From the editor’s desk
What is The Salvation Army? 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.
LAST year, the British public spent £1.8 billion buying 212 million books. It was the largest annual amount of money spent on books, as Covid-19 restrictions encouraged us to turn over a new leaf in the way we keep ourselves entertained and informed. Books feature prominently in this week’s War Cry. Our Team Talk column reflects on how, even after 80 years on air, the radio programme Desert Island Discs still offers the Bible and The Complete Works of Shakespeare to castaways. We also include interviews with three authors. Francine Rivers has been writing fiction for more than 40 years. Originally, she wrote historical romance novels, until she became a Christian, after which the focus of her writing changed. ‘I try to weave Scripture into my writing,’ she tells us. ‘It’s part of my world view, the way I think. I believe that if you immerse yourself in Scripture, it comes out of you in anything you do. Often, God gives you the words in the moment that you need them.’ The world view of fellow authors Jonathan Aitken and Edward Smyth changed when they each spent time serving a prison sentence. Now they have collaborated to write Doing Time, a guide to help people sentenced to prison for the first time. As well as talking about the book, Jonathan and Edward discuss how their time behind bars resulted in them coming to a greater faith in God. Jonathan, who is now an ordained Church of England minister, tells us: ‘The tendency for people to say that a prison sentence means the end, the destruction of a life, a career, hope, prospects for work and so on is completely wrong.’ He adds: ‘Nobody has fallen so low that they are beneath the reach of God’s love.’ Jonathan is right. No matter who we are, the War read Cr or what we have done, God offers us all y ’ve u the chance to begin a new chapter in our lives with him.
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 7561
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Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN
CONTENTS
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
FEATURES 3
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bomb disposal experts 5
Finding the right words
Wordle takes the world by storm 6
A novel idea
How one author finds inspiration in the Bible
INFO 2 • WAR CRY • 29 January 2022
Explosive drama
Trigger Point follows the lives of
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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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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Former prisoners write guide to help
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Book for a new sentence
inmates REGULARS 4
War Cry World
12 Team Talk 13 Faces of Faith 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV