Pastor’s help for people struggling with grief
WAR CRY
27 November 2021 50p
Making a case for faith Showtrial’s Tracy Ifeachor on where she finds hope Kate takes a winter’s trail on BBC Four
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.
BBC ONE’S Sunday night drama Showtrial, which reaches its thrilling conclusion tomorrow (28 November), features actress Tracy Ifeachor in the thick of the courtroom action as solicitor advocate Cleo Roberts. In this week’s War Cry, Tracy talks to us about her role and about how she prepared for it by speaking to a real-life solicitor advocate. Tracy also makes it clear that she always takes time to consider which roles she should play. She tells us that, whenever she is sent a new script to read, she will ask God to guide her as to whether she should accept the part. She explains how, on one occasion, she turned down a role – and extra money – because she believed God did not want her to take it. It turned out to be the right decision, as she later heard that the project had not been a good experience for some of the people who did work on it. Tracy’s belief that God will help her to make good decisions is shared by Christians in all walks of life. They believe that if they turn to him, God will guide them in everything they do – even in the most challenging of times. They draw encouragement from the Bible, in which one writer advises: ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take’ (Proverbs 3: 5 and 6 New Living Translation). God is willing to provide that same guidance to anyone who trusts him. If we put our faith in the War read Cr God, he won’t let us down – whatever our y ’ve u own trials may be.
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 7553
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Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill 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
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Walking in a winter wonderland
Kate Bottley takes a stroll on BBC Four
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Give a little love
Why Giving Tuesday is a good idea
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Handle with care
Pastor on helping people through grief
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Court on camera
Interview with Showtrial star
Tracy Ifeachor
REGULARS
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12 Team Talk 13 Faces of Faith 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: BBC/WORLD PRODUCTIONS
The Rev Kate Bottley at Middleham Castle, Wensleydale
BBC/ATYPICAL MEDIA LTD/TIM SMITH
Wintr y wander ings The Rev Kate Bottley documents the joys of a countryside ramble TV preview by Emily Bright
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S the sun rises over the snow-dusted ruins of the 12th-century Jervaulx Abbey in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, the Rev Kate Bottley starts her morning ramble in Winter Walks. Each daily episode of this second series of the BBC Four programme, which begins on Monday (29 November), follows a different famous figure as they enjoy the
beautiful landscape, meet the people who live in the area, and share their own life experiences and reflections. On Wednesday, Kate follows a route of just over five miles, travelling upstream alongside the River Ure to the village of East Witton, before joining the River Cover. Her walk culminates in an uphill climb to Middleham Castle, the boyhood home of Richard III. Equipped with a 360-degree camera, Kate documents the beautiful scenery: the crystalclear river rushing by, the snow crunching under her feet and the picture-postcard cottages of East Witton. She stops to enjoy the small moments of beauty: a heron on the riverbank, poised to pounce, and snowdrops sprouting up in the grass by her path. As she surrounds herself with nature, she takes a moment to pause at an ivy-ridden, arched tree and reflects on the similarities between nature and her faith. ‘So you’d look at this tree that’s been bent in two and broken,’ she says, ‘and you’d think, “Well that’s that finished, isn’t it, that’s that done.”
‘But there’s all this ivy and new life growing up it and out of it. And, for me, the Christian faith is a lot about that. It’s about that brokenness, it’s about that beauty and new life coming from something that appears to have been utterly destroyed. And there’s that hope of new life.’ Sometimes in life, it can be difficult to retain a sense of hope. The Covid-19 pandemic has brought with it brokenness, loss and a reminder of our own vulnerability. Since lockdowns have been lifted, it has sometimes felt difficult to know how to pick up our lives. But even in challenging circumstances, there is hope. Christians believe that through Jesus, God’s Son, we can experience hope, regardless of the dark valleys we walk through or how broken we may feel. Jesus sacrificed his life for all humankind so that we could be reconciled and enjoy a lifelong relationship with God. We can choose which path to take. If we let Jesus guide us in our lives, he can walk beside us and support us with his everlasting love. He can give us the strength to face each day. A new future can start if we take the simple step of having a conversation with him.
There’s that hope of new life
Kate in front of the Methodist chapel in East Witton
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Presenter finds power in prayer
BBC/ATYPICAL MEDIA LTD/TIM SMITH
GOOD Morning Britain presenter Kate Garraway said that ‘there’s something very powerful in prayer’ in an episode of the BBC Two documentary series Walking with… The series follows well-known personalities as they take scenic walks across England and share their thoughts and reflections on the way. During her episode, the presenter strolled through the Cotswold countryside as she made her way to St Mary’s Church in Great Witcombe. Sitting down in a pew, Kate took a moment to dwell on the faith of her husband, Derek Draper, and to pray for his health. Derek became critically ill with Covid in March 2020 and spent more than a year in hospital. ‘I haven’t been to church since Derek got sick,’ she said. ‘We used to go regularly. Derek is a faithful churchgoer.’ She said: ‘There’s something very powerful in prayer, whatever form it takes… You can probably guess what I’m praying for.’ Kate also remarked on the ‘incredible sense of peace’ that she felt in the church, which dates back to the 12th century.
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THREE friends have started a church for fans of heavy metal music in a pub in Kent, reported the BBC. Fire and Blood, founded by George Papachristodoulou, Rob Byrne and Roger Kiralfy, meets in Chatham, where members listen to music, informally chat and have themed discussions. They use metal-themed Bibles, with writings from members of bands including Iron Maiden, Korn and Megadeth. George told the BBC: ‘I was exploring metal and the Christian faith and how they can work together. I think that God placed me in the area to start a metal community based on the Christian faith.’ Rob, who is training to be a minister in the Church of England, added: ‘If you encounter music that you feel, for whatever reason, is leading you away from God, then I’d discourage that person from listening to it. But … I can very easily find a lot of that in pop music rather than heavy metal specifically, so I think it’s not a genre-specific thing.’
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Requiem is in tune with cathedral’s anniversary
Nitin Sawhney’s music will mark the anniversary of Coventry Cathedral
A REQUIEM has been commissioned to mark the 60th anniversary of Coventry Cathedral, reports The Guardian. Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem marked the consecration of the new building in 1962, after it had been destroyed in bombing raids in 1940. Sixty years later, as part of Coventry’s year as the UK’s City of Culture, British composer Nitin Sawhney will write a requiem titled Ghosts in the Ruins – a work of remembrance for all contemporary conflicts. It will be premiered in January. Sawhney, who has won an Ivor Novello lifetime achievement award, said his new composition embraces all faiths. ‘When I visited the cathedral and wandered round the ruins [of the old cathedral], I was really moved,’ he said. ‘I grew up reading a lot about Christianity and Abrahamic faiths as well as Hinduism. For me, it felt like a place that was quite spiritual. So I want to respect that. ‘Ghosts in the Ruins sounds quite morbid in a way, but it’s about rising from the ruins.’ The piece is inspired by Coventry as a city that rose from the flames and is now a place of sanctuary, helping refugees and migrants.
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THE Salvation Army is launching new daily programmes in December on its podcast series Selah: time to pause. The series will run until Christmas Day, with individuals exploring the Nativity story with a thought, carol or Christmas song and a reflection. Described as a ‘time to pause’, the audio series is a new initiative from The Salvation Army’s online church. For more information visit facebook.com/selahtimetopause
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AN Injustice Advent Calendar, launched by the fair trade charity Traidcraft Exchange, is inviting people to mark the countdown to Christmas with 24 simple suggestions to make the world a better place. From 1 December until Christmas Eve, people who have signed up for the Advent calendar via the Traidcraft Exchange website will receive a daily email, prompting them to take action against social injustice by signing petitions, texting friends and sending emails. Each activity is designed to take less than five minutes to complete. Organisations that have contributed to the Injustice Advent Calendar include Anti-Slavery International, Bees for Development, Macmillan Cancer Support and the National Deaf Children’s Society.
Do you have a story to share? a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk @TheWarCryUK TheWarCryUK
B salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry To find out how you can help The Salvation Army to help others visit salvationarmy.org.uk
Giving it a go
Global campaign encourages generosity Report by Sarah Olowofoyeku
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MID the bustle of Black Friday and the consumerism of the lead-up to Christmas, one campaign is encouraging people to give back. Giving Tuesday (30 November) is a day for everyone to support a good cause. The day was started in the US in 2012 and falls on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The UK became a partner of the global movement two years later. It celebrates giving in all its forms, saying that every act –whether it’s donating money, volunteering time, sharing skills, fundraising or giving away food or clothes – can make a difference. Asha Curran, co-founder and CEO of Giving Tuesday, believes the day is about ‘radical generosity’. In an article in Newsweek earlier this year, she described the spike in giving that she observed across the world in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. She mentioned the military spouses in Japan who filled the machines of a launderette with coins so that people without money could wash their clothes and how Venezuelan citizens distributed masks and safety equipment to those living on the street. She continued: ‘It’s this kind of generosity that illustrates that our neighbours should be clothed, fed, cared for and included, and this should not be restricted to the realm of nonprofits, governments, large corporations or wealthy individuals… Each of us has the power to be generous in new and unexpected ways that are truly transformational.’ Many of us will have given to others at some point in the past 20 months, and we may have also experienced the kindness of others towards us. Both giving and receiving can have a positive impact. The Bible records how Jesus spoke about the importance of giving to others by clothing, feeding and visiting those in need. But it also explains that people who accept what he said have received the greatest gift of all. It’s a gift that transforms their lives. That gift is a relationship with God, who forgives for mistakes and loves unconditionally – and that relationship is available to us all. We just have to accept the offer. Will we give it a try?
Our neighbours should be clothed and fed
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‘I believe in the M
When the Rev RICHARD LITTLEDALE began supporting his community during the Covid-19 pandemic, he noticed many people were struggling with a sense of grief. Ahead of National Grief Awareness Week, which begins on Thursday (2 December), he describes how his own experience of grief helped him to help others who had suffered loss
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Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku
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NE phrase the Rev Richard Littledale would be happy never to hear again is, ‘You’re on mute!’ Another is ‘the new normal’. He is concerned by the phrase, because, for those people who have suffered bereavement during the Covid-19 pandemic, the rush to normality is not something to be relished – normal doesn’t exist ‘if the person you’ve lost isn’t in it’. Richard, who is a pastor at Newbury Baptist Church, also works as a community champion with the local authority. Last year, he quickly became aware of the impact that the pandemic was having on people’s grief and bereavement process. Because of restrictions, people were not able to say goodbye in the usual way. ‘I did funerals during the tightest lockdowns, conducted with only 10 people present, where they were not allowed to touch each other,’ he says. ‘Pastorally, it was an unnerving experience. We are hardwired to need each other’s physical presence in times of grief and mourning, so having to make awful choices about the 10 people who would get to be there and then not being able to comfort each other was a change.’ Richard has written a book, No Visible Scar, to offer
Richard Littledale
advice and comfort to people who are grieving in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. While many restrictions have been lifted, the effects of grief can still linger – and those effects can be triggered more frequently, Richard explains, because of the pandemic and what he calls ‘digital ghosts’. He tells me: ‘We have all spent much more time online in the past two years than we’ve ever done before. This means there will be screenshots, recordings and all sorts of digital remembrances of the people who have died that we might stumble across in a way that hadn’t been so much the case before. People will have to brace themselves for that shock.’ Another element distinctive to the pandemic has been the number of deaths occurring at the same time. Richard acknowledges that some people may have felt
We need each other’s physical presence in times of grief
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power of hope’ that their loved one disappeared among the statistics. He encourages people to be aware of such feelings. ‘I’ve never lived through a time when the evening news would give a death count,’ Richard says. ‘But during the worst time of Covid, that’s what we had. People may have felt that there was only one death that mattered to them among all that. But it’s important to know that just because your loved one isn’t mentioned, that doesn’t mean they are any less significant.’ Richard did not lose a loved one during the pandemic, but he describes a similar experience that he had when his wife, Fiona, died of cancer in 2017. ‘One of the things I struggled with during my early years of bereavement was when somebody famous had died, and there would be a little item about them at the end of the news. It was not unknown for me to shout at the television and say, “Well, what about her? Why don’t you do something about her?” ‘In the book, I offer practical advice for people. I ask: “If you were doing a piece on the news about the person you’ve lost, what would you say? What pictures would you show? What stories would you tell?”’ As well as the advice, Richard says that his book admits that bereavement really hurts. It’s an approach that some people have been surprised by, given his vocation. In another book he wrote, Postcards from the Land of Grief, he shared honest snippets of his own experience of widowhood as postcards. ‘I’ve had one or two people say, “Oh it’s so honest. I didn’t think a man of the cloth would say such things.” I talk in the book about how loss absolutely sucks. Christians aren’t often good at acknowledging that. They feel that if
I talk about how loss absolutely sucks
they talk about the pain, they don’t believe in the hope. But you can do both.’ While grief is difficult, Richard’s Christian faith helped him through it. ‘It’s hard to quantify how faith helped me, because it’s so massive. But there are two things. One is that when my wife died, I absolutely knew – in the same way that I know where my right hand is – that as she took her last breath here, she took her first breath in Heaven. That was so deep that it was instinctive. ‘The other thing is the quality of hope. The power of it is enormous. As a Christian, I have every hope that I will see her again. I see a human life lived as only part of the story. I’ve believed that all my life, but now I’ve had to experience it, and what you find when you go through trauma is that the faith lessons you have stored away come back to visit you as instincts. At my moment of crisis, my faith muscles kicked in, and I’m grateful for that.’
l No Visible Scar is published by Authentic Media
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Showtrial star gives TRACY IFEACHOR, who plays solicitor advocate Cleo Roberts in BBC One’s Showtrial, became a Christian after examining the evidence for Jesus on an Alpha course. She explains why, whatever role she plays, her faith will always be centre stage in her life Interview by Claire Brine
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Tracy Ifeachor plays solicitor advocate Cleo Roberts in BBC One’s ‘Showtrial’ 8 • WAR CRY • 27 November 2021
BBC/WORLD PRODUCTIONS
ILENCE falls in court. The jury has reached its verdict. In the final instalment of BBC One drama Showtrial tomorrow (Sunday 28 November), solicitor advocate Cleo Roberts will find out whether the client she has been defending has been found guilty of murder. For the past four episodes, the question of who killed student Hannah Ellis has gripped armchair detectives across the nation. But for Tracy Ifeachor, who plays Cleo, the series is about far more than the thrill of uncovering whodunnit and why. What attracted her most to the project, she explains, was its exploration of the justice system – and the opportunity it gave her to play a role that she hadn’t seen on British television before. ‘Cleo is such an interesting character because she goes above and beyond to help her client, Talitha – and indeed all of her clients,’ says Tracy, who grew up in Plymouth, but now splits her time between London and New York. ‘When I took on this project, I was fascinated to learn
her verdict on faith always been part of our value system. When I was growing up in Plymouth, we went to church on and off, but I couldn’t connect with it. There was nobody there who looked like me, and I didn’t feel very accepted, although one or two people were really lovely. ‘When I graduated from drama school, I joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Working there had always been my dream, so when I achieved it, I thought: “What do I do now?” I began to pray for a new direction and felt God saying to me: “Do something really nice for everyone that you know.” ‘I wrote a text to everyone in my phone book, asking for their address, explaining that I wanted to send them something. Then, in their Christmas cards, I wrote personal messages that were a bit like prayers. Quite a few people replied, saying that my words were really moving. ‘One guy replied to me a few months later, asking me if I wanted to go to church with him at Easter. I thought he was cute, so said yes.’ Tracy and her friend went to Holy Trinity Brompton in London. During the service, the pastor, Nicky Gumbel, asked the congregation if they wanted to give their lives to Jesus. ‘I didn’t know what he was talking about,’ Tracy says. ‘I knew about church and religion, but I didn’t know anything about Jesus. I didn’t know that we were invited to have a personal relationship with him. ‘I decided that I did want to give my life to Jesus, so I said a prayer. Nothing happened. But then Nicky started talking about a course that was running at the church, and I decided to go along. The Alpha course, I learnt, was for people who wanted to discover what the Jesus thing is all about, without feeling judged. I highly recommend it.’ During the 10-week
I didn’t know anything about Jesus
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about lawyers and how they could defend someone that they suspected was guilty. ‘I remember asking a solicitor advocate, “How can you do that?” Her answer was that it was important to protect the justice system, because it needed to work for everyone. That’s when I began to realise that if you deny justice to the guilty, then you’re also denying it to the innocent. ‘I also wanted to play Cleo because I couldn’t think of very many people who looked like her playing an uplifting role on British TV. As a solicitor advocate, Cleo knows what it’s like to go into a courtroom and be confronted by people who aren’t expecting to see a dark-skinned woman. ‘I think that is what makes her so protective of her clients. She has this amazing ability to see past the fronts they put up and instead see them as they really are. She gives them the chance to prove themselves on their own merit, rather than just believing a stereotype about them.’ In a recent interview with Radio Times, Tracy revealed that, before she took the job on Showtrial, she prayed about it. Talking to God about the suitability of potential acting projects is something she has done for a long time. She tells me the story of how she became a Christian. ‘My family are Nigerian, so God has
Turn to page 10 f Cleo and her client Talitha talk to police 27 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 9
From page 9 course, Tracy asked questions about faith, and spent some time prayerfully absorbing the responses. It was an experience she describes as fun. ‘I thought about the question: “Who is Jesus to me?” I knew he was the Son of God, but who was Jesus to me? And who was I to him? I began to realise that faith in Jesus is about partnership, and that I needed to study God’s word. I’d seen too many people going to church and posting spiritual verses on social media, but then not really following what the Bible said. And I’d seen lots of Bible-bashing, joyless Christians too. ‘I remember thinking that if I became a Christian, I’d lose my freedom. I prayed: “Lord, if I give my life to you, please don’t send me to India to be a missionary. I want to be an actor!” I didn’t realise that faith could bring me even more joy than I already had. ‘In the end, God didn’t ask me to be a missionary overseas, but he did send a speaker to my church to talk about the work of International Justice Mission, a Christian charity that rescues young girls who have been forced to work as sex slaves. I began sponsoring a couple of children in India, which later made me think: “Wow, God, you didn’t send me to India physically, but you’ve shown me how I could have an influence there. You’ve also shown me that you have a sense of humour.” ‘I began to realise even more that Jesus came to bring us life, not to take away our freedom.’ After Tracy became a Christian, she saw the world and the people in it ‘through a different lens’, bringing her a fresh perspective on life. ‘My faith made me the person I was always meant to be,’ she says. ‘I think faith peels away all the unnecessary layers – the things we cling on to, the pain from our past that we don’t need. When I became
a Christian, I began to realise that I could accomplish more with Christ than I ever could without him. I no longer feel as though I am facing any bump in the road on my own. And I’ve become less anxious about the future. ‘Ultimately, my faith is my foundation. It’s what I base my decisions on.’
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t’s especially important when Tracy makes decisions relating to her career. She tells me that, whenever she is sent a new script to read, she will always pray: ‘Lord, let’s read this together.’ It’s an approach she learnt from David Suchet, a fellow actor and Christian. Tracy laughs: ‘I’m not sitting there with the script, saying: “OK, Lord, show me the signs!” God gave us common sense, and we can use it. It’s more about me saying: “Lord, I’m open. I receive.” I’m looking for his Holy Spirit to guide me. Some people would call that their conscience or intuition. It’s the feeling you get sometimes that says, “Go, it is well” or “No – I’m not at peace with this.” I see that as the Holy Spirit speaking.’ It’s a feeling that Tracy has had when reading scripts before. ‘One time I spent hours working on a big audition, and then suddenly I felt God telling me not to send off the tape,’ she says. ‘I was like: “Lord, this is a really great job!” But it didn’t matter – I just had no peace about it. ‘I told my team that I wasn’t going to send in my audition tape, which they respected. But then the production company got in touch with them and said they would be prepared to offer me more money if I’d reconsider. I said no again. So the company said they’d pay me even more. I thought about what taking the job would mean for my bank balance, but my final answer still had to be no. When the Lord says no, listen.’ Months later, Tracy accepted that God’s ‘no’ was the right decision. The location of the project turned out to be less than ideal. She learnt that other people working on the job weren’t happy. She ended up landing the role of Tara in the USA Network series Treadstone, which led to her travelling round the world for a year. Then, when Showtrial came along, Tracy felt a familiar nudging from God, prompting her to pursue the role of Cleo. It was a job that excited her. ‘Before I take on a new project, I’m constantly praying that God will show me where he wants me to be,’ she says. ‘In all my acting jobs, my purpose is the furthering of God’s Kingdom, not my
My faith made me the person I was always meant to be
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Showtrial portrays this amazing woman who is fighting for justice
BBC/WORLD PRODUCTIONS
career. That’s the attitude I approached Showtrial with. ‘When I sat down to read the script, I thought: “Wow, I’ve never before seen a dark-skinned, educated woman just living her life.” ‘This programme is not solely about the colour of her skin, just as my own life is not solely about my appearance, although I am extremely proud of my Igbo-Nigerian heritage. This story is about a criminal case that Cleo takes on because she is more than qualified to do it. I love that Showtrial portrays this amazing woman who is fighting for justice.’ Despite the success of the series and the way that Tracy appears to have no problem in securing screen work in the UK and the States, she knows that there’s no guarantee of the next acting job. That’s why, in times of difficulty, she finds it helpful to reflect on particular verses in the Bible which bring her hope and strength. ‘I love Jeremiah 29:11,’ she says, ‘in which God promises: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The fact that God says “I know” reminds me that we are not supposed to know everything. Yes, we want to know – and we’re not used to having to wait. But this verse reminds me to keep trusting. ‘God knows the plans he has for us. We don’t have to know everything yet. There’s room to breathe and relax. As another Bible verse, Joshua 1:9, confirms, I know that God will be with me, wherever I go.’
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Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for Winifred, who has a throat problem; and for Ray, that he will receive the medical help he needs. 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’.
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Becoming a Christian
There is no set formula to becoming a Christian, but many people have found saying this prayer to be a helpful first step to a relationship with God
Lord Jesus Christ, I am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong. Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free. Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen
Team talk TEAM TALK
talk ‘ ’ Fresh twist on an old tale
Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters
IN a BBC interview, award-winning novelist Zadie Smith revealed that writing her first play was a joyful experience. To create The Wife of Willesden – a drama based on ‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’, which is included in Geoffrey Chaucer’s collection of stories The Canterbury Tales – Zadie explained that she took the 14th-century text and turned it into a modern story set in London. Chaucer’s Wife of Bath was a pilgrim, five times married, travelling to Canterbury Cathedral. In Zadie’s version, the Wife of Willesden is a Jamaican-born British woman in her fifties who has also been married numerous times. Although Zadie admitted to finding the playwriting process ‘slightly overwhelming’, she added that she was grateful to Chaucer for providing the basic framework for the story. ‘I never had to deal with a blank page,’ she said. ‘I always had these handrails of Chaucer’s.’ Zadie also pointed out that her play, which explores misogyny and domestic violence, followed Chaucer’s ‘very bawdy’ tradition. Such themes are ‘literally in the original’, she said. ‘I honestly think that Chaucer is radical. I think people forget what’s in it.’ Like Zadie, I’m fascinated whenever I read an old story and discover its relevance to today’s world. Sometimes, when I’m reading the Bible, it’s tempting to presume that it’s an ancient book, talking about ancient things. In some ways, it is. But I like that it gives us handrails to cling on to in modern life. Page after page, it speaks about the importance of God’s love and the need to love others. I also think that what Zadie says about Chaucer’s work being radical can be applied to Jesus and the Bible stories written about him. It’s easy to label Jesus as a fascinating historical figure and then dismiss him from thought. And if we heard Bible stories in our Sunday school days, it’s tempting to adopt an attitude of, ‘I don’t need to read that one again – I know the gist of it.’ But I wonder if knowing the gist of the Bible is enough. Perhaps it’s time I took a fresh look at the stories of Jesus. My life would be poorer if I forgot what was in them.
The Bible gives us handrails to cling on to
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Or email your details and request to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk 12 • WAR CRY • 27 November 2021
j Q&A
FACES OF FAITH KAREN FALLOWS from Failsworth on detective dramas, train-driving dreams and trying to be a kind person
What’s your typical day?
I work full-time for an insolvency service, dealing with bankruptcies and companies that have gone into liquidation. After work I read, do jigsaw puzzles and play the piano.
What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a train driver. One of my dad’s relatives lived in north Wales, and we used to travel down on the train to visit, so I always wanted to drive a train.
What makes you feel like a grown-up now? I have a daughter and a husband, and we own our house.
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QUICK QUIZ 1
In which southeast Asian country is Chiang Mai?
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Who plays forensic pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander in the BBC One drama Silent Witness?
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Which comet is depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry?
The name of which rodent is derived from the Latin words for ‘pig’ and ‘thorn’?
Who had a No 1 hit single in 1984 with ‘Pipes of Peace’?
What is the title of Richard Osman’s 2020 novel about friends who investigate unsolved murders? ANSWERS
1. Thailand. 2. Emilia Fox. 3. Halley’s Comet. 4. The porcupine. 5. Paul McCartney. 6. The Thursday Murder Club.
3
What advice would you give your teenage self? Not to give up. I walked away from thinking I could be a train driver because I was a girl.
What was the last book you read? No Graves as Yet by Anne Perry. I like crime novels.
What TV programmes do you like to watch? Inspector Morse, NYPD Blue and Peaky Blinders.
What’s good about being a Christian? Following the Bible’s teachings, which help me to try to be a good, kind person, empathising with the people I work with.
What do you pray about? I pray for people in other countries who can’t worship freely for fear of reprisals or attacks. I also pray for family and friends.
What one question would you ask God? Why did both my parents – who were lovely people – die of cancer?
What is your favourite Bible verse? I find Matthew 25:40 endearing, where God says that whatever we do for someone, we are also doing for him. 27 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 13
PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Deduce (5) 4. Examine accounts (5) 8. Tot up (3) 9. Acquire knowledge (5) 10. Concise (5) 11. Master (3) 12. Artery (5) 13. Utmost (7) 16. Difficult (6) 19. Appear (6) 23. First course (7) 26. Seat (5) 28. Writing fluid (3) 29. Entice (5) 30. Problem (5) 31. Male offspring (3) 32. Rendezvous (5) 33. Style of dress (3-2)
Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9
9
4 8 2 7 5
3
1
7 5 6 2 5 3 2 5 5 3 1 2 6 9 4 9 2 6 3 6 9 7
WORDSEARCH
18. Motor vehicle (3) 20. Taunting (7) 21. Weird (5) 22. Clergyman (6) 23. Glossy fabric (5) 24. Confess (5) 25. Untidy (5) 27. Useful quality (5)
2 6 5 4 7 3 8 9 1 9 3 8 2 6 1 7 5 4 Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these 4 Scottish 1 7 cities, 5 towns 9 8 and 3 villages 6 2 1 9 6 7 2 5 4 3 8 L W T G H O D V M N Y N X L A O X Y 3 7 2 6 8 4 5 1 9 N T H P L P N H T Q X X F B F Z O D I V G T L N T F Z T U Z O H U P E S 8 5 4 3 1 9 2 7 6 E Z I K Q O R Z X M Q W R A B N U D 5 2 1 8 3 6 I N B 9 4 7 L L R D L T Z G T W Z G T R H H Z B W Y N A K Q D B C W V S E C S 7 4 9 1 5 2 6 8 3 H E D M Q I E W O G H T I L N I L Q 6 8 3 9 L 4I Q J M B 7 1 2 5 T X U U D L Y C W Z C E
M O HONEYC B
Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number
R M C A S T L E D O U G L A S V X E E T K O B S Q B W Y F M I R T H L E P D R T Q A M A R B R O A T H P S R Z P I T T E N W E E M Q M Q A Q N T Q W K N L D P C F K G C F F O B C R K Z C R B X T N H X W Q Z A K O S O Q J O L N U U B W O G S A L G A Z P W S F J I D R L Q Z R S B R W T Q Y E S J Y W Q V G Y C J Y R N U E A W E R W J C G W P H W Q T P K M I W E
1. Underground shelter 2. Cartoon mouse 3. Breed of dog 4. Shiny and smooth 5. Air passage 6. Male goose
ANSWERS 6 3 1 9 7 5 2 4 8
5 8 7 6 2 4 1 9 3
6
4 2 5 7 6 3 8 1 9 9
2 4 9
7 6 9 2 8 1 3 5 4
3 1 8 5 4 9 6 2 7
8 7 3 4 5 2 9 6 1
6 9 2 6 7
9 5 6 3 1 7 4 8 2
1 4 2 8 9 6 7 3 5
HONEYCOMB 1. Bunker. 2. Mickey. 3. Collie. 4. Glossy. 5. Larynx. 6. Gander. QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Infer. 4. Audit. 8. Add. 9. Learn. 10. Brief. 11. Sir. 12. Aorta. 13. Extreme. 16. Tricky. 19. Emerge. 23. Starter. 26. Chair. 28. Ink. 29. Tempt. 30. Issue. 31. Son. 32. Tryst. 33. Get-up. DOWN: 2. Flair. 3. Ransack. 4. Adored. 5. Debut. 6. Trite. 7. Rifle. 9. Least. 14. Rye. 15. Mug. 17. Rot. 18. Car. 20. Mocking. 21. Eerie. 22. Priest. 23. Satin. 24. Admit. 25. Tatty. 27. Asset.
14 • WAR CRY • 27 November 2021
2 9 4 1 3 8 5 7 6
DOWN 2. Natural aptitude (5) 3. Plunder (7) 4. Worshipped (6) 5. First appearance (5) 6. Hackneyed (5) 7. Firearm (5) 9. Smallest (5) 14. Cereal plant (3) 15. Drinking vessel (3) 17. Decay (3)
SUDOKU
ARBROATH BANCHORY CASTLE DOUGLAS DUNBAR DUNFERMLINE EAST LINTON EDINBURGH FORT WILLIAM
GLASGOW KELSO KIRKCUDBRIGHT LINLITHGOW MELROSE PERTH PITTENWEEM PORTREE
3
Chillied strawberry jam Ingredients 1kg strawberries, hulled and halved 1tsp dried crushed red chillies 1kg jam sugar with pectin 2 limes, grated rind and juice 15g butter
Method Cut the strawberries in half, then separate the larger strawberries from the smaller, dividing them into 2 piles. Roughly mash the larger strawberries in a large pan, using a potato masher or fork. Add the remaining pile of strawberries, then the chillies and sugar. Heat gently, occasionally stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the strawberries begin to soften. Stir in the lime rind and juice, then turn up the heat and boil the mixture rapidly for 4 minutes, until the setting point is reached, skimming off any residue with a draining spoon. (The setting point is when the jam is solid enough to hold a shape within it after 1-2 minutes of cooling down.) Take off the heat and stir in the butter to disperse any remaining residue. Ladle into warm dry jars, filling to the very top, then stir to disperse the pieces of strawberry evenly. Cover with clean, dry screw-topped lids. Leave to cool. Decorate with labels, string or ribbon and dried chillies, if desired.
MAKES
5-6S JAR
Strawberry and blueberry crumble Ingredients
Method
1tsp cornflour
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
1 medium orange, juice
Halve or quarter the strawberries, depending on their size.
450g strawberries, hulled
Mix the cornflour and orange juice at the bottom of a medium saucepan. Add the strawberries, blueberries and sugar, then cook over a medium-to-low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring until the berries begin to soften slightly. Spoon into 4 x 250ml ovenproof dishes or 1 large dish.
200g blueberries 40g caster sugar For the crumble 100g plain flour 40g caster sugar 50g butter, diced 75g marzipan, coarsely grated ½ orange, finely grated rind Vanilla ice cream, to serve
To make the crumble, add the flour, sugar and butter to a mixing bowl and rub in the butter to make fine crumbs. Stir in the marzipan and orange rind. Spoon the crumble over the fruit and bake for 20-25 minutes, or 30-35 minutes if using a large dish, until the crumble is golden brown and the juices are bubbling around the edges. Serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the British Summer Fruits website lovefreshberries.co.uk
SERVES
4
27 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 15
Luke 6:45 (The Voice)
WAR CRY