War Cry 22 January 2022

It’s time to watch the birdie with the RSPB

WAR CRY

22 January 2022 50p

Stef gets her skates on Paralympian is ready to compete in Dancing on Ice

Premier role for Jeremy Irons in Munich film

What is The Salvation Army?

From the editor’s desk

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity seeking to share the good news of Jesus and nurture committed followers of him. We also serve people without discrimination, care for creation and seek justice and reconciliation. We offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.

THE contestants may have felt they were on thin ice last Sunday (16 January) as they made their skating debuts in public. For the Dancing on Ice stars not used to performing on blades, it was a nerve-racking experience.

Tomorrow, Paralympian Stef Reid will be among those performing their first judged routine in the ITV competition. In this week’s War Cry, she talks about how scary she found the prospect of taking part in the programme.

‘But one thing I’ve learnt is that when you come across something that scares you in life, you should pay attention because it might be something good to explore,’ she tells us.

In her interview, Stef reveals that she is no stranger to conquering her fears. She describes competing in the Paralympic Games as ‘the best thing and the most terrifying thing in the world’.

With Stef, one thing is clear – she is not one to shirk a challenge, whether in her professional or personal life. In fact, she tells us that a challenge can be a ‘great thing’. But Stef never has to face those challenges alone, as she is able to draw on her Christian faith.

‘Living a life with God, I’ve realised that he is always far more interested in my growth than in my comfort,’ she says.

When we are faced with a challenge, often our immediate reaction is to avoid it or to hope that it goes away. However, Christians have the opportunity to ask God to help them through whatever the difficulty may be.

God is willing to help us all. If we ask for his support, not only can we get through our the War read difficulties, but we can also come out the Cr ve y ’ u other side having grown as people.

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 7560

When yo

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

CONTENTS

The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies Published weekly by The Salvation Army © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.

Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper

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INFO Your local Salvation Army centre

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Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight

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FEATURES

3

Edgy drama

Film looks back on a battle to keep

the peace

5

Flying high

Campaign to count Britain’s birdlife

6

It doesn’t have to be a dog’s life

How our four-legged friends are

helping out

8

Reid all about it

Stef looks ahead to Dancing on Ice

REGULARS

4

War Cry World

12 Team Talk 13 Wisdom in the Words 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV

Hugh (left) and Paul have an uncomfortable reunion

ON THE

NETFLIX

EDGE Historical drama depicts characters’ political and personal challenges Film preview by Andrew Stone

E

UROPE in 1938 was a dangerous and volatile place. The threat of war loomed large over the continent as Adolf Hitler sought to fulfil his plans for the Third Reich. In Britain, Neville Chamberlain was determined to do all he could to avoid another war.

From this historical reality comes the new Netflix film Munich – The Edge of War, starring Jeremy Irons as the worried prime minister.

The story centres on two fictional characters, Briton Hugh Legat (George MacKay) and his former friend, German Paul von Hartmann (Jannis Niewöhner).

The two had met as students at Oxford nine years earlier but, since leaving the university, their careers have gone in opposite directions. Hugh is now a civil

servant working directly with Chamberlain, while Paul, a civilian diplomat, is working as a translator for Hitler.

With the Nazis harbouring ambitions to control mainland Europe, relations between Britain and Germany are at breaking point. In an effort to avoid war, the two leaders meet in Munich.

Hugh and Paul are part of their nations’ delegations and meet again for the first time in years. Initially, it is an uncomfortable reunion, until Paul confides in Hugh that he has become increasingly alarmed by Hitler’s true intentions. He wants Hugh’s help to stop the relentless march to war.

Hugh, however, has his own personal battles to face. Working at the heart of government is a demanding job involving long hours, last-minute changes of plan and the need to be constantly available whenever Downing Street duties call.

It is anything but the ideal job for Hugh as a married man with a young son – and his marriage is on the edge of failure. He knows that his government work is important, but his wife, Pamela (Jessica Brown Findlay), struggles to understand how it can be more important than his family. As Hugh heads for Munich, Pamela goes with their son to live with her parents.

It is partly for their safety should war break out, but will Hugh still have his family to return to when the Munich

Hugh works with prime minister Neville Chamberlain

conference is over or has he got his worklife balance so wrong that his marriage is finished?

Successfully juggling responsibilities, whether that be with work, family or wider relationships, can be challenging. Difficult decisions have to be made, and it is not always clear what the right course of action is.

When facing such uncertain times, Christians have found that they can receive guidance from God. He knows and cares about us and wants to show us the best way to handle even the trickiest of situations.

One Bible writer explained: ‘The Lord says, “I will teach you the way you should go; I will instruct you and advise you”’ (Psalm 32:8 Good News Bible).

God’s offer to help us know what decisions we should be making is available to everyone who believes in him and is willing to follow his way. If we put our trust in him, he will never let us down, whatever battles we face in our lives.

Will Hugh have his family to return to?

Hugh and Pamela have marital problems

22 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 3

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Christian app stores up celebrity backing

Digital deficit NEARLY half (48 per cent) of the people who are being helped by Christians Against Poverty (CAP) face barriers to using the internet, causing them to fall behind financially, according to a new report by the charity.

Digital Divide says that a survey of CAP’s debt help clients found that 24 per cent can access the internet only via a smartphone, while 9 per cent face a financial barrier to using the internet, such as broadband charges.

To further highlight the financial difference caused by the digital divide, the report cites evidence from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and the Lloyds Banking UK Consumer Digital Index.

CEBR found that internet users experienced, on average, higher earnings and improved chances of finding work, and made 13 per cent savings on shopping.

The report recommends that the government work with telecommunications companies to make internet usage free on mobile devices for essential websites offering access to universal credit and key services such as debt advice. It also says that companies should provide non-digital ways for customers to contact them.

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A CHRISTIAN worship and wellbeing app will be receiving £30 million in funding from investors including Michael Bublé (pictured), Kris Jenner and Jason Derulo, various news sites have reported.

The Glorify app aims to make it easier for Christians to connect with God on a daily basis.

It offers biblical meditations and Christian music.

Ed Beccle, co-founder of the app, told the TechCrunch news website: ‘We’re trying to create a cultural movement around faith and making believing in God and something greater, something that’s more than just okay [and into] something that can really change your life.’

He said that the app has had 2.5 million downloads over the past year.

Singer Michael Bublé said: ‘Prayer has been such an important part of my life. With Glorify, we now have the tools to find moments throughout the day to connect with God on our own terms.’

Glorify is available to download for free on iOS or Android.

Archbishop’s concern for bereaved AS the official Covid-19 death toll surpassed 150,000 in the UK, the Archbishop of Canterbury said that people needed to be generous in supporting each other amid national grief.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, the Most Rev Justin Welby said: ‘Every death is a profound tragedy in which an individual is lost… We need to be generous – spiritually and physically, materially – with each other.

‘We’ve seen the fragility of our lives, the fragility of our economies. One way in which we grieve well is to reach out to others with generosity that will help them, whether it’s round the world with the vaccine or in this country especially. And all these things help everyone in their different stages.’

The archbishop emphasised the importance of reaching out to loved ones when grieving and highlighted MY ALA the comfort that prayer can ES/ G IMA offer, regardless of whether PA a person believes in God or not.

He also cited Jesus’ teachings in the context of the vaccination programme, encouraging people to get the jab as a way of loving their neighbour.

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

B salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

Things are looking up

RAY KENNEDY (RSPB-IMAGES.COM)

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The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch invites people to keep an eye on wildlife Feature by Sarah Olowofoyeku

Slave’s mosaic of thanks uncovered in Turkey

AY what you see is the nation’s task next weekend (28–30 January).

But it’s not a giant game of TV’s Catchphrase; it’s the Big Garden Birdwatch, run by the RSPB. People are being invited to choose one hour during the weekend to count the birds they see in their garden or local park or from their balcony and then log what they’ve seen.

The survey is key to looking after birdlife. Last year, more than one million people across the UK took part and helped the RSPB know how garden birds were doing.

Anne McCall, director of RSPB Scotland, which had its biggest Birdwatch year in 2021, said she was delighted with the number of participants. She explained that they ‘generated a massive amount of data, which will help our scientists with important conservation work’.

She added that the take-up showed how many people had turned to nature after a difficult 12 months.

Many of us have benefited from birds and nature throughout the pandemic. They have provided solace, comfort or something to enjoy. As we have dealt with loss, uncertainty and a completely changed way of life, the natural world has offered a breath of fresh air on some of our darkest days.

A walk in the park or a sighting of birds can be more than a source of comfort in itself. Some people have logged how it can also be a way in which they see God, who always offers them the strength they need.

The Bible writer Paul said that nature can reveal God to everyone: ‘Ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities’ (Romans 1:20 New Living Translation).

Another look at creation may show us that God is there and that he is powerful and beautiful. This truth can offer great comfort to us all, especially at a time when it feels as though things are out of our control. So when we next look up at the birds and the sky, let’s open our eyes to what else we may see.

The natural world has offered a breath of fresh air

ELEANOR BENTALL (RSPB-IMAGES.COM)

A MOSAIC made by a freed slave to thank God for his emancipation has been discovered during excavations at the site of a church in Turkey, reports Turkish news organisation Anadolu Agency.

The sixth-century Church of the Holy Apostles – where the mosaic was unearthed – was found in an orange grove in Hatay in 2007, when Mehmet Keles recognised historical artefacts while planting orange saplings. Archaeological digs were launched and, after finding mosaics, animal figures, stone graves and bone remains, experts concluded that the area was the Church of the Holy Apostles.

Digs continue, and archaeologists recently found the mosaic, which features an inscription in which an emancipated slave thanks God. Ayse Ersoy, director of Hatay Archaeology Museum, told Anadolu Agency that the mosaic ‘pictures peacocks and depictions of Heaven’.

She said that the church and its mosaics are important, because they reveal information about the period between the sixth and twelfth centuries in the city.

S

Birdwatchers will record the feathered friends they spot

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C re a t u re Since 2007, Canines for Christ has been using dogs to comfort and support people in potentially stressful situations. JILL POWELL from the organisation talks about its work Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

T

HE hospital waiting area was quiet.

No one spoke. People’s faces were glued to their phones. Anxiety was probably in the air as they awaited the outcome of their visit. But then, in walked some dogs – and the atmosphere completely changed.

It’s a scene that Jill Powell, chaplain and director of membership at Canines for Christ, describes to me over Zoom from her home in Texas. Her own dogs are walking around in the background as she tells me about the work she does, bringing joy and comfort to people with the assistance of her dogs.

‘When those dogs walked into the hospital waiting area, it was amazing to watch the transformation of people’s faces lighting up,’ she recalls. ‘The people had probably been there for hours, but when we came in, they started talking to each other.’

Canines for Christ is an animalassisted therapy ministry, founded in 2007. Volunteers and their dogs enter

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various spaces, such as cancer centres, nursing homes, prisons and emergency service call centres, to meet people and to share God’s love with them.

The ministry operates across America and in some other parts of the world, including the UK. ‘The dogs break the barriers,’ Jill explains. ‘They make people feel comfortable and vulnerable. And over time, we are able to build relationships with people, because we continue to go back.

While it starts with the dogs, in the

Jill Powell with her dogs Mollie and Rocco

c o m fo r t s end the ministry is about us Christians loving people right where they are.

‘The conversation usually begins with people wanting to pet the dogs. Then if they have a dog, they’ll start whipping out their phones to show us. And all of a sudden, we’re talking about deeper things.’

While the furry friends provide companionship and comfort, Jill is passionate about offering people more.

‘I think people in the world today are longing for something.

Social media tells us that it’s money, fame or the latest clothing.

But people are still longing. They know that something is missing. We want to share with them a love that is far greater than anything this world can offer.’

Jill joined the organisation in 2018 with her husband, Ross, when they felt that they wanted to do something with their five dogs.

‘All our children were grown and we spend a lot of time with our dogs,’ she says. ‘The dogs were our hobby, so we

prayed about doing something for God with them.’

Some time later, they heard about Canines for Christ and got involved.

Jill says: ‘We used to take the dogs into a juvenile detention centre to visit the girls to offer support, comfort and encouragement.

We still go into schools, and the kids read to our dog, Mollie. Canines for Christ gets requests from various places, such as foster organisations, sports organisations and the YMCA.’ In the many locations she has visited with the dogs, Jill has witnessed moments that she says are hard to describe.

‘You wish you could capture some of the interactions between the people and the dogs. God surprises us on a regular basis. We’re involved with a homeless ministry, and one day a group of us were visiting our friends there. One of them was obviously very intoxicated, but said to us, “Hey, I’m really trying to fight this addiction.”

‘My dog Rocco was looking into his

Dogs are sensitive to people’s feelings

eyes as if to say, “You’re going to be OK, God’s got this.” The gentleman started petting Rocco, then all the volunteers gathered round and began to pray for him and his addiction. That was a very powerful experience.’

On many occasions the dogs, who receive no specific training, have picked up on a need for extra support or comfort within the people they have met.

‘I think God created dogs with a special sense for human beings,’ says Jill.

‘They have intuition and are sensitive to people’s feelings.

‘One of our teams were sitting with a homeless gentleman, who said, “I’m so glad you came today, because I was thinking about killing myself this morning.” In his beautiful master plan, God has to have hardwired dogs to sense emotion.

‘He knew we were going to need companions that had four legs, a wet nose and wagging tail.’

l For more information on Canines for Christ in the UK email jill@canines4christ.org

22 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 7

Paralympian has expectations Long jumper STEF REID reveals the challenges she faces on Dancing on Ice and the opportunity they provide for growth Interview by Claire Brine

P

COURTESY OF STEF REID

ARALYMPIC long jumper Stef Reid had two reactions when she was invited to take part in ITV’s Dancing on Ice. First, she felt that learning to skate with a professional partner was an opportunity too good to miss. Secondly, the idea of throwing herself around the rink terrified her.

‘I had no idea how I was going to do it,’ Stef laughs, as we chat on the phone in the run-up to her first appearance on the show. ‘I was excited to have access to this amazing coaching, and I thought that if ever I was going to learn how to skate properly, now would be a good time. But I was so naive about how hard it would be.

‘Before signing up, I had been on the ice, but my efforts were more like

Stef at the Tokyo Paralympics, with her prosthetist, Richard (left), and her long jump coach, Aston

8 • WAR CRY • 22 January 2022

hobbling. I wouldn’t define it as “skating”.

But one thing I’ve learnt is that when you come across something that scares you in life, you should pay attention because it might be something good to explore.’

After audiences watched the first six celebrities hopping, skipping and bumping their way round the ice in last week’s opening episode, Stef is all set to perform her first routine on tomorrow’s programme (Sunday 23 January).

Viewers might assume that, as a T44 long jumper who won silver medals at the 2012 and 2016 Paralympics, she is used to delivering under pressure. But Stef confesses that the idea of performing in front of a panel of judges and a TV audience at home is still nerve-racking.

‘People often ask me what it’s like to jump in a stadium in front of 80,000 people – and my answer is that it’s the best thing and the most

terrifying thing in the world. Often I’ve wondered what will fill that adrenaline gap when I retire. That’s why, over the past few years, I’ve sought out opportunities that really scare me. In 2018, I signed up for Celebrity MasterChef, and the year before that, I learnt how to act and took part in a short film. Making myself push those doors is hard work, but I’m a person who doesn’t take half measures. You either go for it all the way or you don’t.

‘When it came to Dancing on Ice, I quickly realised that I didn’t just need to skate, but I also needed to learn how to dance and perform. Not only does my skating partner, Andy Buchanan, have a total novice on his hands, but he has also got someone with an artificial leg.’

Before getting to meet their skating partners, Stef explains, each celebrity spends about 30 hours with a coach at an ice rink, to see if they can master the basic skills. It was a time that Stef found challenging, and she talks of struggling with proprioception – awareness of the position and movement of the body.

‘In those first two weeks, I’d go home to Brent – my husband – saying: “I can’t see a way forward. I don’t know how anyone will be able to choreograph a routine with me.” I had no control on the ice. It wasn’t fun.

I felt unsafe and was terrified all the time.

‘One of the difficulties I experienced was to do with the blades.

The blade in a skate isn’t flat. It has a rocker on it, because you have to be able to rock Stef met her skating partner, Andy, from your toe to your for the first time at a running track

I was so naive about how hard it would be

heel. Imagine trying to do that when you don’t have any movement in your ankle or foot. It’s seriously hard. Your feet are unbelievably important for proprioception, and I’ve only got one.’

In an effort to make skating feel a little more comfortable, Stef turned to Richard Nieveen at ProActive Prosthetics.

‘Richard has made my sprint and jump legs for the past 10 years,’ she explains.

‘I said to him: “I want to take my running blade and put it on ice. It’ll give me a bit of bounce, and that is what I need.” He

ITV

skate

asked me if I was sure, and I said yes – but when we tried it out, it was a disaster!

I could barely stand, because I was bouncing up and down so much.

‘In the end, we decided to pick just one position and to stick with it. So what I have now is a fixed ankle, which gives me confidence because I feel more stable. It’s not the perfect solution – because ankles need to achieve millions of positions in skating – but it is the best possible compromise.’

Another decision Stef made early on in training was to lose the skating boot itself.

‘It was so cumbersome and heavy, and

The boot felt cumbersome

I kept tripping over it,’ she says. ‘But as soon as I took it away and started skating just on a blade, I began to have issues with vibration every time I tried to stop.

These crazy vibrations made a horrendous noise, and it’s a problem we are still trying to sort out. The training schedule has been a constant work in progress.’

Though learning to ice skate as an amputee has proved challenging, Stef describes the past few months as ‘the most fun I have ever had’. A keen athlete since childhood, she was brought up

Turn to page 10 f

22 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 9

From page 9

COURTESY OF STEF REID

by British parents in Canada, where she played rugby, basketball, volleyball and tennis. At the age of 15, her life changed when she lost part of her right leg as a result of a boating accident.

‘In the ambulance I was faced with death, and it was terrifying,’ she remembers. ‘I realised that I had been under this illusion that I had time – and yet none of us knows how long we have to live. I’d never considered my mortality before.

‘The second thing I thought was that my priorities were way off. When faced with the possibility that I might not survive, I recognised that I wasn’t entirely proud

Stef and Andy have overcome obstacles during training

10 • WAR CRY • 22 January 2022

of my life. I felt I’d been quite selfish. So I prayed to God for a second chance to do things right. And I believe that God saved my life that day.’

After the accident, Stef was determined to continue playing sports and focused her attention on track and field. In 2008, she was selected for the Canadian team at the Paralympics and went on to win a bronze medal for the T44 200m event. Four years later, having joined ParalympicsGB, Stef competed at the London Games, winning her first silver medal for the T44 long jump. She brought home a second silver medal for the same event after competing at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio. Stef explains why her faith

is tied up in her sport.

‘Before my accident, my relationship with God was quite loose,’ she says. ‘I loved the blessings that a faith could offer me. But, as a teenager, I wanted to live on my own terms and thought I’d pick up with God a bit later, perhaps when I had a family.

‘After the accident, my faith became much more real to me, complex and raw. I was so thankful to God for saving my life – but at the same time, I was so angry with him because I didn’t want to be an amputee. How was I going to play sports if I couldn’t run? I asked God why he would be so cruel as to save my life, but leave me sitting on the sidelines, watching everyone else fulfilling their dreams.

‘Eventually I reached a point where I realised that I could be both incredibly angry with God and incredibly content with his peace. I could be mad at him and still love him. Then one day I said: “God, I’m done with my life. You take it and do something with it, because I don’t see a way forward.” So he took it. And my goodness, what an amazing ride it’s been!’

Although Stef speaks with enthusiasm about the excitement of competing at the Paralympics and the joy of winning medals, there’s no doubt that a life committed to sport often brings hardship and disappointment.

Last year at the Paralympics in Tokyo, Stef narrowly missed out on winning her fourth

I prayed to God for a second chance

ITV

Paralympic medal.

‘Coming in at fourth place is tough,’ she says, ‘but interestingly I came away from Tokyo feeling possibly the most satisfied I’ve ever been in my career.

‘Back at the beginning of 2021, I didn’t think I’d get to the Paralympics, because my training and competitions had been so bad. Even though I was stronger, faster and technically better than before, I was jumping horrendously. I didn’t think I’d qualify, and I wanted to quit.

‘But I got a sense that God was saying to me: “Keep building your ark.” I thought about Noah in the Bible, and how God told him to build an ark for an upcoming flood, even though there wasn’t any rain yet. People must have looked at him, in the middle of the desert, and wondered what he was doing.

‘In the same way, when people looked at me on the outside, I’m sure they thought that I was past competing. I was 37 and hadn’t jumped a personal best in five years. I wanted to give up, but I sensed that I needed to keep showing up.’

Surprising herself, Stef qualified for the Paralympics and flew out to Tokyo. With no idea how well she would perform, she prayed once again for help.

‘I felt God saying to me: “You’ve built your ark, now go and sail it. Enjoy this moment.” It turned out that, in terms of distance, I gave my best Paralympic performance ever – my jump was just off my personal best. So for me, that was an

I gave my best Paralympic performance

incredible triumph. I had no idea I was going to jump that well. No, I didn’t win a medal, but I felt so much satisfaction about what I achieved.’

Looking ahead to 2022, Stef explains that, whether on or off the ice, her ultimate goal in life remains to meet every challenge she faces head-on.

‘Challenge can be a great thing,’ she says. ‘When things are hard, it’s an opportunity for us to show what is possible. And if what we achieve isn’t perfect, it doesn’t mean we have failed.

Trying is how we learn something new for next time.

‘Living a life with God, I’ve realised that he is always far more interested in my growth than in my comfort. Every day I spend with him, I have to prepare myself by saying: “This may not be comfortable, but you’re going to grow through it – and that’s going to be good for you.”’

22 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 11

Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for David, who is very poorly in hospital.

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’.

j

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.

talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK What’s so bad about ordinary?

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

A HEADLINE in The Times declaring that ‘The Dream Big myth sells us dangerous lies’ caught my eye. Perhaps my interest was piqued because we are still relatively close to the beginning of a year – a time when front covers of magazines usually promise the opposite: that with a bit of hard work and positive thinking, there’s nothing to stop us from making our dreams for 2022 come true.

While columnist Clare Foges wrote that she understood the appeal of dreaming big, she also argued that it can be ‘demoralising … because the vast majority of us are not equipped with the talents, ideas or intelligence to change the world’.

She went on to say that ‘when people are told that they can become anything they want, they are being sold a lie’ and may end up ‘feeling inadequate’.

Her words reminded me of an interview I conducted last year with Katharine Hill, the UK director of Christian organisation Care for the Family and author of A Mind of their Own: Building Your Child’s Emotional Wellbeing in a Post-Pandemic World. Speaking about the chapter entitled ‘It’s OK to Be Ordinary’, Katharine told me: ‘Not everyone can be a winner. Our culture has made “ordinary” sound boring. And that’s not true.’

Perhaps living an ‘ordinary’ life isn’t going to make many headlines, but I agree with Katharine in that it doesn’t mean it’s a life less valuable. Nor do I think it’s wrong to dream big – as long as pursuing our goals doesn’t prevent us from feeling content with what we already have, or make us miserable under the pressure to be extraordinary.

The more I ponder what it means to be ordinary, the more I think about Jesus and the type of people he spent time with. Jesus didn’t say that his followers should build successful careers or make lots of money to get the most out of life. He taught a handful of imperfect working men that the key to a fulfilled existence was loving God and loving others.

Perhaps his message isn’t flashy. But there’s no doubt that it’s about a lifestyle with the potential to change the world. And it’s within everyone’s reach.

Not everyone can be a winner

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

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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 • 22 January 2022

Keith Burr explores song lyrics that have a note of truth about them

Wisdom in the

Q

QUICK QUIZ 1

2

Which songwriter and musician recently published the book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present?

Who had a No 1 hit last year with the song ‘Easy on Me’?

A 4

5

6

What does the Statue of Liberty hold above her head in her right hand?

In what year did Jessica Ennis-Hill win heptathlon gold at the Olympics?

Until stepping down, Jon Snow was the longest-serving presenter of the news programme on which TV channel?

Which chemical element has the atomic number 19?

ANSWERS

1. Paul McCartney. 2. Adele. 3. A torch.

4. 2012. 5. Channel 4. 6. Potassium.

3

words An age-old question T

HREE weeks into 2022, how are your new year’s resolutions going? Many people follow the tradition of resolving to achieve something of worth in the coming months, whether it’s losing weight, learning a new skill or taking a trip they’d always dreamt of.

While driving on New Year’s Day, I was reflecting that my new year’s resolutions had diminished in expectation when a familiar song came on the radio: ‘When I’m 64’. Paul McCartney had written the tune as a young man in the late 1950s at the time when the Beatles were still called the Quarrymen. However, on New Year’s Day it was the words – which became well known after the track was released on 1967’s Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – that captured my mood at this stage in my life, when hair is thinning, eyesight is waning and teeth are not what they were.

There was a time when my new year’s resolutions would have sparkled with awe-inspiring feats, but the lyrics of this song appeared to reflect my now less lofty aspirations. They talk of handily ‘mending a fuse’, going for ‘a ride’, ‘doing the garden’. ‘Who,’ they ask rhetorically, ‘could ask for more.’

However, for me, the song asks a harder question, perhaps even touching on a deep fear.

As I get older, will who I am be lost? Will my value and worth diminish with age? Will I still be needed when I’m 64? Will I still be wanted or loved when my hair is grey and my dance moves are outdated? The song hints at the truth that all the money, status or fame in the world compares poorly to having people around you who love you for who you are.

If we ask God the question that the song asks, we can find encouragement in the Bible, where one writer, having wondered something similar, offers an emphatic answer. ‘I’m absolutely convinced,’ he states, ‘that nothing – nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable – absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us’ (Romans 8:38 and 39 The Message).

Will God still love me when I’m 64? Absolutely!

My new year’s resolutions have diminished in expectation

22 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 13

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Small (4) 3. Belonging to him (3) 5. Dull sound (4) 7. Police officer (9) 9. Hades (4) 10. Weave (4) 11. Generate (5) 14. Less good (5) 15. Perch (5) 17. Lessen (5) 18. Postpone (5) 19. Football kit (5) 20. Garment (5) 23. Expired (4) 25. Fever (4) 27. Hopeless (9) 28. Applaud (4) 29. Boy (3) 30. Speak with God (4) DOWN 1. Fable (4) 2. Hero (4) 3. Alacrity (5) 4. Sophisticated (5) 5. Parley (4) 6. Idiotic (4) 7. Made clear (9)

8. Inspire (9) 11. Facial hair (5) 12. Fireplace (5) 13. Lock of hair (5) 14. Married (3) 16. Zenith (3)

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

6

9 8

4 1 8 4 7 8 2 5 3 3 2 4 9 3 21. Ward off (5) 22. Fathered (5) 23. Record (4) 24. Far down (4) 25. Above (4) 26. Uneasy (4)

6 4

9 3

3 8 2 1 5 9 1 7 6

WORDSEARCH

1 6 3 5 9 8 2 4 7 5 7 backwards 4 1 2and3diagonally 8 9 6 Look up, down, forwards, on the grid to find these words associated with the brain 2 9 8 4 7 6 5 3 1 F T B Q P E X L 3 T K C V O X R X T P Q 1 7 8 5 4 6 2 9 V V R F R O N T A L L O B E R N B R H 6 2 5 7 1 9 3 8 4 K Q A Z Q J W H I T E M A T T E R Z E 4 8 9 3 6 2 1 7 5 S Q I S I F X H Q S U V Q R B Z M B B N E N D E Z Y V O B Q S V O M F O Q O 7 3 6 2 4 5 9 1 8 E O S W Y G Q I M P U Q L C F L I M L 4 2 L Z L L Z U O L 6 8 1 7 5 3 M E T S Y S C 9I B M I N Y E S T Z S B A S A L G A N G L I A 8 5 1 9 3 7 4 6 2

M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

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

1. Type of grasshopper 2. Large prawns 3. Art of cultivating miniature trees 4. ‘No man is an ______’, according to John Donne 5. Straighten 6. Title for a man

ANSWERS 1 5 2 3 6 4 7 9 8

6 7 9 1 2 8 3 4 5

3 4 8 7 5 9 6 2 1

5 1 4 8 7 3 2 6 9

9 2 7 5 1 6 4 8 3

8 3 6 4 9 2 5 1 7

2 8 5 6 3 1 9 7 4

9 3 4

4 9 3 2 8 7 1 5 6 6

1 7

7 6 1 9 4 5 8 3 2

HONEYCOMB 1. Locust. 2. Scampi. 3. Bonsai. 4. Island.

5. Unbend. 6. Mister.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Mini. 3. His. 5. Thud. 7. Constable.

9. Hell. 10. Knit. 11. Beget. 14. Worse. 15. Roost.

17. Abate. 18. Defer. 19. Strip. 20. Dress. 23. Died.

25. Ague. 27. Desperate. 28. Clap. 29. Lad. 30. Pray.

DOWN: 1. Myth. 2. Idol. 3. Haste. 4. Suave. 5. Talk.

6. Daft. 7. Clarified. 8. Encourage. 11. Beard.

12. Grate. 13. Tress. 14. Wed. 16. Top. 21. Repel.

22. Sired. 23. Disc. 24. Deep. 25. Atop. 26. Edgy.

14 • WAR CRY • 22 January 2022

SUDOKU

AMYGDALA BASAL GANGLIA BRAIN STEM CEREBRAL CORTEX CEREBROSPINAL FLUID FRONTAL LOBE GREY MATTER HIPPOCAMPUS

HYPOTHALAMUS LIMBIC SYSTEM NEURON OCCIPITAL LOBE PARIETAL LOBE TEMPORAL LOBE THALAMUS WHITE MATTER

Creamy pasta with grilled fennel Method

Ingredients 1 large fennel bulb, cut into 12 wedges 1tbsp olive oil 300g tagliatelle 280ml single cream 200ml milk 3tsp cornflour 125g vegetarian blue cheese, cut into small cubes 3tsp dried fennel seeds, finely ground 150g watercress, roughly chopped Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the grill to high.

Brush the fennel wedges with olive oil. Grill, turning occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until softened and slightly charred.

Cook the tagliatelle according to the packet instructions.

To make the sauce, mix the cream and milk in a small saucepan. Transfer 2tbsp to a small cup and mix in the cornflour until smooth. Heat the rest of the cream and milk until hot, but not scalding.

Put the cubed vegetarian blue cheese in a blender with the cornflour mixture and the fennel seeds.

Pour over the hot cream and milk mixture and whizz until smooth. Transfer to the pan.

Heat the sauce, stirring all the time, until it comes to the boil. Immediately turn down the heat and continue to simmer, still stirring, for 1 minute, until the sauce has thickened. Add the chopped watercress and increase the heat slightly. Add a little more milk if the sauce seems too thick. Season to taste.

Pour the sauce over the tagliatelle. Divide into 4 large pasta dishes and top with the grilled fennel, to serve.

SERVES

4

Tahini, nut and vegetable rice salad Ingredients 450g long grain brown rice 100g red cabbage, grated 1 small green pepper, thinly sliced 1 small carrot, grated 25g sultanas 25g cashew nut pieces 50ml tahini

Method Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, then combine with the red cabbage, green pepper, carrot, sultanas and cashew nuts in a salad bowl.

In a separate bowl, mix the tahini, yoghurt and lemon juice to make a dressing. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well, to serve.

50ml yoghurt 1tbsp lemon juice Salt and black pepper, to taste

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Vegetarian Society website vegsoc.org

SERVES

4

22 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 15

IF YOU NEED WISDOM, ASK OUR GENEROUS GOD, AND HE WILL GIVE IT TO YOU James 1:5 (New Living Translation)

WAR CRY