War Cry 26 September 2020 by The Salvation Army UK and Ireland

26 September 2020 20p/25c

Read all about it TV SHOW HIGHLIGHTS POSSIBILITIES FOR ADULT LEARNERS

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 7493

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

ONLINE a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk @TheWarCryUK TheWarCryUK

salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

2 • War Cry • 26 September 2020

EDITOR From desk From the editor’s desk

PLENTY more people who enjoy fishing areonhooked SINGING is good forthan you.those So say scientists quoted the on BBC Mortimer Whitehouse: Gone in its third BBCTwo’s Future website.and The experts said that Fishing. singing Now can boost series, the show been a hit. connection. our moods and has sense of social The programme follows friends Perhaps it is with thesecomedians benefits in and mindlong-time that people haveBob been Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse as they visit idyllic spots in the joining online choirs during lockdown. In this week’s issue, thehope ofWar catching a salmon, pike or tench. while some fishing does take Cry’s Sarah Olowofoyeku joins aAnd virtual rehearsal of the London place, viewersGospel also enjoy catching the conversations the pair: International Choir to discover for herself thebetween pleasures sometimes hilarious, sometimes deadly and sometimes people have found of singing alone, yetserious together with others. both at the same time. The two talk about their childhoods, family Meanwhile Austen Hardwick has found similar valuetheir in running. relationships life experiences. This week’s and War their Cry also includes an interview with the marathon Time on the water, it seems, can involve more than one typeafter of runner who found that his sport helped him to regain his life reflection. he suffered three strokes while in his early forties. Across the itPond, Royce would buy intorecovery. that school However, was not onlyRailey running thatappear helped to Austen’s ofHis thought. Royce Fishing TV. His programmes, Christian faithpresents played aTight vital Line part in him taking a positive which teachtofishing approach all thattechniques, he faced. also include a three-minute segment in which heI was ‘shares the gospel’. In ansays, interview in this Cry, ‘When in hospital,’ Austen ‘I asked Godweek’s to takeWar what Royce, who also hostsand tournaments and runs fishing I was going through to transform me through it.’trips, suggests thatChristians conversations about of faith naturallyortoanything start’ while believe thatissues God can take‘seem any situation out onthey a lake. that do or face and use it to make a positive impact in others’ Thisor issue the War an article of highlighting that lives theirofown. That Cry hasalso beencarries the experience painter Oliver people in a very different kind of environment are keen to think about Pengilley. the Oliver big questions of life – aand that reading is one way they do some so. had developed successful career as an artist with produces books fortells people ofChristian his workpublisher selling forSPCK significant sumseasy-to-read of money. But, as he inthe prison, where people have problems with literacy than in the War Cry thismore week, he grew frustrated. general population. ushe that thesetobooks, ‘I didn’t see the SPCK’s meaningRebecca of it,’ he Law says.tells Now travels while ‘not overtly people the chance pause’. One churches all overChristian’, the world give to paint pictures during ‘to worship learner saidand that story helpedartwork ‘me to has reflect on my poorpeople choices’ sessions hisa faith-based helped other in and ‘stoked a fire inside me to get out of prison and stay out’. their own faith journey. Rebecca believestruth that providing the books is important because, It is an amazing that God can take any skill a person has while society sometimes in transform prison to be the something lowest of or any situation they arethinks facingpeople and can it into the low, God’s eyes, they and are still his children’. that can‘inchange their lives the lives of the people around them. She says that ‘no one is beyond God’s love’ – which is a truth worth reflecting on.

Contents

What is The Salvation Army?

FEATURES 3

Rocks at the flicks Film tells story of teenager

Opportunity: books Improving adult literacy

Food for thought Nutritional therapist mixes food advice and faith

Will power How legacies help

Camera angle TV programme combines rods with God

REGULARS 12

Team Talk

Now, There’s a Thought!

14 Puzzles 15

War Cry Kitchen

Front-page picture: KEVIN BAKER

FILM

SCHOOL OF HARD ROCKS Sarah Olowofoyeku sees an abandoned teenager try to navigate tough times not keen. She is sure she can take care of herself and her brother until their mum returns home. As the days go by, however, challenges begin to mount. The film takes viewers on a journey with the schoolgirl as she tries to navigate her tough circumstances and figure out how to survive – with the help of her friends. While the story is fictional, it highlights some of the realities of life experienced by young girls. Rocks writers Theresa Ikoko and Claire Wilson tell the War Cry how the film was developed with about 1,500 teenage girls, predominantly from London. ‘It was all very collaborative,’ says Claire. ‘We workshopped the scripts with the girls.’ Theresa says: ‘I was already working on something about sisterhood, exploring the adultisation of black and brown girls and what is often behind their strong exterior. The prevalent themes that kept coming up in the workshops with the girls were friendship and the power of sisterhood.

The themes were friendship and sisterhood

The two projects merged perfectly.’ The film was due to be released earlier this year, before being pushed back because of the pandemic, but Theresa says she is grateful it has come out at this time. ‘I hope it will uplift and inspire,’ she says. ‘I also hope it offers comfort, peace and joy.’ Young or old, many of us go through testing times that have come about through no fault of our own, whether family problems, financial hardships or health concerns. Often friends can help us to get through. No one is excluded from life’s challenges, but countless people have found the ultimate support and friendship in Jesus. Over the years many of them have sung a hymn whose lyrics say: ‘What a friend we have in Jesus/ All our sins and griefs to bear.’ Jesus’ offer of friendship is open to anyone. Whatever we are going through, it is never too late to learn that we can share our troubles with him and experience his comfort and peace – and help.

Rocks (second from right) and her friends enjoy the last day of summer

26 September 2020 • War Cry • 3

Pictures courtesy of Altitude

T’S the last day of summer, and a group of best friends are hanging out, singing together and soaking up the final few hours of sun before the return to 6am wake-ups and spending most of the week in uniform. Schooldays may seem a long time ago for many people, but cinema audiences of all ages are being transported back to corridors and classrooms – as well as unexpected challenges – with the girls of Rocks, which is on general release. The academic year begins as normal for the east London girls until Rocks (Bukky Bakray) and her younger brother, Emmanuel (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu), return home from school to find that their mother is not there. Rocks spots an envelope in which her mother has left a note and some cash. While it isn’t the first time that the siblings have been left home alone, Rocks can only hope that her mum comes back this time too. Hiding her home situation from school staff and most of her friends, teenage Rocks is forced to grow up quickly and has to make do as best she can. Her friend, Sumaya (Kosar Ali), is concerned and tells her she should get help, but Rocks is

As the eight adults who are learning to read in Channel 4’s The Write Offs face their final test, Linda McTurk learns how a Christian book publisher is helping people in prison to improve their literacy skills

Kevin Baker

DOING THE WRITE THING.

Sandi Toksvig (centre) is helping eight adults to improve their reading skills in ‘The Write Offs’

ORE than eight million adults in the UK are functionally illiterate, but TV presenter Sandi Toksvig is hosting a show to highlight efforts to tackle the problem. In the two-part Channel 4 programme The Write Offs, eight adults are being taught to read. The stars of the show, who are aged between 22 and 66, have just 18 weeks to change their lives. They are all receiving intensive one-to-one tuition, and Sandi tests their progress each month with a challenge that involves reading, writing and spelling in the real world. Tasks include navigating a journey by public transport and buying groceries in a shop. All the activities are leading to a final test in front of their friends and family next Tuesday (29 September). The group have their work cut out. Craig, aged 30, a stay-at-home dad, had never read a book before going on the show. Emily, 22, has not left her home town by herself for more than

4 • War Cry • 26 September 2020

Rebecca Law of SPCK three years for fear of getting lost. At 66 years of age, Tommy is learning the alphabet for the first time. Like Sandi on The Write Offs, Rebecca Law of publisher SPCK wants to provide people with opportunities to learn how to read. Her project, Diffusion Books, provides easy-to-read and inspiring books for chaplains, teachers, librarians and vocational trainers to give out to people in prisons.

Since launching the project in 2017, the Christian publisher has provided 32,000 free books to prisoners in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. More than 80 per cent of prisons in the UK have held Diffusion reading groups. Rebecca says that the illiteracy rate is higher in prison than in the general population. ‘More than three in five people in prison have a reading age of 11 or lower,’ she says. ‘That’s three fifths of people in prison not being able to read properly or read confidently. The reason for the rate is that there is a high number of people in prison with learning disabilities and mental health issues.’ An inability to read has a huge effect on the daily lives of people in prison, Rebecca explains. It increases their sense of isolation and anxiety. It determines what they can or can’t do, including understanding notices and menus and filling in forms. And when they leave

FEATURE

prison, it can affect their ability to find work or read to their children at home. To help prisoners open a new chapter in their lives, SPCK created a range of fiction books for reading age brackets 7 to 9 and 11 to 12, with material that would be interesting for an adult. Examples include Breaking the Chain by Darren Richards, which is about a man serving time for murder, and Nowhere to Run by Michael Crowley about a man in 1788 who is sentenced to seven years’ hard labour in Australia. Rebecca says that the books ‘are not overtly Christian, but suitable for those of all faiths and none’. She adds that she hopes the content will give people a chance ‘to pause and reflect’. A learner at HMP Channings Wood told the publisher: ‘The story helped me to reflect on my poor choices which got me back in prison. It stoked a fire inside me to get out of prison and stay out.’ Diffusion Books has had to adapt

Some of the titles that SPCK provides to prisons the way it operates because of the coronavirus pandemic. At the height of the lockdown, teachers placed the books inside ‘in-cell’ learning packs and librarians put them on mobile trolleys that they could take directly on to the prison wings. ‘This year, prisoners have often been spending 23 hours a day in their cells, and staff have been desperately trying to find ways to keep those in their care occupied with something constructive,’ says Rebecca. ‘In March and April, we sent out six times as many books as we’d normally expect to send in two months.’ Rebecca’s work is motivated by her Christian faith. She believes that ‘no one is beyond God’s love’, including people in prison, and everyone has the

Our fiction allows people to reflect on their own lives

chance to make a new start. ‘Sometimes as a society we think of people in prison as the lowest of the low,’ she says. ‘But in God’s eyes, they are still his children and he still loves them. Jesus called us to minister to those in prison. Doing a project like this is a good way to answer that call.’ She says that the stories provided by SPCK speak powerfully to people, and are a reflection of Jesus’ own ministry. ‘The books work well because Jesus himself used parables and stories to teach his followers and to encourage them to work out the implications of his teachings for themselves. ‘Our fiction allows people to reflect on their own lives and relationships with their families and friends. And I would hope that everyone who reads a Diffusion book will be inspired to change their lives.’

26 September 2020 • War Cry • 5

Emma Maitland-Carew

Healthy Eating Week, which starts on Monday (28 September), encourages people to cook nutritional food and keep active. Ahead of the week, Emily Bright asks nutritional therapist EMMA MAITLAND-CAREW about the way she mixes food advice and faith

OOD, glorious food! Whether we’re ready-meal maestros or master chefs, secret snackers or healthyeating heroes, food fuels us all. Having wolfed my way through a packet of luxury ice creams in the days leading up to my interview with Emma MaitlandCarew, I’m a tad self-conscious about speaking to a nutritional therapist. I needn’t have worried. ‘I wouldn’t stop people from having a pudding here and there,’ Emma tells me. ‘I think there’s some truth in “everything in moderation”, although it also depends what you mean by “everything”. Processed food is not the fuel that our bodies were designed to run on.’ She elaborates: ‘A lot of the chronic diseases that we’ve got today we didn’t have at this level 100 years ago. That’s because back then we were eating from the land: home-cooked meals based around meat, fish and vegetables. ‘All the processed food that we eat is disrupting our whole system. Our immune system is suppressed when we eat a lot of sugar.’ Emma runs a private nutritional therapy practice in Oxfordshire and helps people of all ages with issues such as digestion and gut health, energy levels, hormonal health and weight management. Clients submit a questionnaire, which Emma looks through before a one-hour face-to-face consultation in person or by Zoom. She then offers suggestions on achievable

6 • War Cry • 26 September 2020

Zest

INTERVIEW

for life

food and lifestyle goals, as well as recommendations on supplements and herbs. Her top tips on how people can boost their immune system during the coronavirus outbreak are: ‘Significantly reduce your sugar intake. Choose nut and dried fruit bars instead of a sweet chocolate biscuit. ‘Exercise is also important. The training doesn’t need to be high-intensity, you just need to move every day. Ideally, you should raise your heartbeat for 20 minutes three times a week, but simply moving is the most important thing because it helps to clear toxins and boost your immune system. ‘In terms of supplements, vitamin D helps regulate your immune system. Zinc and vitamin C are good for your immune system too.’ Before starting her own business, Emma was a chef at the Penny Brohn Cancer Centre in Bristol. ‘I worked closely with the head nutritionist there,’ she says. ‘We did juicing for the patients. Everything

was very healthy, and we didn’t use sugar. ‘Now when I have clients, I’m able to inspire them about the food they eat. Food excites me, and I suggest healthier alternatives that are equally enjoyable.’ Clients talk of how Emma’s advice has lowered their cholesterol levels, alleviated stomach aches and reduced fatigue. But at one point, Emma thought that becoming a practitioner ‘wasn’t really an option’. She had dyslexia and so didn’t take the A-levels required to qualify for a degree course. But one day, while she was at church, she felt that God told her to become a nutritional therapist. Emma studied hard and ended up achieving straight As in her A levels. She went on to attend the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London. It took six years for her to establish her own business, and she says that at times she sought reassurance from God that she really was doing what he wanted. I wonder how her faith and nutritional advice mix in practice. Emma tells me that she experiences ‘extraordinary

I suggest healthier alternatives that are equally enjoyable

circumstances’ in her work, which she attributes to her faith and prayer. As she offers examples, the pace of her voice quickens with enthusiasm. ‘I had a client with a severe type of eczema. Without me even talking about my client, a Christian colleague, who I often pray with, said to me: “Emma, I’ve just read the most brilliant book about diet and eczema.” Of course, I knew generally what to do, but this had the latest research about very specific things in diet that would help with eczema. The timing was extraordinary. ‘Another client was unsure of a diagnosis I had given her, but then went straight from seeing me into a supermarket. As she was walking along the aisles, she saw a magazine open to a page that described her symptoms and my recommendation exactly.’ Emma believes that by working in the field of nutritional therapy, she is fulfilling a calling from God that she should help people to be ‘healed gradually’ from health concerns. ‘That’s exactly what nutrition does,’ she says. ‘It brings your biochemistry back into balance, so that everything works better.’

26 September 2020 • War Cry • 7

Where there’s a will Ahead of Free Wills Month in October, Sarah Olowofoyeku finds out how legacies enable The Salvation Army to do its work

AMES was just a boy when he was forced to sleep on the streets. He had been born as the result of an affair between his married mother and another man. He was rejected by his mother’s husband but taken in by his birth father. At the time of his birth, in the 1940s, being born out of wedlock was a source of shame, so his birth father did not treat him well either. He was made to sleep in a shed at the end of the garden and given little food. If he didn’t do as he was told, he was beaten. When family members stayed over, he was forced to move out and sleep on the street temporarily, because his father didn’t want him to be seen. But one night on which he was sleeping rough marked a turning point in his life. It was Christmas Eve, and James, cold and hungry, saw a Salvation Army van distributing food to people who were on the streets. The woman in charge that night gave James some blankets to keep him warm and six slices of bread. He ate two slices that night and saved the other four for his Christmas dinner the next day.

For two weeks, James went back to the van every day, and was given chicken soup and slices of bread. ‘I had never ever seen such kindness, and it gave me hope that my life would get better,’ he says. James continued to live in difficult conditions in his family home, but he got various jobs to earn his own money, studied hard at school and managed to secure a place at university. That launched him into work in the nuclear energy industry, where he reached some senior positions. He is now retired, after a successful business career, and has not forgotten the support that he received that night when he was cold, hungry and alone on the street. ‘If The Salvation Army hadn’t fed me and kept me warm, I don’t believe I would be alive today,’ he says. Because of that, James has decided to leave a gift to The Salvation Army in his will. Jackie Birch, The Salvation Army’s legacy manager, says that the gift left by James will enable The Salvation Army to continue doing its work to help people who are in need. She thinks that it is important to write a will,

A will tells people where you want your money to go

Legacy manager Jackie Birch

8 • War Cry • 26 September 2020

FEATURE

For more than 150 years, The Salvation Army has been supporting people

regardless of who a person is leaving things to. ‘Having a will written is the only way you can be certain that your wishes will be met when you die,’ she says. ‘It tells people where you want your money to go, and you can also set out your funeral wishes.’ People are often daunted by the prospect of writing a will, but Jackie says that it is straightforward. ‘You just need to figure out what you have got, who you want to have it and who is going to be the executor. After that, you simply need to get the will written.’ The writing of the will does not have to be expensive. October is Free Wills Month, when anyone aged 55 and over, in selected locations, can have a simple will written by a solicitor free of charge. The Salvation Army is one of the organisations

taking part in the scheme. Jackie says: ‘The details of the participating solicitors are released on the first of the month, and you can register interest before that day. All you then do is make an appointment with a solicitor, go through the usual process to have a will drafted, and The Salvation Army picks up the cost.’ The Salvation Army has produced a guide, which gives clear and simple instructions on how to write a will, and includes a will planner – a form that can be filled in to help with the process. If someone does want to leave a gift in a will for The Salvation Army, it would go towards the type of life-saving work that James encountered on the street on Christmas Eve. Jackie says: ‘You can express that you would like your gift used for a particular part of our work or for our work in a

certain geographical area. We have a legacy council that decides where the money will go if you do not specify. There is a vast range of work that legacies help pay for, including support for young people experiencing homelessness, safe houses, services tackling loneliness among older people and help for people who are unemployed. ‘The Salvation Army has been supporting people in need for more than 150 years. Gifts through legacies will help to ensure that such work continues in years to come.’

l James’s name has been changed. For more information on The Salvation Army’s participation in Free Wills Month email legacy.enquiry@salvationarmy.org.uk or call 020 7367 4800 26 September 2020 • War Cry • 9

Angler aims to make a reel difference To mark World Rivers Day tomorrow (Sunday 27 September), Emily Bright asks ROYCE RAILEY about his US TV show and how angling became his vocation

S the rippling currents of the Chattahoochee River in the US state of Georgia lapped against his motorboat, angler Royce Railey’s rod bent from the fight of a feisty fish. The fivepound striped bass landed in the boat, with scales that gleamed in the sunshine. That catch of the day contender, filmed last year for Royce’s show Tight Line Fishing TV, could be one for the highlights reel. Filming is under way for the fourth series of the show, which is broadcast in the US on the Christian Television Network. ‘The idea is to teach techniques that people can duplicate wherever they fish,’ explains Royce. ‘Probably about 75 per cent of what I do is bass fishing. But Tight Line Fishing TV has also done some saltwater shows, and we’ve done one trout fishing show from the streams up in the higher reaches of north Georgia.’ But the programmes contain something a bit different from many other fishing programmes. ‘In the middle of every show, I take three minutes to share the gospel,’ says Royce. Tight Line Fishing TV is only one angle of Royce’s vocation. He runs Christian outreach organisation Go Fish Ministries, which emerged out of his lifelong passion for fishing and faith. ‘I’ve loved to fish my whole life,’ he enthuses. ‘I started when I was about four years old and began competing

I’ve loved to fish my whole life

in bass fishing tournaments in high school. ‘I was a youth pastor for about 21 years. Then my wife and I came to a crossroads in student ministry, and we felt like God was telling us to share Christ through the platform of fishing and the outdoors. So in April 2011, we started Go Fish Ministries.’ One line of Go Fish Ministries’ work takes place in prisons in partnership with a Christian organisation based in North Carolina called Forgiven Ministries. ‘Forgiven Ministries run a One Day with God camp, where they teach 25 inmates about how to build integrity, love and leadership as a father,’ says Royce. ‘The reward for doing the course is that the inmates’ children get to come to the prison and spend all day with them. I’ve helped out on those days and I get to teach children about fishing and share the gospel with them.’ Despite coronavirus complications, Royce is keen to continue communicating his faith to prisoners. ‘We can’t get into prisons to do ministry right now, so we’ve sent a USB flash drive of seasons of Tight Line TV to

Royce runs children’s camps during the summer

Royce with his daughters 10 • War Cry • 26 September 2020

INTERVIEW

chaplains and wardens. One day a week they show an episode to the inmates, so they hear the gospel.’ Go Fish Ministries also hosts events, including fishing trips and tournaments and children’s summer camps. But, whatever form his fishing ministry takes, Royce is keen to respect and protect the wildlife that he works with. ‘Everything is what we call catch and release,’ he says. ‘We don’t keep fish, just weigh them and let them go. We take great strides to make sure we take care of those fish. ‘The environment is a resource that God has blessed us with. We need to look after it and make sure that we leave it better for the generations to come.’ Royce wants to be a good steward not only of the environment, but also of his fishing skills. He explains why his ministry means so much to him. ‘The Bible verse that is the theme for our children’s camps says: “Each one should use what God has given you to serve others faithfully, ministering God’s grace in its various forms.” ‘I can’t remember when I didn’t love to fish, and I believe God put that in me. As I grew in my faith, and I grew in ministry, it made sense to me to use my love of fishing to share the gospel with people and encourage believers in their walk with God. ‘The people I meet come from a lot of different avenues. There are those who have never heard about Christ, people who are already Christians and everyone in between.’ And Royce says that people tend to be more receptive to talking about faith while out on the water. ‘I love being on the lake,’ he says, ‘and those conversations seem naturally to start in God’s creation.’

26 September 2020 • War Cry • 11

EXPLORE

Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for Bob, that he will be able to continue working; for Ancy and her family, who are in need of suitable accommodation; for June, that she will have a sense of peace; and for Dawn, who has health concerns. 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’.

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.

Team talk Team talk

‘ talk’ Monumental effort shows we do have a prayer Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

IT looks as if Richard Gamble’s prayers have been answered. Last week, his proposal to build a massive Christian monument on the outskirts of Birmingham was given the go-ahead by North Warwickshire borough council. Newspapers reported that construction on the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer is due to start early next year. Cue the hashtag: #Godisgood. Designed to end up more than twice the size of Antony Gormley’s Angel of the North in Gateshead, the Eternal Wall will be made up of a million bricks, each of which represents a prayer from a member of the public and its outcome. The Guardian quoted Richard Gamble, the project’s chief executive, as saying that the monument aims to ‘encourage and inspire people going through the storms of life’. God knows that we have all seen enough of those this year. And Richard Gamble suggests that many of us – religious or not – ‘turn to prayer in times of crisis’ to help us cope. I suppose that prayer is what many people The Eternal Wall do when they can’t do anything else. In tough will be made up of times, it offers us hope that something may change. ‘We’re trying to make hope visible,’ a million bricks says Richard, adding that hope is ‘one of the greatest antidotes to anxiety and fear’. For many of us, 2020 has been full of both. Perhaps we feel that our most recent prayers for better days have fallen on deaf ears. The pessimists may even say there’s not a hope in sight. And then a massive monument reminding us that God answers prayer gradually appears on the horizon. It’s a testimony to a million times that God came through. A marker which says: just because today your life is a struggle, it doesn’t mean that it always was, or it always will be. Look at the evidence: here. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic – where it’s sometimes easier to focus on what God hasn’t done, rather than what he has – I think I’m guilty of forgetting that God listens; that he answers prayer; that prayer has power; that prayer brings hope; that prayer changes the world. Amen to that.

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War Cry 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

Basic reading about Christianity

Looking for help?

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Information about The Salvation Army

Amen

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 • 26 September 2020

EXPRESSIONS

Now, there’s a thought!

Nahla is cycling round cities to promote kindness

quick quiz 1

What is the term for a female rabbit?

What is the name of the hospital in the TV series Scrubs?

a 3

In which European city is the Basílica de la Sagrada Família, designed by Antoni Gaudí?

According to John Keats’s poem, autumn is the ‘season of mists and’ what?

Maori is a language native to which country?

Who had a hit with the song ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ in 1965?

ANSWERS

by Jim Burns

A different kind of bike ride W

E can all probably remember times when we have benefited from people going the extra mile to show kindness, but last month one woman set off on a mission to travel 5,000 miles to spread a little happiness. Nahla Summers is the founder of the Sunshine People, a social enterprise that highlights the need for people to stay connected with each other through kindness. At present, she is cycling round the UK and the Republic of Ireland on a stand-up bike to promote her One Million Acts of Kindness campaign. She plans to visit every city over four months and will carry out her own acts of kindness on the way. Nahla set up Sunshine People after the death of her partner and, through the kindness movement, hopes to inspire people to carry out good deeds for family, friends and random strangers. The Hereford Times reported that she has spoken of her intention to ‘raise awareness of the positive impact human decency and kindness can have on those around us. Especially during these times … we’re reminding people that one simple act of kindness can change the world for someone.’ In that spirit, people have offered Nahla a place to stay in each city, whether a hotel, B&B or camping site. Their kindness may change Nahla’s world – and their own. Kindness can make an impact on the giver as well as the receiver. One saying on the subject of kindness has changed many people’s worlds. In truth, it has had an impact on the whole world. It’s impossible to measure the effect of those words of Jesus: ‘Treat others as you want them to treat you’ (Matthew 7:12 Contemporary English Version). Jesus not only spoke about kindness, but also showed it, going to extraordinary lengths to do so. He even gave up his life for humankind so that everyone could know the peace that comes with being reconciled to God. We can all accept this kindness and let it inspire us to make the lives of other people miles better.

Kindness can make an impact on the giver

26 September 2020 • War Cry • 13

1. A doe. 2. Sacred Heart. 3. Barcelona. 4. ‘Mellow fruitfulness’. 5. New Zealand. 6. Bob Dylan.

CROSSWORD CROSSWORD PUZZLES

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Award (5) 5. Cape (5) 8. Express amusement (5) 9. African lake (5) 10. Make use of (5) 11. Powerful person (5) 12. Facile (4) 15. Agree (6) 17. Pursue (5) 18. Church office (6) 20. Metal (4) 25. Academy award (5) 26. Child (5)

27. Edict (5) 28. Express jubilance (5) 29. Enthusiastic (5) 30. Sprayed (5)

7. Mythological Scottish horse (6) 13. Mimic (3) 14. Diffident (3) 15. Snake (3) 16. Two performers (3) DOWN 17. Singer (7) 1. Exiguous (6) 18. Feasible (6) 2. Curtains (6) 19. Winter sport (6) 3. Andean animal (5) 21. Greek island (6) 22. Biblical hunter (6) 4. Move (5) 23. Vegetation (5) 5. Goblet (7) 6. Not transparent (6) 24. Thin soup (5)

SUDOKU

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

HONEYCOMB HONEYCOMB

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

Answers

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

Wordsearch CALL THE MIDWIFE DOC MARTIN

DOWNTON ABBEY ENDEAVOUR

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Medal. 5. Cloak. 8. Laugh. 9. Nyasa. 10. Avail. 11. Mogul. 12. Easy. 15. Accede. 17. Chase. 18. Vestry. 20. Iron. 25. Oscar. 26. Bairn. 27. Order. 28. Exult. 29. Eager. 30. Hosed. DOWN: 1. Minute. 2. Drapes. 3. Llama. 4. Budge. 5. Chalice. 6. Opaque. 7. Kelpie. 13. Ape. 14. Shy. 15. Asp. 16. Duo. 17. Crooner. 18. Viable. 19. Skiing. 21. Rhodes. 22. Nimrod. 23. Scrub. 24. Broth.

FOYLE’S WAR

HONEYCOMB 1. Waffle. 2. Harare. 3. Poodle. 4. Kindle. 5. Aerial. 6. Duffel.

GRANTCHESTER

6 4 8 1 5 9 2 3 7

1 5 7 3 2 8 6 9 4

2 3 9 6 7 4 8 1 5

3 2 1 8 4 5 7 6 9

9 8 6 7 1 2 4 5 3

5 7 4 9 6 3 1 8 2

7 9 2 5 8 1 3 4 6

8 6 5 4 3 7 9 2 1

4 1 3 2 9 6 5 7 8

SUDOKU SOLUTION

4 5

9 8 4 5 2 6 4 1

14 • War Cry • 26 September 2020

7 8

ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch

1. Batter cake 2. Capital city of Zimbabwe 3. Breed of dog with a curly coat 4. Set on fire 5. Structure that transmits television signals 6. Coarse woollen cloth

KILLING EVE

LINE OF DUTY MARCELLA

PEAKY BLINDERS POLDARK

THE CROWN TOP BOY VERA

VICTORIA

Look up, down, forwards, backwards

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

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

D Pasta ratatouille bake Ingredients

Method

200g macaroni

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

1tbsp olive oil 2 medium onions, chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 1tsp dried oregano 1tsp dried basil 4 tomatoes, chopped 4 courgettes, sliced 200g green beans 125ml reduced-salt vegetable stock Ground black pepper 25g vegetarian hard cheese, grated

SERVES

Cook the macaroni according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions and garlic slowly until tender and golden. Stir in the herbs, tomatoes, courgettes, beans and stock. Simmer for 5 minutes. Combine the macaroni and vegetables in a bowl and season with a pinch of black pepper. Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake for 30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;35 minutes, then serve.

Banana and apricot bagels Ingredients

Method

4 wholemeal bagels, sliced in half

Preheat the grill. Lightly toast the cut sides of each bagel.

80g low-fat soft cheese

Mix the cheese and apricots together in a bowl and spread over the bagel bases. Top with the sliced bananas and sandwich the bagel tops in place, to serve.

40g ready-to-eat dried apricots, chopped 2 bananas, sliced

SERVES

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Public Health England website nhs.uk/change4life 26 September 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ War Cry â&#x20AC;˘ 15

Gentl e

f life eo

r a e s a tr d r o e w

Proverbs 15:4 (New Living Translation)