War Cry 24 July 2021

Miranda writer pens biblical sitcom book

WAR CRY

24 July 2021 50p

It is unusual Big stars are playing small shows to support grassroots venues

Brand founder diversifies baby milestone cards

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 7535

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THERE has been a lot of talk of milestones over the past few months, as politicians, health experts and the rest of the population plot and try to follow roadmaps out of Covid-19 restrictions.

As more events are given the green light, some people are heading out on the road. The Music Venue Trust and artists such as Tom Jones hope that their Revive Live Tour will be another significant step along the way of bringing the communal joy of live music back to those making it, those staging it and those hearing it.

As well as reporting on the re-emergence of gigs, this week’s War Cry hears how one woman is helping people mark another type of milestone.

Baby milestone cards have become a popular way for parents to mark stages in their child’s development. But when she was looking for such cards after the birth of her first child, Deborah Ajaja could not find any that represented her son’s skin colour. So she set up Colour Celebrations, which produces milestone cards for black and mixed-race babies.

Deborah tells us that in running the company, she draws on what God wants her to do: ‘helping people feel their very best’. She wants her business ‘to bring light and change, to affirm children’ in a world where ‘it’s important to identify, acknowledge and embrace differences’.

The importance of honouring people of all colours and backgrounds has been underlined again by events mentioned elsewhere in this issue.

The abuse directed at footballers Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford on social media in the days that followed the Euro 2020 Championship has highlighted the continuing human failing of racism.

In a social media post of its own, The Salvation Army reiterated its belief that ‘racism is contrary to God’s intention for humankind and that we must stand up and speak out against racism wherever it exists’.

Let us hope – more than that, let us do our best to ensure – that in the fight against racism, ad the War C e re ry v 2021 becomes a milestone. ’ u

CONTENTS

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

INFO Your local Salvation Army centre

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

From the editor’s desk

When yo

What is The Salvation Army?

6

FEATURES

3

Back on the road

Stars play grassroots venues

5

Park life

Green spaces celebrated

6 ‘We aim to include and inform’

8

Making milestone cards for black and

mixed-race babies

8

Not just for laughs

TV sitcom writer pens gospel book

REGULARS

4

War Cry World

12 Team Talk 13 Now, There’s a Thought!

15

14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen

Rag’n’Bone Man is taking part in the Revive Live Tour

THOMAS JACKSON/ALAMY

Going live Stars ensure the stage is set for new talent Report by Emily Bright

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ET’S hear it for the return of live music. Sir Tom Jones, Rag’n’Bone Man and James Arthur are among the artists taking part in a series of more than 300 shows, which started this week.

Organised by the Music Venue Trust – a UK charity that works to protect and promote grassroots venues – the Revive Live Tour will include a Tom Jones gig at the Cambridge Junction, an appearance

by Rag’n’Bone Man at the Tunbridge Wells Forum and a set by James Arthur at the Lafayette in London.

As well as headline-grabbing names, the tour aims to raise the roof with emerging artists.

After months of almost no in-person performances because of Covid-19 restrictions, Music Venue Trust’s CEO Mark Davyd believes that the importance of live shows cannot be overstated.

‘Grassroots venues are part of the cultural fabric of our country,’ he says.

‘Their job is to put on music that nobody wants to see yet, persuade people to come and introduce them to new music.

‘The music industry is worth more than £5 billion a year to this country. And that all starts when a new artist plays a new song on a stage for the first time.

‘From that moment, everything an artist like Ed Sheeran gives us in terms of cultural value, brand identity for Britain

or shared moments at Glastonbury only in concerts and in their weekly or daily happens because at one point he could services, and who – through music or in walk on to a stage near him, pick up a other ways – often help people discover a guitar and play a song he just wrote.’ lot more than new talent.

Sir Tom Jones echoes the essential role Whether in or away from their physical that venues play. buildings, church communities enable ‘Musicians can record in their people to find out about the kind of thing bedrooms, but they can’t learn to perform Tom sang about on Praise and Blame, his in public without a place to play,’ he says.

2010 album of spiritual and gospel songs.

‘Without a grassroots music In one of the tracks, a cover version of venue, the neighbourhood Billy Joe Shaver’s ‘If I Give My Soul’, Tom won’t have a place sang: ‘I have come in search of Jesus/ where people can come Hoping he will understand.’ together to Such a sentiment may strike a chord discover and with millions who have explored the support a new Christian faith. They have heard Jesus’ talent. assurance in the Bible: ‘Search, and ‘So support you will find’ (Matthew 7:7 New your local pub, Revised Standard Version). They club, gym or church have found that he offers or wherever hope when they feel someone has the guts that the future looks to bring in some bleak; forgiveness for entertainment. the times when their It makes all the words and actions difference both to have hurt others; budding artists and and direction when the community.’ they are unsure What Sir Tom how best to live. says sounds Wherever about right: or however it places where is heard, the people can hear message is Tom Jones is music are key, timeless: Jesus encouraging people and that includes loves us with to support their churches, who a love that is local venues may provide live just waiting to be music of all kinds discovered.

Grassroots venues are part of the cultural fabric

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ATHLETE Daniel Rowden said on Radio 4’s Sunday Worship programme that whatever happens at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, he will still have ‘an incredible relationship with God’.

The 800m runner, who was selected for the Great Britain team last month, explained that while it’s ‘very easy to let what happens … on the track dictate’ his thoughts, his sense of self-worth comes from his faith.

‘My success is not dependent on how I run or how I perform,’ he said. ‘It’s so much bigger than that. My success is determined by what Jesus did 2,000 years ago.

So even if things go incredibly badly, my salvation is still there, my life’s still intact and I still have an incredible relationship with God. And even if things go really, really, really well, all those things still remain.’

Salvation Army supports firefighters at flats blaze A SALVATION Army team served food and drink to firefighters tackling a blaze at a block of flats in Ipswich.

More than 120 firefighters and 20 fire engines were called to the building after smoke was seen billowing from the roof. Residents were evacuated and moved away from the scene.

The Salvation Army emergency response vehicle attended the scene for three hours, serving hot food, sandwiches and drinks to firefighters.

Mike Baker, The Salvation Army’s emergency response co-ordinator for Suffolk, said: ‘We also gave them a bit of banter, and they came to relax with us before they went back to tackling the fire.’

He added that the relationship between the emergency services and the church and charity in the area is strong.

‘A combined police force and fire station is being built at Stowmarket, and they are putting in a bay for us, while they also cover the costs of the vehicle,’ he said.

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Small homes are first step for Californians SEVENTY-five ‘tiny houses’ have been opened by The Salvation Army in Harbor City, southern California, to provide accommodation to people experiencing homelessness. The homes are run by the church and charity with support from the City of Los Angeles, LA Harbor College and company Pallet Shelter.

Each house accommodates one person – with 25 set aside for Harbor College students – and there are communal facilities for laundry and pets. Salvation Army caseworkers and social workers are available on site to assist clients with essential life skills.

The homes are designed to help clients take a first step towards finding permanent accommodation.

The site, known as the Salvation Village, is the 13th shelter facility operated by The Salvation Army in southern California, which offers more than 5,000 beds a night.

Venues range from booked hotel rooms and emergency shelters to rental assistance programmes, former motels and special purpose-built facilities.

People place messages of support on a mural of Marcus Rashford, who had been racially abused on social media

DANNY LAWSON/PA WIRE/ALAMY

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THE Salvation Army provided emergency food and shelter in St Lucia and Barbados in the wake of Hurricane Elsa, which ripped through the Caribbean islands.

In Barbados, the church and charity’s centres in Bridgetown and Speightstown took donations of food and clothing to distribute to people in need.

Meanwhile, in St Lucia’s capital, Castries, a Salvation Army church became an emergency shelter and provided hundreds of hot meals for hurricane victims and emergency services.

Hurricane Elsa reached a windspeed of 75mph, leaving fallen trees and power lines blocking roads.

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Facebook post urges action on racism AFTER the three footballers who missed penalties for England in the Euro 2020 final were racially abused on social media, The Salvation Army in the UK and Republic of Ireland posted a message on Facebook, urging people to tackle racism.

Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford were targeted online after the defeat to Italy.

A mural in Manchester of Rashford, which had been vandalised, became a focus for an anti-racism protest.

In the Facebook post, leader Commissioner Anthony Cotterill said: ‘The racist abuse suffered by our footballers following the final of the Euros was totally unacceptable and has rightly been widely condemned. This team of young men have inspired us both on and off the pitch with their strength and conviction to make the world a better place.’

He encouraged readers of the post to ‘gather friends, family and fellow Salvationists’ and use the Let’s Talk about … Racism resources published by The Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission at salvationarmy.org/isjc, which explores what can be done to tackle prejudice and discrimination on the basis of race.

The Facebook post said: ‘The Salvation Army firmly believes that racism is contrary to God’s intention for humankind and that we must stand up and speak out against racism wherever it exists.’

Keep Britain Tidy urges people to love, respect and protect parks Report by Sarah Olowofoyeku

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LL year round, environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy aims to eliminate litter and generally improve all kinds of places. But for the next few days, it is focusing on the green spaces where many of us relax.

Yesterday (Friday 23 July) marked the beginning of Love Parks Week.

Over the months of Covid-19 restrictions, parks have been, for many people, a safe place to meet loved ones and to enjoy a change of scenery.

However, local authorities have told the charity that they collected, on average, an extra 57 tonnes of litter during the first lockdown.

So Keep Britain Tidy is urging people to love, respect and protect parks.

To encourage people to love parks, special events are being organised. Apex Park in Burnham-on-Sea is hosting a group dog walk up the coast path and back. In Leicester’s Coalville Forest Adventure Park, children can hunt for hidden monsters. And in Waltham Forest’s Lloyd Park, families are being invited to count and spot different species of butterflies.

To assist people in respecting parks, Keep Britain Tidy is drawing attention to its code, which includes advice to keep dogs under control and take litter home if bins are full.

But it is also keen that people play a part in protecting parks, which it says are ‘under constant threat’. So it is suggesting that people write to their MPs, asking them to join the charity’s all-party parliamentary group.

All the campaigns, though, point to a simple truth: when we love, respect and protect the spaces where we live, it makes them better.

It’s true of many things, whether the natural world or our fellow human beings. It is in step with what Jesus said: ‘Do to others what you would have them do to you’ (Luke 6:31 New International Version).

Keeping that rule is no walk in the park, but Christians believe that we can all try to follow the example that Jesus set through his perfectly loving words and actions. And that if we do choose to follow in his footsteps, it will make the world a better place.

Families are invited to count butterflies

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M A R KIN G A DEBORAH AJAJA is the founder of Colour Celebrations, which celebrates colour, culture and heritage through its baby milestone cards and gifts for black and mixed-race babies. She explains how the brand helps diverse families to mark milestones and why celebrating difference brings out the best in everyone Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

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T is said that necessity is the mother of invention, and when new mum Deborah Ajaja wanted to mark the significant milestones in the life of her baby, she found a gap in the market.

‘I gave birth to my son in 2017, and I was looking for milestone cards that were truly representative of his skin colour,’ Deborah tells me over the phone from her home in London. ‘He’s a little black boy and my husband and I are of Nigerian descent, so we have a number of cultural celebrations that we honour. I thought that surely something would be out there, but I couldn’t find anything. So I decided to do something about it. That’s when Colour Celebrations began.’

Deborah, who now has two children, came up with the ideas for the overall look of the milestone cards, which parents use to mark stages in a baby’s development, such as their first tooth or the first time they sit up. She

then found an illustrator to bring her rough sketches to life.

‘There is a set of 31 cards, A5 size with a rounded edge, which have the milestone itself on the front and then some information on the back,’ she explains. ‘A parent uses a milestone card by taking a photo of their child holding the card or with the card beside them to mark what happened on that day.’

Colour Celebrations also sells height charts and T-shirts.

Deborah reports that the most consistent response to the cards and other items is that ‘they make people feel good’.

She says: ‘The products are bought and dispatched all over the world, and it’s much more than a transactional relationship where I sell something and someone buys it. It’s a family – we’ve got a community of parents, babies, loved ones and wellwishers who are keen to learn, celebrate and honour colour, culture and heritage.

‘I’ve never tried to ram Colour Celebrations down anyone’s throat

or to say our race is better than any other.

The aim isn’t to exclude but to include and inform. People who are interested in our cultures or don’t quite know how to approach them can learn about them.

The content I put out on different media platforms is to empower, inspire and educate in an approachable and gentle way.’

On the back of each card is information about that particular milestone. One of the most popular cards is for the tradition of a naming ceremony.

‘In a lot of west African countries, a naming ceremony happens about a week after the baby is born,’ says Deborah.

‘At birth, the baby is not officially given a name, but later people of notable standing or religious leaders take a naming ceremony to formally give the baby its names, explain what those names mean and encourage the family and community to support the baby in living out the names they’ve been given.

For example, if a child is named – like me – Deborah, which means “warrior, strong, judge”, the community is encouraged to help her become strong and to be a bold leader.

‘It’s a significant ceremony, and the milestone cards are a wonderful way for people to mark the occasion.’

Another milestone which is celebrated by many people, including Deborah, is a baby’s dedication.

She says: ‘A baby’s dedication is like a baptism or christening, where parents are dedicating a child to God.’ Deborah’s Christian faith is represented not only in the cards, but also in the way she runs her business.

‘I commit everything to God,’ she says. ‘If

Diversity is something to be celebrated

Milestone cards are a way for parents to commemorate stages in their baby’s development 6 • WAR CRY • 24 July 2021

D I F FERE NC E

Colour Celebrations also sells toddler T-shirts

I’m about to go into a meeting, I ask God to help me say the right thing and to show me favour.

‘I lean very much into my gifts and talents and what God has placed within me to do – that is, helping people feel their very best, encouraging them and inspiring them. I want the business to bring light and change, to affirm children and to make them feel good. When people interact with me or the brand, I want them to feel enriched, blessed, loved and valued.’

Recognising diversity, Deborah believes, is an important way to value people.

‘If you don’t see colour, the assumption is that everyone is the same. This “colour blindness” creates a one-size-fits-all approach. By thinking like that, you’re missing out on the magic that someone from a specific background can offer.

‘It’s important to identify, acknowledge and embrace differences – and that doesn’t just stop at race or gender. In doing so, you can bring out the best in people, because you’re allowing them to bring their authentic self into any situation. They’re also going to do their best and offer the best. So it works out better for everybody.

‘I believe it’s a message that is important to hear from infancy, rather than waiting for adulthood.

Colour Celebrations is instilling in children from the day they’re born that diversity is something to be honoured, revered and celebrated.’

Deborah Ajaja

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Sitcom writer pens divine comedy JAMES CARY has written for TV comedies Miranda and Bluestone 42. Now, in a new book, he has turned his attention to the Gospels, seeing them through the eyes of Jesus’ closest friends Interview by Emily Bright

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MAGINE Jesus’ disciples as stars of their own sitcom, which comes complete with their bickering, banter and bemused responses to his teachings and miracles. Enter sitcom writer James Cary, perhaps best known for his work on BBC One’s Miranda. He has now written the book The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer, a humorous reimagining of how Jesus’ disciples would have reacted to the life-changing events that unfolded around them.

James explains that, while remaining respectful to Jesus, he wanted to reexamine the Bible stories in a lighter way.

‘Christians do take these extraordinary events for granted, and we forget that the disciples would have been surprised by them,’ he tells me. ‘Once you start being open to new ways of thinking about these stories, there’s a freshness and a joy there,

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which I was keen to get back to.

‘If you believe the Bible is true and that Jesus did miracles, which I do, then there were people watching them. I like the idea of reliving the moment and working out how they’d react.’

To recreate such moments, he decided to apply his skills as a sitcom writer to his interpretation of the Scriptures.

‘If you direct actors in plays or sitcoms, they have to act out what the character is doing or thinking in the moment, because their character doesn’t know what’s coming next,’ he explains.

‘So the moment that you approach Scripture as a script, it takes on a freshness that it may have been lacking in the dusty prose form that is read out in a monotonous voice on a Sunday morning.

Such readings can feel like medicine

James Cary

rather than the wonderful story that we can celebrate, enjoy, think about, laugh at and gasp along with.’

To foster this fresh approach, James puts a spotlight on the disciples. He reimagines their flawed and very human responses after the remarkable miracles they witnessed. Their fictionalised missteps are celebrated, not cut. Cue Peter, one of the more reactive and impulsive of Jesus’ disciples, a central

cast member in the narrative, who after Jesus’ arrest – as the Bible records – denied three times that he knew him.

‘Peter has always been a fascinating figure to me,’ James says. ‘I throw him under the bus a fair amount. In the Gospels, we see he’s always happy to jump in with a wrong answer, speak his mind and say what we’re all thinking.

‘In a sitcom, it’s always useful to have someone like that, because they help you explain the plot and put into character, action and words what everyone’s probably thinking but is too proud or shy to say.

‘Peter loves Jesus to bits, yet he fails the test. He denies Jesus three times but Jesus, without folding his arms or

rolling his eyes, gives him an opportunity to make up for it. It’s a beautiful story of friendship.’

James sets out how the humanity of the disciples is part of what makes the Bible so relevant and relatable.

‘One of the reasons the Gospels are so inherently believable and real is that they show that the disciples draw the wrong conclusions or have an argument about who’s the greatest or start to panic,’ he says.

‘When they are in a boat and a storm comes, they go to Jesus, saying: “Don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” And this is the guy who has just fed 5,000 people. Then it’s as if Jesus says to them: “What are you worried about?”

‘At the same time, we realise that we

The disciples draw the wrong conclusions or have an argument

too panic at the drop of a hat, which is why I think “don’t be afraid” is probably the most common command in the whole of Scripture.’

Although James tackles various parts of the Bible in his book, he centres the action on John’s Gospel.

‘All the most famous miracles are in there – turning water into wine, walking on water, feeding the five thousand, raising Lazarus from the dead,’ he says. ‘John is beautiful as a piece of work, as a story, as well as presenting Christ, who himself is beautiful.’

James admits that John’s Gospel isn’t always easy to understand and that it deviates from the script of the three other Gospels.

‘I’ve always found his account rather enigmatic, haunting, confusing and

Turn to page 10 f

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From page 9 strange,’ he muses. ‘But the more you have to work at something, the more cherished it becomes. If something’s really easy to understand from the outset, you probably don’t spend as long on it as you like.’

The past year has given James the opportunity to delve more deeply into the Gospel of John. He recalls that during lockdown he was so intrigued by it that he ‘read books about John, then books about books about John’.

Faith and a love of comedy have been the ‘two pillars’ of James’s life since he was young.

He says: ‘I watched everything my older siblings watched on TV, like Mash and Cheers. I just loved comedy – I didn’t see the point of anything else.

‘Around then, I was becoming a Christian. It wasn’t so much a dramatic conversation or emotional experience, but rather a realisation that this is how the universe is – God is God, and Jesus is his Son. And I thought: “I love comedy, Jesus is King. I’m going to have to live a life with both of those truths.”’

James has gone on to write TV sitcoms such as Miranda, which centred on the misadventures of the socially inept title character, and Bluestone 42, which focused on a fictional British Army unit fighting in Afghanistan. He has also written countless comedies for Radio 4, such as Bletchley Park-based sitcom Hut 33, and a play, The God Particle, which features

the subject of faith. He takes a moment to review his TV highlights.

‘Every sitcom usually has what is known as the “bottle episode”, where the characters are all trapped. They’re going to get on each other’s nerves and eventually they all get out. Those episodes are quite hard to pull off.

‘The Miranda version of that was where she went to the psychiatrist with her mum. Then, on writer Richard Hurst’s and my own show, Bluestone 42, we thought: “What happens when our heroes, the bomb disposal team, are trapped out on the side of the road?

There are IEDs in various places, the Taliban turn up and the bomb disposal team think they’re going to die.

Their leader is concussed and the chips are really down. What happens then?” I was really pleased with how that episode came out.’

As James’s career has progressed, his line of comedy has evolved.

‘In the past few years, I’ve discovered that my inspiration for comedy doesn’t need to come from anything other than Scripture, God’s inerrant word inspired.

It’s not a comic book. Jesus wasn’t a stand-up comedian. But it is sometimes funny, and Jesus sometimes was funny.

And deliberately so.’

However, there are some punchlines that James will pull: to him, the divinity of Jesus is no joke.

‘I can’t work out how I would rewrite Jesus within a sketch or mess around with what he’s saying in a particular way that I think would work artistically and theologically,’ he says. ‘So I fenced that off and just said: “I’m not going to do that.”

‘It might be doable,

Jesus sometimes was funny – deliberately so

James on the ‘Bluestone 42’ set in South Africa 10 • WAR CRY • 24 July 2021

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James was one of the writers for BBC One’s sitcom ‘Miranda’

but I often joke: “How do you direct an actor playing Jesus? How do you say, “Sorry, could you just be a bit more omniscient as you say that line. Okay, let’s go again. Take two, action”? You’re giving notes to a human who is playing a God-man.

‘So my approach is this: given the Bible is true, what’s funny about it?

Given that these miracles happened, that Jesus is God’s Son and that his disciples followed him around for three years and had no idea what he was talking about for most of the time, how do we get the most out of that?

‘I hope people find that stimulating and joyful. I’m trying to help Christians appreciate and honour Jesus more rather than undermining him or making jokes at his expense.’

James sketches out how he sees the

figure that he seeks to honour.

‘There’s always this sense of danger and nonconformity with Jesus, which is frustrating, but in a good way. When you think you’re having a nice time, he says something that really throws you off your game. You’re never too comfortable.

‘There is probably no better allegory for Jesus than the lion Aslan in the Chronicles of Narnia books. He is not a tame lion.

He is a lion you want to go and throw your arms around, but you do not mess with him, because he is a lion. There’s something beautiful and unsettling about that at the same time.’

James adds that Jesus can’t be boxed in as a set of stereotypes.

‘The reality is that we don’t get to choose what kind of Jesus we want. In the Scriptures, Jesus makes people laugh while also making them feel wrong-footed

all the time. There’s also Jesus the friend, the Saviour, the King, the preacher and the prophet.

‘These truths about who Jesus is take a lifetime of reflection. The Gospels are not just to bring you to Christ, they’re to sustain you.

‘As we go back to the Gospels, we’re going to find endless, beautiful complexity, and a Christ that is worthy of a lifelong following.’

l The Gospel According to a Sitcom Writer is published

by SPCK

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Prayerlink 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.

Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit.

Team talk TEAM TALK

talk ‘ ’ Tackling racism is a team effort Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

AFTER hundreds of people gathered for an anti-racism demonstration next to a mural of Marcus Rashford in Manchester, the England footballer was ‘lost for words’. Rashford, who was subjected to racist comments on social media after missing his penalty in the Euro 2020 final against Italy, wrote on Instagram that the kindness of fans had him ‘on the verge of tears’.

Former England goalkeeper David James reflected on Rashford’s story on BBC One’s Breakfast programme. While he described public support for the footballer as ‘wonderful’, he wondered whether the two other England players who were racially abused after failing to score their penalties – Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho – had received the same level of support from their communities.

James went on to say that tackling the problem of racism requires more effort than simply cheering on Rashford, Saka and Sancho.

‘We’re talking about an issue which spreads beyond that,’ he explained. ‘Racism is in society.

It’s not just in football… There are people in the community who are getting racial abuse on a daily basis who don’t play football and they need help.’

As a white woman who has never suffered racial abuse, knowing how to address the problem takes some thought – but over the past few days some key ideas have been brought home to me.

First, taking a stand against racism means doing more than posting antiracist soundbites on social media. We must be active in stopping racism where we see it. For instance, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook all have means by which users can report racist comments that appear online.

Secondly, until racism disappears, individuals need to keep talking about it. Let’s Talk about … Racism, a resource produced by The Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission, encourages people with little experience of racism to consider whether they have blindspots on the issue and to have conversations about how to create a more just society.

Lastly, the world needs commitment to the long game. Eradicating racism will take as long as it takes. But, to quote Let’s Talk about … Racism: ‘What are the implications of doing nothing?’

Individuals need to keep talking about it

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

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

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Or email your details and request to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk 12 • WAR CRY • 24 July 2021

NOW, THERE’S A THOUGHT!

by Jim Burns

Q

QUICK QUIZ 1

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Which TV soap opera is set in the fictional London Borough of Walford?

What is the highest mountain in Wales?

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What is the name of the choir that sang at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding?

Which 17th-century English philosopher is best known for his book Leviathan?

John Lowe, Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen have been champions in which sport?

What name is commonly used for the traditional English dish of sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter?

ANSWERS

Older, wiser – but grandparenthood has its limits A

S a grandfather, I was interested to learn that grandparents will be officially celebrated in some church congregations tomorrow (Sunday 25 July). The day has been designated by Pope Francis as World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.

When he announced the day, the Pope said that ‘grandparents are often forgotten’. But he praised the wisdom of older people and said that it was important for children to meet and learn from their grandparents.

Many people would agree with that sentiment. Some adults whose parents have died even advertise for surrogate grandparents, so that their children don’t miss out on such experiences. And, without responding to any adverts, lots of older people find themselves taking on the role of honorary grandparents.

Being a grandparent, whether by blood or invitation, is a privilege, because children can find it helpful to have older figures they can confide in and learn from. Such learning does not necessarily stop. Even though I’m a grandparent, I have often found it beneficial to share my concerns with someone older.

It has been said that God has no grandchildren, only children. I take this to mean that, unlike hair colour, height or temperament, faith in God is not something that we inherit from our parents. We all, however old or young, have to make up our own mind about God and his Son, Jesus.

The good news is that when we choose to believe for ourselves, nothing stands in the way of our being brought into a very close relationship with God. The Bible says when Jesus’ earliest followers put their faith in him, ‘he gave them the right to be the children of God’ (John 1:12 Contemporary English Version).

It’s true no matter our age. If we trust in Jesus, we can become God’s children. We will be able to learn from God’s wisdom and experience his love for us.

We have to make up our own mind

24 July 2021 • WAR CRY • 13

1. EastEnders. 2. Snowdon. 3. The Kingdom Choir.

4. Thomas Hobbes. 5. Darts. 6. Toad-in-the-hole.

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Relative by marriage (2-3) 5. Motionless (5) 8. Sufficient (5) 9. Oscillate (5) 10. Call on (5) 11. Very select (5) 12. Impudent (4) 15. Cloak (6) 17. Commonplace (5) 18. Additional levy (6) 20. Wail (4) 25. Naval force (5) 26. Follow (5) 27. Decree (5) 28. Evade (5) 29. Sharpened (5) 30. Rascal (5)

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

6

19. Keep (6) 21. Excursion (6) 22. Sheen (6) 23. Object (5) 24. Guide (5)

7 3 3 2 5 7 6

6 8 5 9 4 3 1 2 7 1 4 2 7 6 8 5 3 9 Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally 6 these 7 1animated 5 2 films 4 8 6 on the grid3to find 5 2 9 4 8 6 7 1 3 Z E F T U Q Z N C Q M A W T R S T Z 8 6J Q U T Q H V W H Q F 3 5 7 1 9 4 2 I S N V C E L W K M H R M L E H S G E Z G E Z W X 4 7 1 3 2 9 6 5 8 D E H V T E L L A W L E X L Q N P B 2 1 I 8 I 6P Z E P 9 5 I 3V V R 7 4 H X W D D L D B P B R V M B N S O U L G Z P T B K Z 9 5 4 2 3 7 8 6 1 F J V T Y A Y N E Z O R F B R X U H 7 3 6 8 1 4 2 9 5 D Z M K T C K Q T M O T L P A K Z O

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

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

1. Nut of a horse chestnut tree 2. Situated within a building 3. Used to move a canoe through the water 4. Big cat (6) 5. Chess piece 6. Small non-speaking part in a film (4-2) 8 4 6 2 6 7 1 5 3

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

7

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

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

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

8 5

9 8 7

7 8 5 3 3

8

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

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

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

ANSWERS

5

WORDSEARCH

8 4

14. Remiss (3) 15. Chart (3) 16. Statute (3) 17. Perplexed (7) 18. Grab (6)

M O HONEYC B

2 3 8 1 4 5 7 6 9

7 9 6 3 2 8 4 1 5

9 2 7 6 6 7 5 5 7 6 5

HONEYCOMB 1. Conker. 2. Indoor. 3. Paddle. 4. Jaguar. 5. Knight. 6. Walk-on.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. In-law. 5. Still. 8. Ample. 9. Swing. 10. Visit.

11. Elite. 12. Pert. 15. Mantle. 17. Banal. 18. Surtax. 20. Howl.

25. Fleet. 26. Trail. 27. Edict. 28. Elude. 29. Honed. 30. Rogue.

DOWN: 1. Instep. 2. Loiter. 3. Wager. 4. Spoil. 5. Several.

6. Insult. 7. Little. 13. Emu. 14. Lax. 15. Map. 16. Law. 17. Baffled. 18. Snatch. 19. Retain. 21. Outing. 22. Lustre.

23. Demur. 24. Steer.

14 • WAR CRY • 24 July 2021

3

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

6 1 3 5 8 4 2 9 7

DOWN 1. Foot part (6) 2. Idle (6) 3. Bet (5) 4. Mar (5) 5. Various (7) 6. Affront (6) 7. Small (6) 13. Australian bird (3)

SUDOKU

COCO DESPICABLE ME FROZEN INSIDE OUT MADAGASCAR MOANA MONSTERS, INC PADDINGTON

RATATOUILLE SHREK SOUL SPIRITED AWAY THE LEGO MOVIE THE LION KING UP WALL-E

Turkey stir-fry Ingredients 125g dried egg noodles 1 small orange, juice 1tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce 1tbsp cornflour 1tbsp vegetable oil 350g skinless turkey breast, cut into strips 5 spring onions, thinly sliced ½ red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced ½ green pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced 1 carrot, cut into thin strips 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced

Method Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions and set aside, keeping warm.

In a separate bowl, mix together the orange juice, soy sauce and cornflour until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan.

Add the turkey and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add the spring onions, pepper slices, carrot, celery and mushrooms. Fry over a high heat for another 3-4 minutes, until the turkey is cooked. Season with a pinch of pepper.

Stir the reserved orange juice mixture, then add it to the pan and cook for a little while until thickened. Add the noodles to the stir-fry dish and serve immediately.

Handful of mushrooms, sliced Ground black pepper

SERVES

4

Turkey koftas with salad Ingredients ½ onion, finely chopped 1 small carrot, grated 250g turkey mince 1 garlic clove, crushed 1tsp dried cumin 1tbsp tomato puree

Method Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together the onion, carrot, mince, garlic, cumin, tomato puree, breadcrumbs and egg yolk.

Divide the mixture into 8 pieces. Form a sausage shape with each piece and put on a skewer.

1 slice wholemeal bread, Place in a grill pan lined with foil and put under a preheated grill for processed into crumbs 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally.

1 egg yolk, lightly Meanwhile, prepare a dip by beaten combining the yoghurt and mint.

4tbsp 0 per cent-fat For the salad, layer the tomatoes and Greek-style yoghurt red onion in a bowl. Drizzle over the 2tbsp chopped fresh olive oil and sprinkle with the pepper. mint Place 2 koftas on each plate 2 medium tomatoes, with some of sliced the salad and dip, 1 red onion, sliced to serve.

2tsp olive oil ¼ tsp black pepper

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

SERVES

4

24 July 2021 • WAR CRY • 15

Mercy fixes its eyes upon the plight of the one in need and moves into action Allen Satterlee

WAR CRY