War Cry 2 Mar 2019 by The Salvation Army UK and Ireland

2 March 2019 20p/25c

ACTION PANS ORIGINAL COVER EB PA PIC – NOT FOR W

RUNNERS AIM TO GO ONE BATTER ON PANCAKE DAY

FAMILY WITH NO HOLDS BARRED

DON’T GIVE UP, GIVE OUT!

THE SECRETS OF HER-STORY

Siblings wrestle with rivalry in new film

Why everyday generosity is being encouraged

Women’s part in history uncovered

2 COMMENT AND CONTENTS • WAR CRY • 2 March 2019

What is The Salvation Army? The Salvation Army is a church and 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 over 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

From the editor’s desk LEMON juice with a sprinkle of sugar. That’s the traditional accompaniment for pancakes eaten on Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday as it is more formally known, which falls next week (5 March). A quick search of the internet, though, will provide suggestions of serving chocolate spread, fresh fruit or even ham and cheese with the cooked mixture of milk, flour and eggs. However people enjoy their pancakes, many will be joining in the fun challenges the day brings – whether that is flipping the pancake and landing it safely back in the pan or taking part in one of the many pancake races around the country. In this week’s War Cry we report from Olney, which claims to stage the oldest pancake race in the world. Thousands of people will line the streets to watch the race that is thought to date back centuries. The tradition of cooking pancakes on Shrove Tuesday started because Christians needed to use up the eggs, sugar and fats they would be going without during the season of Lent, which begins the next day. And giving up something for Lent – the 40 days leading up to Easter – is another tradition many people still follow today. Some people will do without chocolates, bread or social media for the next few weeks. However, others, rather than give anything up for Lent, have decided to give out instead. As we report this week, people are signing up to 40 Acts, in which they commit to undertake one generous act every day during Lent. Last year 100,000 people signed up to the scheme run by Stewardship, and the Christian charity hopes that a similar number will do so again this year. That would mean some four million acts of generosity going on around the country. What an exciting new tradition 40 Acts has the potential to 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 7412

Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Stephen Pearson Assistant Editor: Claire Brine Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston War Cry office: 020 7367 4900 Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

Contents

Tel: 0845 634 0101 Helpline: 020 7367 4888 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@sp-s.co.uk Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Secretary for Communications: Lieut-Colonel David Kelly

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 and Wales is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. Printed by Walstead Grange Ltd, Southwick, on sustainably sourced paper

Your local Salvation Army centre

FEATURES 3

A real Paige turner Wrestling brings a change of character in new film

Acting up Encouraging people to rise to the challenge of being generous

A woman’s place Author advocates the importance of women’s roles in history

8 Pantastic! The traditions of Pancake Day are served up REGULARS 4

News and media

Browsing the Bible

6 6

13 Expressions 14 Puzzles 15

What’s cooking? Front-page picture: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Lionsgate

2 March 2019 • WAR CRY • FILM 3 Saraya and Zak long for WWE fame, supported by their parents (below)

ON THE R OPE S Aspiring wrestler is fighting prejudice, writes Emily Bright

RESTLING reigns within the Knight household. In W the biopic Fighting with My Family, released in cinemas on Wednesday (27 February), parents Ricky

(Nick Frost) and Julia (Lena Headey) are a super tag team, promoting the sport and running their own Norfolkbased business, the World Association of Wrestling. Since childhood, their daughter Saraya (Florence Pugh) and son Zak (Jack Lowden) have been knockouts in the ring and yearn to become World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) champions. When WWE trainer Hutch (Vince Vaughn) invites them to trials in the US, Zak and Saraya are prepared to fight – no holds barred – for selection by the world’s largest wrestling body. However, while Saraya progresses to boot camp, Zak is left behind, destroying his lifelong dream of becoming a professional wrestler. Sporting goth make-up, multiple piercings and rock-chic clothes, teenage Saraya is not a conventional WWE trainee. When she arrives at boot camp, she struggles to fit in with her female wrestling rivals. ‘The others are put off by her looks. It never occurred to her that she wouldn’t be brilliant and loved once she made it to training,’ explains actress Florence Pugh. Lathering on fake tan and dying her hair blonde, Saraya rebrands herself as Paige in a bid to belong. But she still struggles to win favour with her trainer, fellow fighters and fans. When Hutch asks Paige why she loves wrestling, she explains that it is an escape from the real world, adding: ‘I feel like I belong somewhere.’ She hungers for similar acceptance from those in the WWE recruitment programme. But after several taxing months of training, she still feels out of place. Paige seeks out her family for support. Zak has

remained hostile and aloof since her recruitment, while her parents, reliant on the publicity she generates for their business, pressurise her to continue. However, father Ricky later softens his approach to his daughter, consoling her: ‘You are the spark in our lives no matter what you do with yours.’ Even though Paige realises that she is valued and loved for being herself, she is still daunted by the challenges ahead of her. Crippled with anxiety, she seeks out the person who knows her best – Zak.

It never occurred to her that she wouldn’t be brilliant and loved After overcoming his envy, he inspires Paige to face her fears and tackle her biggest challenge yet. During our toughest times, we often seek out close friends and family who know us well and who will provide encouragement. However, sometimes even close relationships can be crippled by jealousy, financial pressures or ambition. But there is someone we can turn to who will always be there for us. God knows us inside out and loves us all unconditionally, regardless of our circumstances. The Bible describes how one figure, David, had times when life was great, but also experienced tough times of isolation when he only had God to turn to. He reflected on how God truly understood and accepted him and wrote: ‘You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar’ (Psalm 139:1 and 2 New International Version). Whatever we’re wrestling with, God will always be in our corner, offering acceptance, love and support. Will we turn to him?

4 NEWS AND MEDIA • WAR CRY • 2 March 2019

Salvation Army provides aid to DRC refugees

THE Salvation Army is aiding hundreds of refugees who have fled conflict between ethnic groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its initial efforts are focused on supplying food, bedding and antimalarial nets to 660 of the most vulnerable migrants who have crossed into the neighbouring Republic of the Congo. Working in conjunction with the United Nations refugee agency, the church and charity is distributing rice, salted fish, beans, rice, cooking oil and packed meals. It is also providing foam mattresses, blankets, soap, buckets and clothing items. An estimated 7,000 people have fled from the Maï-Ndombe region of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the border settlements of Bétou and Makotipoko since the latest inter-ethnic violence broke out last December. Salvation Army personnel distribute emergency supplies in the Republic of the Congo

Prince William to head up homelessness charity

PA PIC NOT FOR WEB

PRINCE William has become a royal patron of Christian homelessness charity the Passage. The Prince’s patronage was announced ahead of his visit to St Vincent’s Centre, the charity’s headquarters in Westminster. During his visit, the Duke of Cambridge prepared and served lunch to people experiencing homelessness and met the charity’s clients to discuss the difficulties of rough sleeping. Prince William first visited the charity as a young boy with his mother Diana, Princess of Wales in December 1993, and most recently returned with the Duchess of Cambridge in December last year. The Passage serves up to 200 vulnerable people at a time. It offers healthcare, housing advice and referrals, and employment support.

The Duke of Cambridge serves lunch to charity clients WYCLIFFE Bible Translators n is set to reach previously inaccessible countries by adapting its translation software, The Christian Post reported. By upgrading existing software Paratext for use on smartphones, Wycliffe has provided an accessible central database, allowing missionaries to upload and update their work regardless of internet connectivity issues. Wycliffe USA’s chief innovation and information officer Doug Hennum said that the updated technology also allows local people

to do a lot of the translation work themselves. ‘Everywhere we’ve travelled, they’ve all got a smartphone and know how to use that technology. So when we have introduced these tablet-based drafting tools, they pick it up so quickly. It’s having a tremendous impact on them being able to do a lot of that upfront work in translation,’ he said. ‘We have a goal of seeing all the remaining languages that haven’t had any Scripture at least starting to get translation work by the year 2025.’

CHRISTIAN charity Tearfund is to create recycling hubs to minimise the amount of rubbish clogging up waterways in Pakistan. The country produces more than 20 million tonnes of rubbish each year, which is often deposited in rivers. A build-up of waste can cause flooding, which leads to the spread of diarrhoea and infectious diseases. The UK government will double Tearfund donations up to £2 million as part of a matched giving appeal to tackle Pakistan’s waste crisis. ‘This vital work will improve the health of generations of people, and create jobs and prosperity in the region,’ said secretary of state for international development Penny Mordaunt.

2 March 2019 • WAR CRY • FEATURE 5

VICTIMS of severe flooding in Australia are receiving support from The Salvation Army after torrential rainfall devastated northern Queensland. Volunteers distributed fresh bread, fruit and vegetables to flood victims in the coastal city of Townsville. Hundreds of people also turned to the church and charity’s emergency recovery centres and received financial advice, counselling and supermarket gift cards.

A REFORMED gang member has revealed that going to church saved his life. Robert Bragg, who served six years in prison for gang-related crime, told Radio 1’s Newsbeat that he considered ending his life after his release but decided to try church before making a decision. ‘I said to myself: I’m going to try God and see if God has a plan for my life,’ he recalled. ‘I went to church one day and I lifted my hands and said: “God, if you’re real, help me.”’

MEMBERS of both houses of parliament have urged the Pakistani government to let a Christian woman leave the country ‘without further delay’. Signed by 24 members, a letter was sent to the high commissioner of Pakistan, calling for Asia Bibi’s release from custody after blasphemy charges brought against her in 2010 were dropped five months ago. The letter read: ‘It is with profound concern that we observe from the media today that Asia Bibi remains in Pakistan in what is described as “protective” custody and that she is being denied access to and communication with Canadian diplomats whose country has offered her asylum.’

ANDING out chocolate to strangers, H freely sharing a skill or writing messages of encouragement – these are

Generosity is in season during Lent, writes Sarah Olowofoyeku

HAZEL THOMPSON/Tearfund

some of the generosity challenges that thousands of people have undertaken as part of a challenge for Lent. Lent is the season that leads up to Easter in the Church calendar. During the 40-day period, which this year starts next Wednesday (6 March), people traditionally give up something, whether it’s gorging on chocolate or, more recently, scrolling through social media. But, eight years ago, Christian giving charity Stewardship developed a new concept, instead of giving up, they encouraged people to give out. Every day during Lent, those who have signed up to 40 Acts will receive an email with a short thought and three suggested generous acts categorised as red, amber and green, with red being the most challenging. Last year, 100,000 people took part and together completed four million acts of generosity. This year people will again be attempting to live more generously. Beth Mathieson, who has signed up to the 40 Acts challenge every year since 2012, has found that it has opened up conversations with people she knows who aren’t Christians. ‘It has been great to be able to say I’m doing this because I love people, and I love people because I love God,’ she says. ‘Everything I have is a gift from God, and remembering that makes me more generous with what I have,’ Beth explains. ‘When Jesus died, he literally gave everything for us. That was the greatest gift, the biggest act of generosity.’ Christians believe that the wrong things we do ruin our relationship with God. But in order to put that relationship right, Jesus took the punishment for those things so that we could know God again and live generously. The Early Church leader Paul wrote to other followers of Jesus, suggesting they ‘live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us’ (Ephesians 5:2 New International Version). By accepting Jesus’ gift of reconciliation to us, we can experience even more of his generosity – we can receive his joy, his peace and his freedom.

I’m doing this because I love people

6 INTERVIEW • WAR CRY • 2 March 2019

CURT BRINKMANN

A woman’s place is in the history books Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, author MICHELLE DeRUSHA talks to Sarah Olowofoyeku about the way women have been overlooked in the past and the impact that has today Michelle DeRusha

N the 15th century a woman and her husband sent letters to each other, but only one side of the exchange can still be read today. Her words were not thought to be useful, because she was a woman. Intrigued by the imbalance, US author Michelle DeRusha wrote a book about the couple’s marriage. The husband was a principal figure in the Reformation, Martin Luther, and the wife was Katharina Luther, a former nun. ‘Nobody thought it would be important to keep Katharina Luther’s words,’ Michelle says. ‘I discovered that a ‘The publisher already had a book out called mere five of her letters were preserved after her 50 People Every Christian Should Know and, death, but we know she wrote dozens because of the 50, only 4 were women,’ she recalls. we have Martin’s responses to her. This points The publisher approached Michelle’s agent, to how women have been viewed historically.’ looking for a woman to write a book to redress Michelle wrote Katharina and Martin Luther after she became interested in the couple’s life when writing an earlier book, 50 Women Every Christian Should Know. ‘There was very little fact-based information available about Katharina,’ she explains. ‘It made writing about her really difficult. I had to do some extrapolation and educated guessing to fill in some of the pieces of her life. ‘She made significant contributions to the imbalance. ‘They recognised that there was history in her own right, not just as Luther’s bound to be more than four women in all of wife but as an innovative businesswoman living in the Middle Ages. Yet we don’t have a Christian history to highlight. But it is evidence that women have been overlooked in history in record of her life.’ general.’ Before Michelle began writing the book, it After writing a trial chapter, Michelle was was clear to her that women had been missed contracted to write the book. ‘I came to enjoy out of many narratives.

If we preserve and lift up only male voices, we miss half the story

learning about and exploring the lives of these women,’ she says. She believes it’s important for their stories to be more widely known. ‘Through other people’s stories we can learn so much about ourselves and our own faith journey,’ she says. ‘But if we preserve and lift up only male voices, we miss half the story. ‘Our society is patriarchal, and it has been for a long time. It has been compounded in Christian history because men have been in the role of priest and pastor. For many years, women were not allowed into any of those roles at all, and in some denominations they still aren’t. It’s an uphill road.’ Michelle believes that the #MeToo movement, which has encouraged women to speak out about their experiences of sexual assault, has shown up the effects of patriarchy. ‘I think the Church has a voice and it needs to use it,’ she says. ‘As these stories

2 March 2019 • WAR cry • INTERVIEW 7

or experiences come to light, it doesn’t do anybody any service to brush them under the rug, and that includes the Church. We all have a responsibility to listen, to acknowledge and to come alongside people who are suffering

I’m thankful for women who have challenged societal restrictions and have a story of hurt and brokenness to tell. Now is the time to say: I hear you, I’m listening, and what can I do to help you?’ The role of women in the Church has been the subject of debates for centuries. Some denominations have changed their views over the centuries and welcomed women into

positions of leadership. Others have maintained their stance either for or against women adopting certain roles. Michelle thinks that the argument is not black and white. ‘People look to certain verses in the Bible as evidence of where women belong and what their role is,’ she explains. ‘I personally take a big step back from something that was written 2,000 years ago about women in a particular society. I tend to look at what those words mean in our context.’ For Michelle, discussing the issues is less about the right or wrong answer and more about continuing to have the conversation. ‘There’s something valuable in the dialogue, in hearing one another. I have my beliefs and opinions, people might not necessarily agree, and that’s OK. ‘But I’m thankful for the women in history who have challenged societal restrictions and broken through barriers to forge new paths –

whether in the church, higher education or the corporate world. ‘I believe that women have unique stories, perspectives and gifts to share. Women should be encouraged to pursue leadership roles. Women should be celebrated and valued simply because we, like our brothers, have been created in the divine image of God.’

l Katharina and Martin Luther is published by Baker Books

8 FEATURE • WAR CRY • 2 March 2019

Amazing

race

The Church of St Peter and St Paul, where the pancake race ends

2 March 2019 • WAR CRY • FEATURE 9

A sign in the marketplace celebrates the town’s heritage

Two women train for the race in 1953

PA PIC NOT FOR WEB

PHILIP HALCROW

The Church of St Peter and St Paul in the market town of Olney is not only where John Newton, composer of the song ‘Amazing Grace’, once served as curate but also the destination for runners in a pancake race that has been held on Shrove Tuesday for generations. Ahead of this year’s Pancake Day next Tuesday (5 March) Philip Halcrow visited the church to find out more about the race, the shriving service and how the church serves the community all year round

OMEN of Olney have been lining up for the Shrove Tuesday pancake race for years – but no one knows exactly how it started. Sitting in the Church of St Peter and St Paul, where the race ends, David Phillipson, chair of the pancake race committee for 2019, explains: ‘According to tradition, the race was first run in 1445. There’s historical evidence to say that it was run during the War of the Roses. ‘I think there have been various breaks, but just after the Second World War, Canon Collins, who was vicar here at the time, brought the race back to the fore.’ David mentions one of the stories as to how the tradition came into being. A housewife was making a pancake when she heard the bell calling people to the shriving service and dashed to the church ‘with a pancake pan in her hand’. Whatever the origins, pancake races now take place all over the UK and elsewhere in the world – including the town of Liberal in the US, which every Shrove Tuesday has a video link-up with Olney. And in the Buckinghamshire town the event that David describes as ‘the oldest pancake race in the world’ is still going strong. ‘On Pancake Day the town is extremely busy,’ he says. ‘There is a huge marquee in the marketplace, and TV chef Lesley Waters cooks breakfasts and does cooking demonstrations. We also hold children’s races in the marketplace.’ All of which serves as a build-up to the main race. The road through the town is closed and, kitted out with frying pans, aprons and headscarves, the women get on their marks. ‘There are a maximum of 25 competitors, all ladies and all residents of Olney. We are allowed to close the main road for ten minutes for the race, which starts just beyond the marketplace and heads down the main road, past the church hall and then finishes at the church. ‘I would think that the number of spectators has to be in the thousands, because when we have the shriving service straight after the race,

Flip to page 10

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10 FEATURE • WAR CRY • 2 March 2019

PA PIC NOT FOR WEB

Runners head down the high street during last year’s race

From page 9

PHILIP HALCROW

the church is absolutely packed.’ David, who as well as being chair of the pancake race committee is senior church warden at St Peter and St Paul, says that the ‘pancake race and the church are intrinsically linked’. After the race – a sprint that is over in a minute or so – all the competitors are invited to attend the service in the church, where the winner is presented with her prize: a copy of the Olney Hymns, a collection of songs written by John

Newton, who was a curate of the church, and a member of his congregation, William Cowper. Newton is buried in the churchyard and the two hit hymn-writers are honoured in stained glass in the building, which has become a destination for tourists and pilgrims. Some of the hymns, including ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘O for a Closer Walk with God’, are due to be sung in this year’s service. ‘“Amazing Grace” is always included in the service, even though it has got no direct connection with Pancake Day,’ says David. ‘It’s an enjoyable service celebrating Shrove Tuesday – so it’s pretty

The pancake race and church are intrinsically linked much a party before we go into the 40 days of Lent.’ Shrove Tuesday in Olney not only contains the time-honoured pancakes, reflecting the custom of people using eggs and fats before giving up certain foods for Lent, but also brings out the traditional meaning of the shriving service. Throughout David Phillipson

history Shrove Tuesday has been a day on which Christians confess their faults and are ‘shrived’ – that is, assured of God’s forgiveness. This year’s order of service includes a time when the congregation can silently ‘call to mind their sins and failings’ and then pray to God together: ‘Forgive us all that is past and grant that we may serve you in newness of life.’ The pancake race helps the church carry out its divinely motivated service to the community well beyond Shrove Tuesday. ‘Funds raised by the sponsorship and events surrounding the pancake race go towards the fabric of the church,’ says David. ‘There are a number of church groups that are run for people who are not necessarily regular Sunday churchgoers.’ He talks about Church Mice, a weekly event for preschool children and those who care for them. He mentions the SoulTime Café at the church hall, where anyone can drop in for reasonably priced food, and the SoulTime Memory Club, which the church describes as being run for the benefit of people with the early stages of memory loss. ‘We have trained helpers come in, who do various exercises with people to help them keep their brain turning over,’ says David. ‘The number of those attending that

2 March 2019 • WAR CRY • FEATURE 11

group is increasing, which is a reflection of modern society. ‘On Christmas Day, we provide Christmas lunch to anybody who is needy and wants to come in – there’s no charge. It is all provided by members of the church and members of the town. We also make regular contributions to a nearby food bank and a big food bank in Milton Keynes. ‘The church is increasing its activities in the town because there seems to be a need for it to do so. ‘But, in whatever we do, we don’t force Christianity down people’s throats or put pressure on them to take the whole Christian thing any further.’ usan Heron, who helps to run the S Church Mice group, is in a good position to see the connection between

PHILIP HALCROW

the pancake race and the community work at the church. ‘We get somewhere between 20 and 30 children each week coming in,’ she says. ‘We have a little structure of activities that we follow and the children have basic Bible stories. At the end, they can have a blessing and a prayer and then a vegan lunch. ‘It’s absolutely not restricted to members of the church. I would say that 95 per cent of people who come to it don’t even think of it as coming to church. ‘We try to keep a delicate balance in our activities so that the children can learn to sit still and listen but also their mummy may need to talk to somebody because that’s their couple of seconds of free time. And when we have Bible stories, mums are learning them too. ‘We started Church Mice a good 30 years ago because we noticed that when children came down from their school for the harvest festival, some of the little ones were a bit scared of the big building. We thought we’d change that

Susan Heron

As you turn the corners, it takes your breath away by running a preschool group here so that children would feel comfortable and secure in church.’ Susan says that she and the other helpers explain the traditions of Pancake Day to the Church Mice and hold mini races in the church. Susan has competed in the main race twice. She first ran it back in 1989, a year after moving into the town. ‘The first time, I didn’t realise how hard it is. As you turn the corners, it takes your breath away. The camber of the road changes. There were 29 people running, and I came 26th – which I thought wasn’t very good. ‘So the next time I ran, in 1991, I trained and trained, and came sixth. I decided that was as good as I could do. ‘Now I still run the course each year, but in dashing backwards and forwards between the church and the church hall, where I organise a team of people cooking and selling pancakes.’ Unlike the legendary housewife, Susan’s pancake duties mean that she does not get to the shriving service itself. ‘It’s quite funny, because the people who cook for the first part of the morning go off to be in the choir while I stay cooking, and then they come back to clear up. ‘Pancake Day is a great tradition,’ she enthuses. ‘Most of the runners will be raising money for charity, and it raises money for what we do here. The day is a lovely bit of heritage, but it’s also a good way of explaining to people about Shrove Tuesday and Lent as a preparation for Easter.’ David agrees that Shrove Tuesday and the period that follows ‘means a lot to the congregation, because the whole feeling from the Sundays

in Lent, leading up to Palm Sunday and then the Passion is that this is a significant time of year’. And the pancake race to the church is the start.

12 INNER LIFE • WAR CRY • 2 March 2019

Prayerlink THE War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their circumstances. Send your requests to Prayerlink, War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. Mark your envelope ‘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. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen

Nigel Bovey gives chapter and verse on each book in the Scriptures

Ruth HE first seven books of the Old T Testament give a linear, chronological account of the history of Israel and the country’s relationship with God. The book of Ruth is different. It is a parallel story set at the time when Israel was ruled by a series of military leaders known as judges (1:1). To escape a famine in Israel, Elimelek and Naomi move from Bethlehem with their two sons to Moab (in present-day Jordan), where their sons marry local women, Orpah and Ruth. Within ten years, Naomi’s husband and sons are dead (1:2–5). Hearing that there is now food in Israel, Naomi heads for home. On the way, she tells her two daughters-in-law to stay in Moab and find new husbands. Orpah leaves for her mother’s house, but Ruth insists on journeying to Bethlehem with Naomi (1:6–19). At harvest time, Ruth meets Boaz, a landowner and relative of her father-in-law. He allows her to gather the leftovers so that she

Key verse

‘May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge’ (Ruth 2:12 New International Version)

and Naomi have food (chapter 2). Struck by Boaz’s kindness, and mindful that her foreign daughter-in-law has no rights to land or livelihood, one evening Naomi tells Ruth to meet Boaz (3:1 and 2). According to the Law, the closest male relative (known as a ‘kinsman-redeemer’) is required to help a member of his family who is in trouble. Such obligations include marrying his brother’s childless widow (see Deuteronomy 25:5).

Ruth insists on journeying to Bethlehem with Naomi Ruth offers herself to Boaz, asking him to be her kinsman-redeemer. He tells her that he has no legal right to marry her (chapter 3). Boaz meets with the kinsman who has the first right to marry Ruth and to buy her father-in-law’s land. The kinsman is prepared to buy the land outright but, perhaps fearing that it would not belong to him but to any subsequent son, refuses to marry Ruth. Boaz buys Elimelek’s land and marries Ruth. A son, Obed, is born (4:1–13). Set in a time when Israelites were punished for marrying foreigners and worshipping their gods, the Book of Ruth provides something of a counterbalance. Obed, the son of a Moabite woman, would become the grandfather of Israel’s greatest king – David (4:17).

Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

Looking for help? Just complete this coupon and send it to War Cry 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Basic reading about Christianity Information about The Salvation Army Contact details of a Salvation Army minister

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2 March 2019 • WAR CRY • EXPRESSIONS 13

QUERIES, DOUBTS AND HONEST PRAYERS

Hunger gives food for thought

WAR CRY annual subscription Call 01933 445445 email subscriptions@sp-s.co.uk visit sps-shop.com or contact your local Salvation Army centre

E are told that there is enough food for everyone in the world, it just needs to be redistributed. Yet millions go hungry. Humanitarian organisations and government aid workers labour tirelessly so that malnutrition and its accompanying problems are tackled daily. But, apparently, in practical terms, redistribution is an economic non-starter. The Bible encourages us to ask God to meet our needs. And people no doubt ask, even plead with him, but still go hungry. Yes, there are stories like that of George Müller, who asked God for food for his orphanages and received daily supplies for years. And in the Bible we read of Israelites receiving daily food in the desert. But these seem to be exceptions rather than the norm. Jesus knew what it was like to be hungry and thirsty. He was tempted to use his divine power to create bread for himself in God uses all the wilderness, but didn’t. Yet Jesus fed well over people because they were hungry, and on sorts of people 5,000 another occasion at least 4,000. So what of people crying out today? I am to answer aware that God uses all sorts of people to answer prayers the prayers of others, but sometimes it seems as though there aren’t enough people to act. I pray that God will help me to channel my indignation at the way governments and individuals waste money and resources that could be used to alleviate hunger. I also ask that he’ll save me from being hypocritical over the issue and encourage me to act responsibly regarding the important matters of life, including world hunger. by Peter Mylechreest

BOOK REVIEW The Museum of Broken Relationships Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić Weidenfeld & Nicolson

CBAD a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk Twitter: @TheWarCryUK Facebook.com/TheWarCryUK

B www.salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

WHAT does it look like when love dies? Fascinated by the idea, Olinka Vištica and Dražen Grubišić created the Museum of Broken Relationships after they broke up. They encouraged people to send in an object that represented their past relationships. They found that it wasn’t just a beautiful project, but also a therapeutic one that allowed people to move on. Reflecting broken romantic relationships, death, divorce, suicide, affairs, family estrangement and random circumstances, this book shares 203 of the most interesting items in the Museum of Broken Relationships. Through wedding dresses, notes, rings and stuffed toys, this is an evocative and moving tribute to the heartbreak every human being experiences. You may even be moved to submit your own memento once you’ve turned the last page. Jessica Morris

14 PUZZLES • War Cry • 2 March 2019

QUICK CROSSWORD

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

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4 5 9 3 7 2 1 8 6 1. Which group had a No 1 hit7in 1965 3 1with 8 the 6 song 9 2‘Get 5 Off 4 My Cloud’? 6 8 as2St 4 1 5 3 1877? 9 7 2. Which football club was formed Luke’s FC in 4 Game 2 9 of3Thrones? 8 7 1 3. Who plays Jon Snow in the 5TV 6 show 4. Which natural gas has the chemical formula CH 4 9 1 3 7 4 8 5? 6 2 5. Who wrote the 1988 novel The Alchemist? 8 2 7 1 5 6 9 4 3 6. Assam, jasmine and oolong are types of what drink? 3 4 5 6 8 1 7 2 9 6

4 2

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9 6 5 3 PUZZLE 2ANSWERS

3 2 8 5 4 9 1 6 7

7 4 1 6 8 3 5 9 2

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QUICK QUIZ 1. The Rolling Stones. 2. Wolverhampton Wanderers. 3. Kit Harington. 4. Methane. 5. Paulo Coelho. 6. Tea. QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Purge. 5 Paper. 8 Vinyl. 9 Amble. 10 Apron. 11 Noisy. 12 Toff. 15 Pushed. 17 Jewel. 18 Placid. 20 Abet. 25 Tutor. 26 Trade. 27 Error. 28 Rogue. 29 Ratty. 30 Power. DOWN: 1 Planet. 2 Rebuff. 3 Event. 4 Until. 5 Playful. 6 Perish. 7 Rancid. 13 Oil. 14 Bed. 15 Peg. 16 Ewe. 17 Jittery. 18 Poster. 19 Aghast. 21 Barrow. 22 Terror. 23 Stage. 24 Creep.

2 March 2019 • WAR CRY • WHAT’S COOKING? 15

Kitchen To mark British Pie Week, which starts on Monday (4 March), we have two pie recipes: one savoury, the other sweet

bacon

Sweet cured pie with spring vegetables 500g shortcrust pastry 225g sweet cured back bacon rashers 4 baby carrots, peeled and cut in half 6 asparagus spears 2tbsp caramelised onion chutney 3 baby leeks 25g green beans

Serves

Salt and pepper 500g ready-made puff pastry

6 Fidget pie with

Egg wash

pears and honey

450g premium butcher’s style sausages

skins. Mix the meat together with the parsley and seasoning.

2tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Reserve half of the meat for later. Divide the remaining meat mixture evenly between 2 individual pie dishes. Push the meat down slightly and then place a whole pear into each dish and drizzle with runny honey. Top with the remaining sausage meat.

Salt and pepper 2 pears, peeled and cored ½ tsp runny honey 1 ready-made puff pastry block Egg wash

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Use a knife to slit the sausage skins and remove the meat. Place the sausage meat into a bowl and then discard the

Bake in the oven for 45 minutes until the pastry is golden.

Roll out the shortcrust pastry and line a loaf tin. Place 2 rashers of bacon into the tin and layer the baby carrots and asparagus spears. Top with the chutney and continue to layer with the baby leeks and green beans. Season to taste. Roll out the puff pastry and use it to make a lid for the pie. Brush with the egg wash. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes until the pastry is golden. Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board website lovepork.co.uk

Divide the puff pastry block into two parts. Roll out each part to make lids for the pies. Place the pastry on top of each pie and brush with the egg wash.

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

Serves

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything Philippians 4:6 New Living Translation