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.
‘WHO are yer?’ is often the rhetorical question that football supporters collectively use to deride the opposition. It became a more serious question for footballer John Bostock. Making his debut as a 15-year-old for Crystal Palace, he was championed as a wonder kid. But, as he says in this issue, ‘if you look only for what people say about you, you’re almost building your confidence on opinions, which is dangerous – because what happens when they start saying that you haven’t fulfilled your potential?’ John found out. ‘When I wasn’t where people expected me to be,’ he says, ‘it could bring issues. I came to a point where I had to build my identity on a solid foundation.’ He says that when he turned to his Christian faith and prayed for guidance, he found he could play with a confidence that was based not on an individual performance but from ‘knowing who I am’. He now uses his experiences of tough times to help other players. Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who wrote the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics, says in an interview this week: ‘We are the stories we tell.’ Ten years ago, millions of people watched Mr Bean comically perform with the London Symphony Orchestra, a workforce create an Industrial Revolution, NHS nurses care for children and construction workers give a guard of honour as the Olympic torch was brought into the stadium to be handed to young people. ‘There were things about this country,’ says Frank, ‘that we wanted to celebrate.’ He notes that, in the staging of the opening ceremony and in the way individuals have cared for others during the pandemic, people have shown that ‘we bring out the best in each other’. Frank says: ‘What it comes down to is “Love thy neighbour”.’ ad the War C Seeing the Bible’s command being lived out e re ry v ’ is always worth celebrating. It’s part of who u we are meant to be and who we really are.
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 7587
When yo
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 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
End of the road for Ramsay Street Neighbours says goodbye
5
5
John Bostock Fresh start was game-changing
8
Back to the start of London 2012 Frank Cottrell-Boyce on writing
INFO
the Olympic opening ceremony
Your local Salvation Army centre
8
O 15
2 • WAR CRY • 30 July 2022
PASS IT ON f
not hy ,w
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
REGULARS 4
War Cry World
12 Team Talk 13 Wisdom in the Words 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: FREMANTLE