Issuu

A century of Winnie-the-Pooh

10 October 2026 50p/60c

The party’s over A shadow hangs over a birthday bash in TV drama

‘After my baby loss song, people told me their stories’

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 600 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 7802

Editor: Gareth Dickens, Major Managing Editor: Philip Halcrow Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Staff Writer: Ewan Hall Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Mark Knight Graphic Designer: Matt Penberthy Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 1 Champion Park London SE5 8FJ

From the editor’s desk On 15 October at 7pm local time, a wave of light will flow round the world as individuals and families light candles in memory of babies that have died too soon. The Wave of Light marks the culmination of Baby Loss Awareness Week – a time of remembrance and campaigning which has run in the UK every October since 2003 and is now recognised globally. The week is co-ordinated by an alliance of organisations – including Sands, Miscarriage UK and Tommy’s – with the intention of giving ‘anyone touched by pregnancy and baby loss a safe and supportive space to share their experiences and feel that they are not alone’. In the War Cry this week, Australian singer and songwriter Deborah Robertson tells her personal story of baby loss and the hope that she eventually found through her Christian faith. Deborah is clear that her loss ‘still hurts’, but she derives comfort from knowing that a song she wrote about her experience has helped others going through similar grief. She also reflects on people who have told her of their own situations, saying: ‘We’d talk, and there would be tears and some release, relief and healing. It helps to talk to somebody who really understands.’ Baby Loss Awareness Week is not just about remembrance. It is also about education, improving bereavement care and reducing preventable deaths. The dual focus on acknowledging the past while simultaneously looking towards a better future can also be found throughout the Bible. Many of the Psalms contain expressions of deep sorrow and anger alongside promises of God’s everlasting love. In the Gospels, Jesus meets many grieving, hurting and broken people, and compassionately offers them comfort, healing and new life. Talking about the rawness of grief and loss is never easy – but it is often a necessary step in beginning the journey towards healing. Our compassionate God offers to walk that journey with us. And if we trust him, he will lead us into new life.

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Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founders: Catherine and William Booth International leaders: General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham Territorial leaders: Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main Editor-in-Chief: Major Andrew Stone 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

INFO Your local Salvation Army centre

CONTENTS FEATURES

A birthday bash to remember Shame ruins the party spirit in new political drama

Making lives better The work of a Salvation Army group for older prisoners

‘Where is your brother or sister?’ Songwriter finds compassion amid baby loss grief

13 A little boy and his bear Celebrating 100 years of Winnie-the-Pooh

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REGULARS

FO 4

Team Talk and War Cry World

12 What Did He Say? 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: © ITV

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POWER

AT PLAY

MP Ben and journalist Martin have a complicated history

Journalist fears investigation into his dark secrets TV preview: The Party ITV1 and ITVX By Emily Bright

t was a party like no other – which culminated in political journalist Martin Gilmour (Luke Evans) being arrested in his bloodied shirt. And, moving forwards and backwards in time, ITV1’s drama series The Party tells the story of the events surrounding the tumultuous 40th birthday bash. Political operative and Conservative MP Ben Fitzmaurice (Tom Cullen), who has charmed Martin since their boarding schooldays, certainly knows how to throw himself a lavish party. But right before the celebrations begin, the Tory leader suddenly resigns. Spotting an opportunity, Ben plots his path to power. He sends Martin to blackmail a fellow MP – the pair’s boarding school nemesis – who also has ambitions for the top job. The problem is that Ben’s political rival isn’t giving up and threatens to destroy his political future by unearthing dark secrets about Ben and Martin’s time at university. Martin, who was a scholarship student from a humble Welsh home, has always

sought to fit into the upper echelons of society. Yet he has never really felt like he belonged – apart from in Ben’s company, whose affection and approval he craves. Viewers of the drama will wonder how far Martin will go to keep his murky past with Ben concealed – and whether he will ever find freedom from it. ‘I had to go into the universal story of Luke’s character, and what he’s hiding,’ screenwriter Sarah Solemani told the media at a press event in London. ‘He’s hiding this secret. And it felt like every person, or every family or even every country might have a dark shadow, like a monster. And if they ignore it, it will get them. And if they run from it, it will become them. ‘It could be anything – abuse or grief or just a melancholy you can’t put your finger on – but if you look your monster in the eye and say “you’re not going to control me any more”, you might be set free. So really underneath it, aside from the politics, was a universal story of breaking free from your shame.’ Stories of shame – and the need to break

free from it – seem to speak to us because we can relate to them. We may have made mistakes, experienced trauma or done something that haunts us. The good news, however, is that there is a way out of the stalemate of shame: by turning to God for help. One writer – who found himself at the centre of many dramatic events recorded in the Bible – recalled how, despite all the pain he’d experienced and mistakes he’d made, he had found a sense of peace and freedom through connecting with God. He wrote: ‘I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces’ (Psalm 34:4 and 5 New Living Translation). We too can experience freedom from our fears and shame. There is nothing that we can confess to God that he cannot forgive. He offers us the opportunity to have a fresh start through a relationship with him. Will we accept his invitation? 10 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 3

Team talk TEAM WA

talk ‘ TALK’ j On the fence

Claire Brine gives her take on a story that has caught the attention of War Cry reporters

‘My job is to represent hope: hope that things could be better, hope that there’s a God who’s interested, hope that love triumphs. That’s kind of the gig.’ In an article in The Sunday Times, the Rev Chris Krawiec of Morecambe Parish Church in Lancashire revealed to readers ‘what it’s like to be a vicar’. He described busy Sundays with ‘two or three services ... usually a baptism or two, plus choral evensong once a month’. He talked of weddings and funerals and ‘visits to the sick, the lonely, the old’. He added that most of his time is ‘spent with people who are on the edges’ – and that helping individuals who are struggling with addiction, poverty or homelessness can be tough. Despite the difficult times that come with the job – burying a child is ‘always going to be awful’, he says – there are many good days: moments of transformation, like ‘when someone’s been on the fence about their faith in Jesus and says, “Go on then, I think I believe it. What’s next?”’ Deciding to believe in the Son of God can be life-changing. Some people come to faith suddenly, after God intervenes in their life in a dramatic way. Others take years to come to faith – and theirs is a journey full of curiosity, doubts and questions. Having been raised in a Christian family, I grew up knowing all about God’s love – but there came a point when I had to decide for myself: ‘Do I believe this? I think I do.’ Perhaps it’s easy to get stuck on the faith fence – not deciding one way or another what we think about all the Jesus stuff. Maybe it feels convenient and comfortable to stay put. But not going anywhere ultimately gets us nowhere. And yet most of us long for the hope that Chris talks of: the hope that things can be better, that we can be better. We can. The moment we choose to get off the fence, commit our hearts to God and say ‘go on then’, we open ourselves up to a life-changing love that triumphs. What have we got to lose?

Some people come to faith suddenly

Team talk 4 • WAR CRY • 10 October 2026

Atheist Alastair’s Scripture studies

Co-host of podcast The Rest is Politics Alastair Campbell told the Church Times that, in past years, he has attended a series of private Bible study sessions – despite being an atheist. As part of an interview, he said that the former archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby ‘just asked if I’d like to go to these groups that he chairs, where he goes through readings from the Bible, and I found them very, very interesting’. He explained: ‘What I loved about it, I remember at one point, Justin saying, “That’s one of the very few times in the Bible where Jesus showed this particular characteristic.” And I said, OK, what were the others? And he just reeled them off… You might think, well, it’s the archbishop’s job to know the Bible inside out, but he really did.’ He later added: ‘I’m proud to say I’m a pro-faith atheist… I’ve always been interested in faith.’

Alastair Campbell

Do you have a story to share? a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk TheWarCryUK

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Millions more have their Bible

CREDIT

An estimated 101 million more people have access to the Bible in their language compared with 12 months ago, according to the latest annual report from Wycliffe Bible Translators. The organisation says that 28 complete Bibles – containing the Old and New Testaments – were launched during the period. In addition, 70 New Testaments were launched. Wycliffe says that 1,519 languages now have some portions of the Bible available in them. ‘More people now have God’s word in the language that speaks to them best,’ says James Poole, executive director of Wycliffe. ‘But the numbers aren’t the goal. What matters is that more people can know Jesus through the Bible – and because of that, lives, churches and communities are transformed.’

The Marakwet-language Bible is held aloft at its launch in Kenya this year

Play casts light on addiction People recovering from addiction who are being supported by The Salvation Army in Greenock have performed a play about their experiences. Staged at the church and charity’s community hub, Behind Closed Curtains aimed to challenge people’s perceptions of addiction and show that recovery is possible with the right support. Cast member John Emerson, who has struggled with his mental health for 14 years, enjoyed helping to write the play and performed some of his own songs in it. ‘Being part of the play has given me confidence and brought me out of myself,’ he said. ‘My mental health is in a much better place.’ The Salvation Army in Greenock offers housing support, advice and information to adults experiencing addiction, homelessness and mental health challenges. The church also hosts confidential recovery groups for individuals who are addicted to alcohol, drugs and gambling. Lesley McLeister, the service manager at Greenock Salvation Army, explained that staging the play opened up ‘honest conversation about addiction and how behind every statistic is a person, a family and a story’.

John Emerson performed songs in the play

Pippa Rev-eals dating challenges In an article for The Sunday Times Style Magazine, thirtysomething vicar the Rev Pippa White opened up about the challenges of dating while being a church leader. Pippa tried dating apps while studying at theological college in Cambridge, which resulted in a few dates that ‘went well’. However, she said that some conversations became uncomfortable, with matches asking questions about her faith, sexuality and beliefs in a way that led her to think she was being fetishised. Pippa explained that dating a priest comes with unusual pressures, potentially leading partners to feel as if they are playing ‘second fiddle’. A vicar does not clock on or off; they are always on standby to help someone in need. ‘Any romantic partner, then, needs to understand that’s how my life works,’ she continued. ‘I will never not be in priest mode when I’m in my parish, because that’s who I promised to be.’

10 00October Month 2026 • WAR CRY • 5

Group meets in prison to meet needs Every year, churches in England and Wales observe a week when they pray specifically for people affected by prisons: prisoners, their families, victims of crime and all those working in the justice system. To mark this year’s Prisons Week – which starts on Sunday (11 October) – RACHEL CROOKS speaks about running a Salvation Army group for older prisoners in HMP Usk Interview by Philip Halcrow

ore than 200 men live in HMP Usk. And yet ‘prisoners can feel isolated’, says Rachel Crooks. ‘It can be easy to isolate yourself in your cell.’ It’s why Rachel runs a Salvation Army Cameo group inside the prison. Dozens of Salvation Army churches in the outside world run Cameo groups. Their name being an acronym for ‘Come and meet each other’, the groups put on informal activities that aim to bring older people together. Seven years ago, The Salvation Army started a Cameo group for prisoners aged 65 and above – and over-50s unable to work – inside HMP Usk. Working alongside the activities provided by the prison’s own staff and the chaplaincy team, the group promotes prisoners’ wellbeing. Rachel’s Cameo group takes place

6 • WAR CRY • 10 October 2026

Cameo group leader Rachel Crooks

every weekday. Even when she is not present, a team of trusted prisoners step in. ‘I’ve got three “orderlies” who work with me,’ she says. ‘They set up for any activities, provide the refreshments and do the cleaning-up.’ The addition of prisoners to the team facilitating the activities is one of the changes that has taken place since Usk’s Cameo was set up seven years ago. ‘When I started, we tried to have a set programme of activities,’ says Rachel. ‘At times that approach works well, but it doesn’t work with every group of prisoners. The prisoner group we have at the moment don’t want an all-singing, all-dancing timetable of organised activities. ‘Some prisoners simply come in for the conversation and the sense of

community. Some just like to read. ‘We have to be fluid in figuring out what is needed and then try to meet that need.’ Rachel says that she enjoys running her Cameo group because it has the potential to make a difference to prisoners’ lives. ‘To some, it might look as if we just sit down with some of the older chaps. But we’re spending probably four or five hours a day with them, so we can find out what is going on with them and if they have any issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. ‘In prison, you can really journey alongside somebody. You can meet them where they’re at and find out where they want to be going.’ Rachel likes to think that – whenever possible – where they want to be going

HMP Usk in south Wales

is back into the wider world. But she reveals that prisoners can be wary about what lies outside the prison’s walls.

There’s a lot of emotional need in prison

‘Y

ou’d like to think that most prisoners want to be out and living in the community, but a surprising number are absolutely petrified of the thought. They may have lost their whole family support network while inside. Perhaps, for various reasons, they will not be able to return to the area where they came from. And they may have been in prison so long that they sense the world outside will be very different from the one they knew.

‘Life has changed so much – even in the past few years – that it’s difficult to grasp. If you’ve been in prison for 40 or 50 years, you’d have been cashing giros when you went in. Now contactless payments have become normal and even the local corner shop has self-checkouts. So you can understand why people are apprehensive about leaving prison.’ While they are inside, Rachel is ready to listen to prisoners’ concerns, whatever they may be. ‘There’s a lot of emotional need in prison, which results in a lot of conversation,’ she says. ‘Sometimes you feel as if your own inner reserves get drained. So I get a lot of support from the chaplaincy team at the prison, as do the other staff.’ She is also glad that the wider Salvation Army recognises and aims to

meet the needs of the prisoners in Usk. ‘When prisoners come in with very little clothing or belongings, we can link up with a Salvation Army church that has a charity shop, and they will put together a package of whatever is needed. ‘And we can connect with other Salvation Army departments, including the Family Tracing Service and debt advice team.’ Rachel hopes that the effects of the Cameo group at Usk will be felt by prisoners even after they have been released. ‘It would be great,’ she says, ‘if they saw the Salvation Army logo or the name Cameo somewhere and would remember having experienced it inside prison as a place of safety – and would then think of The Salvation Army as somewhere they could go to get the support they need.’

10 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 7

‘I didn’t know how to process my grief ’ To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, which began on Friday (9 October), Australian singer and songwriter DEBORAH ROBERTSON describes her grief after suffering miscarriages, and reveals how her faith is a source of strength Interview by Emily Bright

cross the world, an estimated one in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. Each year, up to 2.6 million babies are stillborn, with 50 per cent of deaths occurring during childbirth. Behind every heartbreaking statistic are parents and families in grief. Baby Loss Awareness Week, which takes place annually, aims to support these parents and families. It highlights the impact of baby loss, promotes bereavement support and seeks to drive forward improvements in prenatal care. The week also gives bereaved parents an opportunity to commemorate those that they have lost and to share their stories. One such story is that of Australian singer and songwriter Deborah Robertson. Accepted into the Queensland Conservatorium for her opera singing, she instead chose to study acting at Queensland University of Technology. Then her career took her in a different direction. ‘When I moved from Brisbane to Melbourne,’ she recalls, ‘I came as an actress with the Melbourne Theatre Company, but then somehow I found myself in the jazz scene. I’ve sung in that genre for many years.’ Deborah began experimenting with different music styles – which, looking back now as a Christian, she believes was prompted by God working in her life. ‘The Lord started giving me songs which were every genre – jazz, blues, a sort of singer-songwriter style, bluegrass,

8 • WAR CRY • 10 October 2026

everything,’ she says. ‘I now refuse to stick to one genre, because if the Lord wants to give me different songs and styles to sing, then that’s more exciting.’ Back in the 2000s, life seemed to be going well for the aspiring actress and singer. ‘I’d been doing show songs in Hamer Hall in Melbourne, which is a premier venue, and some acting and some modelling. I was with a man I was passionately in love with.’ Behind the scenes, however, she was starting to struggle.

The dream of having more children was gone

‘I

had some miscarriages,’ Deborah says. ‘I already had a son from a previous relationship, and I was desperate to give him a brother or a sister. But I just kept losing these babies. ‘At the time, there didn’t seem to be any support, and miscarriages seemed to be swept under the carpet. No one really talked about them and no one could really understand.’ After a while, Deborah’s long-held hope for another child began to fade. ‘I remember having the second miscarriage and just going all cold because I thought that I couldn’t have any more children,’ she says. ‘From that moment, I just started running. I ran from my partner and into my work. ‘After my second miscarriage, I had a work offer to go to the US, but I couldn’t go, because my son was here

in Melbourne. The dream of having more children was gone. The dream of working in the States was gone. My relationship ended. Life was looking pretty bleak. ‘I hid in my work, diving into modelling, acting and singing. I was mourning with no hope, with no consolation. Although work was good, it didn’t comfort me. No one could say anything. I was inconsolable.’ Her grief eventually became too much to bear alone. ‘I’d been asked to audition for a film role for a woman who’d just lost a child,’ says Deborah. ‘Then, while preparing for the role, I fell apart during a session with my acting coach. ‘I’d used my emotions before on stage. But I came to the point where I wasn’t able to manage my emotions. This acting coach – a lovely man – told me: “You’ve got to deal with your grief, because if anything else starts coming at you, you’re not going to cope.” So I stopped performing. I didn’t know how to process my grief.’ During this difficult time, Deborah found support from the owner of a café that she’d regularly visit. ‘She was kind to me,’ says Deborah. ‘We used to talk. We had things in common. One day, I must have said that my life’s gotten really bad. She offered to take me to her church and I jumped at the chance. ‘I just thought: “My life is not

Turn to page 10 f

MICHAEL BREWER

10 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 9

From page 8 working. I have done everything to try and make it work. But I’m going to give my life to Jesus.” So, at that church, I accepted him as Lord.’ And, through a relationship with Jesus, Deborah also discovered ‘the grace that I didn’t have before, to help me live up to my ideals of leadership, of being a mum, a friend, a songwriter and a singer’. She describes Jesus as her hope. ‘When all I see is darkness, it can get bleak and desolate. But when I set my mind on him, he shows me where the light is. And so he gives me something to hold on to in the dark.’ Although her new-found faith gave her strength, it didn’t diminish the deep grief

10 • WAR CRY • 10 October 2026

that Deborah felt after her miscarriages. She recalls: ‘One morning I looked at my son across the kitchen table and I thought: “You are so gorgeous. Where is your brother or sister?”

I accidentally smashed a cup. I began crying

‘I

dropped him off at school and when I came home, I accidentally smashed a china cup on the kitchen floor. Then I knocked my knee on a chair. I began crying, grabbed an exercise book and started writing what I was feeling.’ Suppressed grief from her baby loss

came flooding out into words on the page. She explains: ‘The first lines of the song are: “Broke a china cup this morning, knocked my knee upon a chair./ I looked across the table at your face that wasn’t there.” That was exactly what was going on in that moment, both visually and emotionally. ‘I just thought, keep being honest. So I then wrote: “And I can’t say one good thing/ And I pray cos I can’t think/ That the Lord above has you in his arms/ He’s holding you close and he’s being your mum.” ‘Then I had that revelation that death has lost its sting. I have the promise that when I go to Heaven, I’m going to meet my babies again. I was still grieving, but my faith took the edge off it. I thought: “God is there, he’s real. He’s bringing up my children.”’ While she derived hope from her faith, and the belief that she would meet her unborn babies in Heaven, Deborah still longed to hold them in her arms on Earth. ‘There was that push-pull. It was a comfort that my babies were with Jesus. So I wrote: “I trust that he’s holding you in his arms right now/ And I know that I will see you some day anyhow.” And then I added: “But Heaven seems so far/ But it’s the cards that we’ve been dealt./ And I wish that you were near me, so close our cheeks would melt.”’ Once Deborah had written the song – which ‘wasn’t like any other I’d ever written’ – she ‘put it in a drawer’ for five years or so, as she began writing other tracks. ‘God kept giving me all these other songs that were more cheerful, usually after he’d done something amazing in my life,’ she says. ‘Then I started thinking that I’d better learn how to play some chords on the keyboard. So I called the local university’s music department, in the hope that someone would be able to help me. ‘The person who answered the phone, Yanina Oliver, started telling me that she was the worship leader at her church. She said: “Come

NICKY COLLINSON

Deborah performs at a festival in Adelaide in 2022

down and show me your songs, and I can teach you some chords.”’ As Deborah learnt to play the keyboard, she gradually opened up to Yanina about the songs that she had written, including the one about losing her babies.

It helps to talk to somebody

‘I

started singing it, and she played the chords,’ remembers Deborah. ‘I began to cry and she was crying. It had been probably five or six years since I lost those babies. ‘Crying with such a gentle and compassionate person was comforting. Finally, she said: “You’ve got to write something positive at the end of this.” So I came up with a final verse that says: “And then I can’t say one good thing, but

I’ll pray and I will sing/ Because the Lord above has you in his arms./ He’s holding you close and he’s being, he’s being your mum.”’ Deborah released the song, ‘He’s Being Your Mum’ on her EP, All Praise to You Lord, 10 years ago. Looking back, she says that her baby loss ‘still hurts’, but she adds that, while ‘it’s a very sad inspiration for that song, my miscarriages also taught me a lot about the Lord and made me realise that the Scripture “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” is true. I have the comfort that my son’s baby brothers or sisters are in Heaven and that one day we will meet them.’ She also derives some comfort from knowing that her song is helping other people who are going through similar grief. ‘After I released the song,’ she says, ‘I

had people coming up to me and talking about their experiences, expressing their pain to me. We’d talk, and there would be tears and some release, relief and healing. It helps to talk to somebody who really understands.’ And Deborah offers an encouragement to anyone who may have experienced baby loss. ‘If you cry out to God, he doesn’t fail to help you,’ she says. ‘He will bring comfort. In the Gospel of Matthew, it says of Jesus that those who walk in darkness have seen a great light. ‘Life isn’t black and white. But still there has been enough grace to get me on my feet again. Jesus will put the right people around you and show you things that will help you find joy in life again.’ l For more information visit deborahrobertsonmusic.com

10 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 11

What did he say?

Prayerlink Your prayers are requested for Milo, who is not well; for Eric, who is not feeling well; and for Laura and Doreen. 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, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. Mark your correspondence ‘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 know that I have done things in my life that are wrong and I’m sorry. Thank you that I can ask you for forgiveness because of the sacrifice you made when you died on the cross. Please forgive me and help me to live a better life in the future as I learn how to love you and follow your way of living. Thank you, Lord Jesus. If you’ve prayed this prayer, scan the QR code or contact us using the coupon on this page

Lynne Shaw takes a look at some of the significant sayings of Jesus Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? – Matthew 7:3 If you’re on social media or if you go on any online forum where someone can act with a sense of separation, you’ll have noticed that people can be very critical, judgemental and unfair. I remember coming across a lovely woman on TikTok, who was sitting in her craft room, telling her viewers about the unkind messages she had received about her hair, her weight and the way she made things. Her experiences underlined for me the truth that overly critical comments say a lot more about the person making them than the person on the receiving end. Jesus once asked: ‘Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?’ (New Living Translation). He was metaphorically talking about why someone might think they have the right to judge someone else for the small fault they see, while not noticing their own, rather obvious, flaws. He called such judgemental people hypocrites. At the heart of this whole matter is our own heart. When we’re unfairly critical or harshly judgemental, we’re revealing what is going on in our inner world. We’re also forgetting that we are entirely capable of making mistakes or doing things in a way that displeases others. Essentially, we put the quality of humility on pause while we dole out our hurtful words. The antidote to this problem is to be aware of our own failings, make amends where possible, seek forgiveness when necessary and then show kindness, patience and understanding to those around us. We should see every individual as someone like us, not as an enemy who needs putting in their place. Jesus’ teaching invites us to think about our words to others. It’s true that such self-reflection may sting a bit. But Jesus also invites us – complete with our flaws – to rest in God’s unfailing, never-ending love for us. We may need to show a little more grace, but we can be sure that God always shows us much more grace.

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A signed first edition of ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ which was sold at auction this year

ALAMY/NANCY KASZERMAN/ZUMA PRESS

BEAR HUG Winnie marks 100 years of friendship

QUICK QUIZ 1 2

Who scored the winning goal in this year’s Fifa Men’s World Cup final? What was the title of the first animated short film featuring Wallace and Gromit?

What is the capital of Botswana?

Who are the three new presenters on TV’s Strictly Come Dancing?

5 6

Who had a No 1 hit in the 1970s with the album Bridge over Troubled Water? In an email address, what does the @ symbol mean?

ANSWERS

Feature by Ewan Hall

eep in the Hundred Acre Wood, a party is surely being planned. There is likely to be lots of honey to eat while memories are shared by Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger and their yellow-furred friend. Winnie-the-Pooh, the first book about the bear now loved by generations, is celebrating its 100th anniversary, having been published on 14 October 1926. To mark the anniversary, AA Milne’s stories about his son Christopher Robin and his toy bear have been re-released in centenary editions featuring EH Shepard’s original illustrations. Special merchandise is also available, including a stuffed toy of Winnipeg, a black bear in London Zoo who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh’s name. Radio 4 is marking the anniversary too. From Monday 12 October the station will be airing five new readings of the tales – all introduced by the Queen, who says that she has a long-held affection for Winnie-the-Pooh and the way in which the stories offer ‘simplicity in a very complicated world’. Through the years, readers have also enjoyed the fact that, despite describing himself as ‘a bear of very little brain’, Pooh is cherished by his friends. Whether he is getting stuck in a tight spot, tracking footprints only to discover they are his own or ending up in some honey-related predicament, his companions love him just as he is. Isn’t that how we all want to be treated – loved and accepted for who we are. Yet that is not always our story, which can leave us feeling lonely or wondering whether something is wrong with us. When Christians feel as if they are ignored, misunderstood or rejected, they can look to God for reassurance. Many years ago, one writer noted the way in which God told some people who were facing disaster: ‘I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love and more love’ (Jeremiah 31:3 The Message). If we let God into our lives, we too can discover someone who values us deeply – a constant friend whose endless love has been experienced by generations and is still freely A 100th anniversary edition of ‘Winnie-the-Pooh’ offered today. 10 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 13

1. Ferran Torres. 2. A Grand Day Out. 3. Gaborone. 4. Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe. 5. Simon and Garfunkel. 6. At.

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

ACROSS 1. Throng (5) 5. Timepiece (5) 8. Surpass (5) 9. Criminal (5) 10. Oarsman (5) 11. Dense (5) 12. Type of bag (4) 15. Gibberish (6) 17. Conductor’s stick (5) 18. Symbol (6) 20. City on River Avon (4) 25. Revolve rapidly (5) 26. Oval fruit (5) 27. Elude (5) 28. Fifty-fifty (5) 29. Bowl (5) 30. Vegetable pulp (5) DOWN 1. Most secure (6) 2. Sloping (6) 3. Lunar cycle (5) 4. Tarnish (5) 5. Labourer (7) 6. Pulling (6) 7. Solidify (6) 13. Electrical unit (3)

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

9 4 3 7 5 7 3 1 9 6 4 3 7 2 7 5 8 4 7 8 6 4 7 1 5 3 4 8 7 4 3

14. Conserve (3) 15. Trot (3) 16. Not in (3) 17. Amid (7) 18. Inter (6)

W RDSEARCH

19. Infants (6) 21. Passion (6) 22. Cope with (6) 23. Defamation (5) 24. Grip (5)

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these words associated with encouragement

M O B HONEYC

X T X QDO I MR Z DOK L Q T G T N X H I J E K G HQ E Q I A S I WR X ZG I OCXNECNA T S I S S A I RNS F PO I L L N J A LQU JW WTMD L X D N P F F ZWE P B EM RDV I RP P E F GDDRPDOKO M I J Y LWX HU I R Z O E S Y J V Z XM I H C Z T L X D R Z KMH P P BQDCZO J GNR T E V S S J P P C ZWO Q N P N E E MH N Q R E R E Z B B MW S N E S O M J C C D E MW J ZH F AOXRSCSHQZ EKKH G GWO Q L F T Y Z T D S H L O U E QHSRE A S SURANCE A Z L Y FOR T I T UDEOKHNRR JMV QZMTO I GUUPQ J N F O F CQ V Z H X L O I QMQ R A E YMQ E X K E T Z B N F C H B WW T F M Y J R

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Stick fast 2. Solicitor 3. Area of grassland 4. Pale shade of blue 5. To be in the right place 6. Devon city

ANSWERS 9 8 3 5 2 7 4 1 6

4 6 5 1 3 9 7 2 8

1 2 7 4 6 8 3 5 9

6 5 8 9 7 4 1 3 2

3 9 4 2 5 1 6 8 7

2 7 1 6 8 3 9 4 5

5 4 2 3 9 6 8 7 1

7 3 9 8 1 5 2 6 4

8 1 6 7 4 2 5 9 3

HONEYCOMB 1. Adhere. 2. Lawyer. 3. Meadow. 4. Powder. 5. Belong. 6. Exeter. QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Swarm. 5. Watch. 8. Outdo. 9. Felon. 10. Rower. 11. Thick. 12. Tote. 15. Jargon. 17. Baton. 18. Emblem. 20. Bath. 25. Whirl. 26. Olive. 27. Avoid. 28. Evens. 29. Basin. 30. Puree. DOWN: 1. Safest. 2. Aslant. 3. Month. 4. Stain. 5. Workman. 6. Towing. 7. Harden. 13. Ohm. 14. Jam. 15. Jog. 16. Out. 17. Between. 18. Entomb. 19. Babies. 21. Ardour. 22. Handle. 23. Libel. 24. Clasp.

14 • WAR CRY • 10 October 2026

ASSISTANCE

HELPFULNESS

CHEER

HOPE

COMFORT

MORALE

CONFIDENCE

REASSURANCE

CONSOLATION

REFRESHMENT

FAITH

STRENGTHENING

FORTITUDE

SUPPORT

SERVES 4

Enchiladas INGREDIENTS

METHOD

4 wraps

Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas Mark 3.

150g cheddar cheese, grated

Place all the sauce ingredients into a blender and whizz until smooth.

For the sauce 2 garlic cloves

To make the filling, heat the oil in a large pot and sauté the carrot, onion and peppers for 5 minutes. Add the smoked paprika and chicken pieces, then stir. Cook for 5 minutes over a medium-high heat, stirring regularly, until the chicken is browned.

60g onion, chopped ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp chilli flakes ½ tsp dried basil ½ tsp ground cumin

Add the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes, then stir well. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

10ml vegetable oil 10 October 2026

100g carrot, diced 150g onion, diced 2 peppers, diced 1tsp smoked paprika 400g chicken thighs, diced 80g tomato puree 200g chopped tomatoes 20g fresh parsley, chopped Salt and black pepper

MAKES 12

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Honey cornbread muffins INGREDIENTS

METHOD

250g polenta

Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

250g gluten-free self-raising flour 2tsp gluten-free baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 eggs 250g plain yogurt © NATIONAL TRUST IMAGES, WILLIAM SHAW

To assemble the enchiladas, lay the wraps on plates and split the filling equally between them. Roll them up tightly. Pour the sauce into an oven dish and lay the 4 wraps, seam side down, on top. Cover with the grated cheese.

250g clear honey, plus extra, to drizzle 250g butter, melted

Add the polenta, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda to a large bowl and whisk together. Break the eggs into a separate bowl. Add the plain yogurt, honey and butter, then whisk together. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. Divide the batter evenly between the paper cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown, risen and set in the middle. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little. While still slightly warm, drizzle some of the extra honey over each muffin, to serve.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the National Trust website nationaltrust.org.uk 10 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 15

LORD, TEACH ME YOUR WAYS AND GIVE ME THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW THEM THAN ALL THE DARKNESS

GOD’S LIGHT GOD’S LIGHT IS MORE REAL IS MORE REAL

HENRI NOUWEN

THAN ALL THE DARKNESS

Henri Nouwen