War Cry 19 August

Salvation Army team sees a need and steps out to help

WAR CRY

19 August 2023

A-I spy

Agent searches for truth about an artificial intelligence hack in Heart of Stone

Artists’ show of faith at the Fringe

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.

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 7641

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 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: Lyndon Buckingham

Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill

Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn

IT’S impossible to predict what might happen when someone buys a copy of the War Cry

In this week’s issue, we hear how, for one reader, buying the magazine led to love and marriage to the man who sold it to her each week. Ernie and Jenny Salt were married earlier this year after meeting in the market town of Leek, where Ernie sold the War Cry

We can’t promise such romance for all our readers. But we can certainly say that buying the War Cry will help support the good work The Salvation Army does in the communities in which it is sold, because the money raised through sales is used by the church and charity in the area.

In many communities in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, The Salvation Army is known for helping people by providing services such as food parcels, school uniform banks, lunch clubs for older people and youth clubs. What may not be so well known is its work around the world. In this week’s issue we speak with Damaris Frick, director of the organisation’s International Emergency Services. She describes how The Salvation Army is at work in 134 countries and ready to respond to disasters as they occur, whether natural or a result of human action.

Damaris estimates that her team deals with an incident at least once a week, and in some cases several times a day – as well as supporting longerterm recovery projects.

‘Responding to crises is in The Salvation Army’s DNA,’ Damaris tells us. She also explains what motivates that response. ‘I firmly believe that responding to people in a disaster is what Jesus wants us to do,’ she says. ‘I’m humbled to see in some cases the sacrificial services of our colleagues, officers, volunteers and employees around the world responding to some unthinkable situations.’ Whether across the globe or round the corner, The Salvation Army will always look to show Jesus’ love for those in need by making a difference for good.

INFO INFO

Rachel is not quite as keen to rely on AI as her boss Nomad (below)

by

Heart-searching

THIS spy is supposed to love no one. Rachel Stone is told to have no friendships, no relationships. But she is going to need to do something that will make audiences warm to her: in Heart of Stone, now streaming on Netflix, she has to save humankind.

To her colleagues working with her at MI6, Rachel (Gal Gadot) seems a regular, if rather inexperienced, agent. They don’t know that she actually works for the Charter – a secret organisation made up of former intelligence operatives and government officials from around the globe who work together to keep peace.

Led by so-called ‘Kings’ codenamed Diamonds, Spades, Clubs and Hearts, the Charter aims to play its cards right when the global threat level gets higher. To do so, it uses an ultra-powerful piece of artificial intelligence, known as the Heart, which can predict people’s behaviour and can aid decisions.

Certainly working for the Charter means that Rachel must keep her cards close to her chest. She is expected to steer clear of personal connection. Her boss Nomad (Sophie Okonedo) – the King of Hearts – is worried when Rachel seems to be getting too close to her MI6 colleagues. She begins to wonder if Rachel can be trusted.

It is becoming apparent that the Charter

itself is under attack, along with the AI on which it relies – possibly too much. As Rachel attempts to deal with dangers, she has to decide what or who can be trusted and how much to put heart over Heart.

Assessing her latest action role, Gal Gadot talks of how Rachel is able ‘to use her brain, intuition and emotions’. She says that Rachel ‘doesn’t just run in, guns blazing. She thinks about how she is affecting people and situations.’ In Gal’s eyes, the film ‘has emotions and, of course, it has a heart’.

Director Tom Harper says: ‘One of the things I love about movies like this is that they give you an opportunity to explore some of the themes that are taking place in the world around us. This film looks at big data and technology and where the balance between human instinct and algorithms lies. That’s an interesting, though sometimes daunting, conversation and one that’s obviously very much present at the moment.’

AI algorithms may be a new variable, but the human heart has always been a live issue. It’s why it matters if what someone says is ‘heartfelt’. It’s why so many songs have been written about being brokenhearted. It’s why back in Bible times, God promised a group of people who had ignored their relationship

with him and forgotten how they should treat each other: ‘I will remove from you your heart of stone’ and ‘I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you’ (Ezekiel 36:26 New International Version).

The words echo a recurring theme running through the Bible – that when we realise we have gone wrong, a change of heart is always possible.

For the times when we have not followed the golden rule to treat others as we would want to be treated, when we have charged into a situation without thinking about how we are affecting people, when we have ceased caring, God offers us forgiveness and a fresh start.

This message is no secret. It says we can take heart and discover his love for us if we put our trust in him.

ROBERT VIGLASKY/NETFLIX

A spy wonders whether it really is helpful to lack the human touch

Film feature

Philip Halcrow

She thinks about how she is affecting people

‘ ’

j TEA M TALK

Tragedy chanting needs to be silenced

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

AS a new football season kicked off, so new rules were announced by the FA about ‘tragedy chanting’. Anyone committing this ‘vile form of abuse’, said English football’s governing body, could be banned from stadiums and arrested.

A BBC article defined tragedy chanting as ‘when fans sing deeply offensive songs that reference stadium disasters or fatal accidents involving players or supporters’. Despite being widely condemned, it has been ‘part of football culture for decades’.

At the FA Cup final earlier this year, a man who wore a Manchester United shirt that made offensive reference to the Hillsborough disaster was banned from all regulated football games for four years. The BBC said that the 1989 stadium crush that led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool supporters was a ‘common subject of tragedy chanting’.

Words are powerful

He’s right, of course. Chants that are hateful, insensitive or deeply hurtful shouldn’t have a place in the beautiful game. Words are powerful and can cause more pain even than actions. Wherever we are, what we say and how we say it matters. It always has done.

The human struggle to exercise self-control in what is said prompted one Bible writer to express himself plainly on the subject, insisting: ‘Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you’ (Ephesians 4:29 Good News Bible).

His message couldn’t be clearer. If our words aren’t kind, helpful or necessary, we need to ask ourselves whether we should be saying them in the first place.

Whatever situation we find ourselves in, our single voice has the power to make a difference. It can build someone up. Or it can knock someone down. How we choose to use it says a lot about us.

Team talk Team talk

Puppy on course to start at uni

STUDENTS at Teesside University in Middlesbrough will soon be meeting a new therapy dog when Bonnie begins accompanying Salvation Army chaplain Captain Naomi Kelly on her visits to the campus.

The cocker spaniel puppy will join golden retriever Brengle in helping Naomi in her ministry to students.

Naomi said: ‘I go in on a Friday for a couple of hours. Brengle helps people to feel relaxed, to open up and talk about stress, mental health, faith, whatever may be bothering them. The students really love him, and I’m looking forward to introducing Bonnie to everyone when she has done her training.’

The ‘scars’ of that day ‘run so deep’, said Liverpool fan Josh Sexton. He added that supporters shouldn’t be ‘reminded of this terrible day in their history over and over again’.

Sister gives God song credit

SISTER Sledge thank God for their enduring success, reports the Metro.

Debbie Sledge, one of the members of the disco band that rose to fame in the 1970s, said of their hit song ‘We Are Family’: ‘I did not ever expect it to be such an iconic hit. Forty years later, I’m absolutely amazed.’

She added: ‘It’s a miracle from God. He’s using that song and he’ll continue to use it. As far as the power that it has goes, I have no idea. It’s an honour to be the messengers that carry that song.’

WAR talk talk

Brengle and Bonnie

Everywhere he goes, everywhere he goes

LIVERPOOL footballer Cody Gakpo has revealed that he takes the Bible with him everywhere he goes.

The 24-year-old Dutch forward told Mail Online: ‘Religion helps my whole life. It’s a lifestyle for me. I take the Bible with me everywhere and every day, in the UK or wherever else.

‘I speak to people about it every day, always trying to learn from it. My family is religious. For four years or something now I’ve been really trying to get to grips with it.’

He added: ‘I was always searching for something. It’s about learning how to live your life. There’s lots of different passages I like.’

War Cry features in newly-weds’ love story

AN octogenarian in Staffordshire has found love through selling the War Cry.

Ernie Salt, 81, who has been selling the magazine for more than 20 years, never thought that he would fall in love again after his wife died several years ago.

He is well known in his home town of Leek, as he has conversations with people

while selling the magazine on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. In May last year, he met 74-year-old Jenny.

Ernie recalls: ‘She used to come up Derby Street and I had no idea I was on the radar at all, not the foggiest and she used to donate regularly. I used to think, “Oh that was generous, thank you very much” – little suspecting anything.’

Jenny added: ‘We met through the War Cry, then I invited him for a cup of coffee and the rest is history, so they say. But I had liked Ernie for a while, and one night when I went to bed I said to God: “Can I have Ernie please as I quite like him?” And the next thing is, I don’t know how, but we ended up getting married. That was one prayer that was answered.’

The couple got engaged in August last year and married in April at a Salvation Army church, where they now attend services together.

PA @TheWarCryUK

warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk a

Do you have a story to share? salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry B

In the frame at the Fringe

AHORSE, the face of King David and upcycled shoes are among the artworks on display at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of a Salvation Army exhibition. From Monday (21 August), The Salvation Army’s Edinburgh City church, which has been a Fringe venue for years, will be home to Created to be Creative, an exhibition of contemporary Christian art by people linked to the church and charity.

Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

relevant to them and is a contemporary thing.’

As well as showcasing the artwork, the exhibition will give visitors an opportunity to create their own art and engage with the collection in a more interactive way.

Taking

Dan Elson, music and creative arts outreach mission partner for The Salvation Army, responded to artists who were looking for ways to use their work. In a Zoom discussion at the start of this year, Jennifer Gosling, who leads Edinburgh City Salvation Army church, suggested using the space as a venue for an exhibition during the arts and culture festival. The idea was taken up and Dan set about curating it. After a request for submissions, the chosen works were first put on display at a Salvation Army worship event for members and friends from all over the UK and Republic of Ireland, held at the Fairfield Halls in Croydon.

The event was a success, but Dan relished the opportunity to take the exhibition to people not necessarily connected to the Christian faith. He hopes that when it goes on display in Edinburgh it will encourage conversations and allow people to engage with the questions of what contemporary Christian art is, what makes the works Christian and what makes them art.

‘Taking the work out into the world is exciting for me,’ he says. ‘We want to point people to the fact that Christianity is

Dan explains: ‘For the first part of the week, some of our artists will be coming up and we will interview them. One of the artists will be doing live art. These will be opportunities for people to think about why artists have made the works.

‘One of our artists, Alison Bird, has made a video of all the research she has done, including the photos she has taken around her town. That’s going on a digital display in the exhibition.’

The people whose work is featured in Created to be Creative are from all over the UK. They include Salvation Army church leaders, members and employees and residents of Salvation Army centres for people experiencing homelessness.

Dan describes two of the pieces that have made a significant impression on him.

‘Deborah Abbott from Winton has painted a striking, brightly coloured horse. I had to think about why she painted a horse

At this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, DAN ELSON of The Salvation Army’s Music and Creative Arts Department has curated an art exhibition featuring work by artists connected with the church and charity. He outlines what he hopes it will inspire

the work out into the world is exciting

Dan Elson

and what it had to do with anything. How was it contemporary Christian art? But God has made things that are beautiful. They don’t always have to serve a purpose or tell a story, so it has helped me to think about the idea that something just being beautiful is a reflection of God and what his creation is all about.

‘Kev White has contributed three pieces. He studied art, then did advertising design stuff for a long time in his career, but his artwork is just beautiful. The way he explains his work, though, makes you think, “Maybe I could do that.” So Kev has inspired me to give things a go.’

Dan agrees that art can be a way of communicating a message, but, he says, it is sometimes less about that than ‘taking you out of your current headspace and putting you in a certain mood that is conducive to thinking about bigger ideas’.

Some of those bigger ideas may have something to do with faith but, Dan says, not all the pieces are ‘bang in your face overt’. Some are subtler.

‘One of Kev’s pieces is called Sing a New Song, and it’s based on Psalm 96. It’s a picture of what he imagines King David looked like. But then Alison Bird’s piece is about a storm. Storm Arwen hit her home town and ripped the roof off its heritage centre that she had been planning to make a picture of.

She has recreated that stormy background with geometric shapes in contrasting colours. It’s a striking image. It might not communicate that she’s a Christian, but maybe that’s part of the question of Christian contemporary art and what people will talk about.’

l For more information visit tickets.edfringe.com

Deborah Abbott’s painting of a horse represents God’s beauty in creation

Alison Bird’s ‘Fraserburgh’ is a geometric image of the town’s heritage centre after Storm Arwen hit ‘Psalm 96: Sing a New Song’ by Kev White

Something just being beautiful is a reflection of God

‘I see The Salvation Army at its best’

Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

WHEN disaster strikes, The Salvation Army is on the case. Damaris Frick, director of the organisation’s International Emergency Services, explains that as soon as she learns of an incident anywhere in the world, she will take action.

‘If we get a warning about a situation that has already happened or is about to happen, we check if we have a Salvation Army presence in that country, and if it’s a significant event, we write to the local Salvation Army leaders to ask if they require any support. Then it’s up to them. They remain in charge. In some cases they say yes; in others they say they don’t need the additional help or the government is in control. Sometimes they may just want prayer.’

We can send out someone to help

The Salvation Army has a presence in 134 countries which it divides into 61 ‘territories’. In disaster situations, the leaders of a territory can ask for various types of support from the International

Emergency Services, which is based at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London.

‘We can offer financial support if a territory wants to respond to disaster but does not have the resources,’ says Damaris. ‘They can submit a project proposal, either for a rapid response for immediate lifesaving activities such as providing food, water, blankets or shelter, which we can turn around in 24 hours, or for bigger projects, which we may fundraise for around the world.

‘We can also offer technical advice in case people want to talk through what they are doing – for example, if they are planning to manage a camp and want to know how to register people. There is also personnel support. We can send out someone from our team for a short time to help co-ordinate a response immediately after a disaster or, at a later stage, to monitor and provide advice.’

In rare circumstances, someone

Damaris Frick

from the global Salvation Army may be deployed to a disaster area, but Damaris says: ‘We only deploy people if there’s an added benefit.

‘The ideal is to use people who live in the country, because they speak useful languages, they know traffic rules, they understand and live in the communities. Our preferred choice is for any response to be implemented by our local Salvation Army colleagues. They might need to hire additional people for technical expertise or daily labourers to help unload or drive

Today (Saturday 19 August) is the UN’s World Humanitarian Day, a celebration of ‘people helping people’. To mark the day, DAMARIS FRICK, director of The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services, speaks about the church and charity’s humanitarian work across the world

trucks. We don’t need to send people from around the world to do that. It would be unethical and not cost-efficient when you think of the air fares, visas and accommodation. In every country there will be people who can work, and often after a disaster people are desperate for income.’

Damaris estimates that the emergency services team deals with an incident at least once a week, and in some cases several times a day. When she and her colleagues are not managing a disaster, they may be supporting longer-term recovery projects – for example, the repair of homes after a flood or earthquake.

The Salvation Army has been responding to disasters and crises since its inception in the mid-1800s. Its work encompassed two world wars.

Damaris says: ‘Back then, they may not have called it humanitarian work or emergency work, but there are old photos where you see bombed buildings in the

Turn to page 10 f

Distributing food packages as part of efforts to help communities affected by floods in Pakistan

background, and there is a canteen where The Salvation Army is handing out doughnuts and drinks.

‘Responding to crises is in The Salvation Army’s DNA. But the work became more intentional after the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. We didn’t have a Salvation Army in Rwanda at the time, but The Salvation Army in neighbouring countries and internationally sent in teams to respond to displaced people. A lot of good work happened, but on reflection they realised they were not prepared.

‘The whole humanitarian sector was looked at again after the genocide. The Salvation Army decided it needed a team to deal with disasters on a permanent and professional basis to make sure that it did the best it could and dealt with its resources in the best possible way.’

As a result, the emergency services team has a focus on preparedness.

‘We do a lot of training,’ says Damaris, ‘and we work with territories on disaster management plans and strategies. This means that if something happens, there is a plan in place, and they don’t have to start thinking: “What can we do?” We want to work in an efficient and ethical way that benefits people who are affected by disasters.

‘We know about the countries or regions in the world that are in the Ring of Fire and have a lot of earthquakes and volcanoes. We know the countries that are more disaster-prone, the ones that will be affected by the cyclone or hurricane season, and countries that are impacted by conflict or violence. So we know when

The Salvation Army in Poland helps people arriving from Ukraine after the outbreak of war

a situation is flaring up or an incident might happen.

‘That said, Covid-19 was a wake-up call. Suddenly the whole world was impacted by this disaster, and we had projects in a

lot of countries where, in my memory, we’d never had projects before. Admittedly, there were still big inequalities in terms of how some countries fared with Covid-19 compared with others. But it showed us that even in countries where we don’t traditionally have a lot of projects, anything can happen.’

During the early days of the pandemic, Damaris and her team were working round the clock.

‘Suddenly the whole world was dealing with this crisis and nobody had any guidelines,’ she recalls. ‘Should we wear masks? Should we not? What kind of projects can we support? Where do we suddenly get money for such a major situation?

‘It meant we worked from early morning till late at night. Some days we had 10 new projects to deal with, and each project had a lot of admin steps – the database, transferring funds, sending photos to comms. There were times when it was 10 o’clock at night and we’d get a message from

Providing food items for drought-affected people in Kenya

America, then early in the morning we’d get a request from Japan. Dealing with a global situation meant we had to adjust to all that timing.’

Outside of global disasters, there is still a lot of work to be done.

‘If a disaster happens on a Sunday, we will sit at our computer and be in touch with the territory,’ says Damaris. ‘It’s a tricky balance because we can’t tie all our tasks into what would be normal office hours. I’m mindful of the team’s mental and physical health, and I don’t want anyone to burn out or not have a personal life.’

Although Damaris and her small team offer dedicated support across the world from desks in London, she doesn’t feel that they are alone. The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services benefits from a global team effort.

‘The reality is that in a disaster our team

is whoever is there,’ Damaris says. ‘If we have a situation in Nigeria, we feel that our Nigerian colleagues are part of our team as well. They are the ones implementing plans and doing the work on the ground. Our role is to support them. So, in a way, a lot of our work is done by other people, and we’re super proud of the work that happens around the world by Salvation Army people. Some of them don’t have a professional background of dealing with disasters, but they see a need and step out – sometimes quite literally step out into the mud or into a flood area to support their neighbours.’

That care for neighbours – local and global – is inspired by the Christian faith which is at the centre of The Salvation Army’s ethos.

‘I firmly believe that responding to people in a disaster is what Jesus wants us to do,’ says Damaris. ‘Faith is part of

the motivation to help as an organisation and also for many individuals. I get to see The Salvation Army at its best, doing what it can to support communities and people affected. I’m humbled to see in some cases the sacrificial services of our colleagues, officers, volunteers and employees around the world responding to some unthinkable situations.’

Dealing with disasters every day has, Damaris says, certainly ‘challenged and changed’ her faith.

‘From an inherited faith which was much simpler but also narrower and very black and white, I now find myself on a journey where there is a lot more uncertainty and doubt but also a lot more freedom, growth, peace and inclusion. Even though I don’t have any explanations of suffering and pain and even though I have more questions than answers, I hold on to the belief that God is love and we are called to love God, to love others and to love ourselves. And I am trying to do this as best as I can.’

People arriving from Ukraine register at The Salvation Army’s refugee reception centre in Romania

Faith is part of our motivation

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’.

jBecoming 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

Lost and found

HOWEVER carefully we pack for moving, there always seem to be things that have got lost by the time we unpack.

This time round, I can’t find my summer coat, which I like because it has a useful hood. Another missing item is the small wooden clock from our living room mantelpiece. It was one of the last items to be packed, so we can only assume it somehow got thrown out among the bubble wrap.

But packing up can also have unexpected benefits. It reunites us with many things we had forgotten about, such as items that remind us of friends we’ve lost touch with, photos of holidays and places we’ve visited or mementoes of special events we’ve attended.

Looking through these helped me and my husband escape from boxes for a while and remind ourselves that life has had its good times, as well as the more difficult ones. There is an old hymn that says: ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one,/ And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.’ And indeed it has.

Packing reunites us with forgotten items

I found one such surprise – a little plaque that used to hang on my bedroom wall –while emptying a drawer. A gift from a friend during a difficult time in our family life, this reclaimed treasure declares: ‘When God shuts a door, he opens a window.’

We all struggle with disappointments or problems in our relationships or work lives, and can’t see a way forward. Back then, the plaque put my difficult situation in a completely different perspective. It reminded me that God has a plan for my life and my best interests at heart.

The Bible says: ‘Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace’ (2 Corinthians 4:16 The Message).

How do we experience this in our lives? By deciding to believe that the Bible’s promise is for us and trusting God to help us.

Name

Address

QUICK QUIZ

What is the capital city of Croatia?

Which Andrew Lloyd Webber musical features the song ‘Love Changes Everything’?

What number is represented by the Roman numeral D?

What TV soap is set in the fictional town of Letherbridge?

By what abbreviation is deoxyribonucleic acid better known?

In the Bible’s Old Testament, who is turned into a pillar of salt?

World Athletics Championships put competitors’ determination and dedication to the test

COMPETITORS are on their marks, getting set and about to go at the World Athletics Championships, which start in Budapest today (19 August). The nine-day competition will attract the top global talent across track and field events.

Taking to the track are British sprinters Dina Asher-Smith – the fastest woman in British athletics history – and Zharnel Hughes, who this year has broken the 30-year-old national records for the 100m and 200m. Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Laura Muir is taking part in the 1500m and former world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be hoping to continue her comeback from injury to compete in the heptathlon in a field that also features the Republic of Ireland’s Kate O’Connor, who is making her first appearance in the championships.

For the runners, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of crossing the finishing-line first. It’s something they’ve strived and trained for, with determination and dedication.

Our own personal races may look very different. Some people are striving to gain a promotion at work or to have the latest car or smartphone before anyone else. The problem with such races is that, once the goal has been achieved, the pleasure can quickly pass and a desire for the next new thing takes its place.

Christians have found, though, that pursuing faith in God brings long-lasting fulfilment. In the Bible, one writer likens practising his faith to running a race. His race was not about the perfect performance, but rather a determination to remain faithful to God until the end of his life.

As he neared that end, he said: ‘I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness’ (2 Timothy 4:7 and 8 New International Version). He knew that if he trusted in God, he would know eternal love, joy and peace.

We too have the opportunity to experience that life with God, if we invite him into our lives. With him, we can run a race like no other and discover a prize greater than anything we could imagine.

It’s something they’ve strived for

Feature by Emily Bright

Zharnel Hughes celebrates after breaking the national 200m record last month

PUZZLES

Quick CROSSWORD

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

1. Abduct and hold captive

2. Permit for travel

3. Wooden hammer

4. Light and thin

5. Women’s formal greeting

6. Large wasp

8. Free (9)

11. Eerie (5)

12. Caper (5)

21. Mistake (5)

22. Loft (5)

23. Retain (4)

24. Pay (4)

25. Eager (4)

26. Member of religious order (4)

Quinoa summer salad

INGREDIENTS

300g quinoa, rinsed and drained

850ml vegetable stock

2tbsp olive oil

350g green beans, trimmed

1 yellow pepper, cored, seeded and diced

300g cherry tomatoes, halved

75ml extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Place the quinoa in a large saucepan and cook over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until dried out and starting to toast.

Add the stock and olive oil, stir well and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the quinoa has absorbed the stock and is tender to the bite.

Remove from the heat and set aside, still covered. Cook the beans in a large saucepan of salted, boiling water for about 3 minutes, until tender. Drain well and refresh immediately in iced water. Drain again and pat dry with kitchen paper. Fluff the quinoa with a fork before adding the beans, yellow pepper, tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and plenty of seasoning. Toss and stir to mix well.

Pork chops, blackberries and summer beans

INGREDIENTS

4 pork loin chops, (300g each)

50ml white wine vinegar diluted with 50ml water

100ml cranberry juice

300g blackberries

200ml red wine vinegar

200g caster sugar

Knob of butter

50g hazelnuts, toasted and halved

1 shallot, sliced into rounds and separated into rings

200g fine beans, blanched in boiling water, then shocked in ice water

METHOD

Allow the pork chops to sit out for an hour to come to room temperature.

Reduce the diluted white wine vinegar and cranberry juice by half, then add 200g blackberries and the red wine vinegar. In a separate pan caramelise the sugar up to 130C, pour in the vinegar mixture and cook for a further 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Sear the pork chops on both sides in a very hot pan, add the butter to the pan and when it is foaming use it to baste the chops, then leave the chops to rest. Reserve a couple of spoonfuls of the pan juices in a large mixing bowl.

Halve the remaining blackberries and add to the bowl. Toss with the hazelnuts, shallot rings, beans and salt and pepper. Split between plates along with the chops, and dress with blackberry sauce.

Lord’s, and everything in it