Treasured. 12. Affluent. 15. Exactly.

16. Hearse. 18. Plume. 20. Alas.

6 4 7 2 1 3 5 8 9

9 3 2 8 6 5 7 4 1

5 1 8 7 9 4 6 3 2

3 5 6 9 4 2 8 1 7

7 9 4 1 8 6 2 5 3

8 2 1 3 5 7 4 9 6

1 7 9 5 2 8 3 6 4

2 6 5 4 3 9 1 7 8

4 8 3 6 7 1 9 2 5

SUDOKU SOLUTION

5 7 8 8 9 2

6

14 • War Cry • 21 November 2020

ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch

Answers

4 8 5 3

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

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Every 60 minutes 2. Slang for telephone 3. Travel behind 4. Dive quickly 5. Systematic plan 6. Reside in

1

Wordsearch CS LEWIS

GENEVIEVE COGMAN GEORGE RR MARTIN JRR TOLKIEN NK JEMISIN

NAOMI NOVIK

PATRICK ROTHFUSS PHILIP PULLMAN ROBIN HOBB

SOFIA SAMATAR STEPHEN KING

STEVEN ERIKSON

SUSANNA CLARKE

TERRY PRATCHETT URSULA K LE GUIN

Look up, down, forwards, backwards

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

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

6 7 9 4 3 9 7

D Baked pumpkin, tofu and maple-glazed autumn salad Ingredients

Method

50ml vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 160C/315F/ Gas Mark 3.

4 sprigs thyme 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced 1 small pumpkin 1 pack tofu, drained, rinsed and cut into cubes 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

Place the tofu in a bowl and top with the garlic, turmeric, cinnamon and paprika to combine. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

½ tsp turmeric ½ tsp cinnamon 1tbsp paprika

SERVES

200g kale leaves, washed

4

80ml maple syrup 50g chestnuts, chopped, to garnish 50g pecans, chopped, to garnish

Method

3tbsp extra virgin olive oil

To make a dressing, add the oil, vinegar, honey, shallots, capers and parsley to a jar, close the lid and shake well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

1tbsp rice vinegar 2tsp runny honey, to taste 2 shallots, finely chopped 1tbsp capers, roughly chopped Handful of parsley, finely chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 eggs 250g asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3 pieces 400g can butter beans, drained and rinsed 250g ready-to-eat beetroot, drained and diced 160g can tuna steak, drained and roughly flaked Olives

Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the kale.

Cook for 2 minutes, then drain immediately and add to a frying pan. Cook the kale for a further 8 minutes with the maple syrup as a glaze on top.

Place all the cooked ingredients in a large salad bowl and toss together.

Asparagus, tuna and bean salad Ingredients

Lightly oil a large baking dish and add the thyme, onions and remaining oil. Scoop out the pumpkin flesh and dice into 1.5cm cubes, then add to the dish.

Roast for 35 minutes, or until soft.

Garnish with the chopped nuts, to serve.

Hard-boil the eggs by placing them in a small pan and covering with cold water.

Bring the pan to a steady simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until the yolk has almost completely set. Drain and run under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Peel, slice in half and set aside.

Heat the asparagus in a pan of boiling water and cook for 3 minutes, until just tender. Drain and place in a bowl. Add the butter beans and pour over half of the dressing. Toss together.

Spoon the beans and asparagus between 2 bowls.

Scatter over the beetroot, tuna flakes and a few olives. Top with the egg halves and season with the salt and pepper. Pour over the rest of the dressing, to serve.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Love British Food website lovebritishfood.co.uk

SERVES

2

21 November 2020 • War Cry • 15

GOD loves EACH AS IF OF US

THERE WERE ONLY

of ONE

US Augustine