Bear’s necessity
Adventurer on the story he felt he had to tell
Playwright’s Rowntree drama depicts fight against poverty
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
Editor: Andrew Stone, Major
Deputy 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: Natalie Adkins
Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk
The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 1 Champion Park London SE5 8FJ
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 Julian Watchorn
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
local Salvation Army centre
From the editor’s desk
Having served in the SAS, survived a skydiving accident and made a TV show with former US president Barack Obama, Bear Grylls must have a story or two to tell. And – whether on chat shows, in newspapers or in books such as his autobiography Never Give Up: A Life of Adventure –he has told many of them.
But in a new book he has decided to recount, in the words of its title, The Greatest Story Ever Told. And this story is not about him. An imaginative retelling of the Gospels, the book traces the life of Jesus as seen through the eyes of his mother and four of his followers.
Yet in one sense, this is Bear’s story. He says in this issue of the War Cry: ‘It has been the glue to my family, the secret streak of steel in my life, a backbone.’
Through the years, it has been many other people’s story too.
A new play being performed in York portrays the life of Seebohm Rowntree. He helped run the family business that was manufacturing confectionery, but at the turn of the 20th century he also began producing reports on poverty and how it could be alleviated. More than that, he contributed to the Rowntree’s ethos, which tried to ensure that employees had access to the healthcare, financial benefits and leisure activities that gave them the opportunity to live a full life.
‘His faith was a huge motivational force for him as he tackled poverty,’ says the play’s co-writer, Bridget Foreman, ‘just as it had been for his father, Joseph Rowntree, before him. Their morality, their work ethic and their dedication to service were rooted in their Christian beliefs.’
Bridget hopes that the play may prompt today’s audiences to consider what things in life are ‘spiritually enriching’.
Bear believes that ‘the heart of the Christian faith is that we all fail’, but Jesus brings redemption.
The truth is that the story which lies behind Bear’s book and which motivated Seebohm can become part of anyone’s story.
INFO INFO
HERO WE GO AGAIN
The
By Ewan Hall
I
s it a bird? Is it a plane? Superhero fans looking up at cinema screens across the country know that it’s neither: Superman has returned.
It has been 12 years since the man born on the planet Krypton but raised in Smallville, Kansas, made his last solo flight on the big screen. Now he is back – and this time to a world that’s already dominated by superheroes and monsters.
As the film begins, cinemagoers find Superman (David Corenswet) battered and bruised in the snow of Antarctica. Three years into his life as a superhero, he has suffered his first defeat.
In agony, he whistles for his closest companion. Krypto, a white dog in a red cape, flies to his side and drags him to safety. Inside Superman’s base, robots prepare him to be healed through the power of the sun. A message begins to play – the one that was sent with him to Earth many years before – reminding him of his mission: to do good and help humanity.
David Corenswet, the latest man to take on the role previously played by actors such as Christopher Reeve and Henry Cavill, has recalled a moment in his life that highlighted the impact that Superman has on people’s imagination.
‘It was in college,’ he said. ‘I was living with two close friends and classmates, and the smoke alarm went off. I ran out of my room, grabbed a chair, stood on the chair, and reached up and silenced the smoke alarm. And one of my roommates said: “You literally are Superman – you just showed up and saved the day.”’
WARNERBROSPICTURES
Healed and aware that lives are at risk, he heads to Metropolis to confront his new foe, Hammer of Boravia. Unknown to Superman, this latest villain is being aided by the despicable billionaire Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), who is determined to bring the superhero down.
As the story unfolds, Superman grapples not only with the challenges of being a hero but also with his everyday life as Clark Kent, a reporter at the Daily Planet newspaper, where he is also trying to maintain a romantic relationship with his colleague Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan).
And when his two worlds collide after an unlikely betrayal, he must rely on Lois’s help to prevent a civil war on the other side of the world and save a city tearing itself apart – all the while struggling to remain a beacon of hope amid widespread cynicism.
It may be something more than a smoke alarm that sets us off, but there are times in our lives – perhaps when we are struggling with relationships, work demands or feelings of self-doubt – when we do wish that there was someone or something always available to help us.
There is.
Writing to some fellow believers, the early Christian leader Paul expressed his desire that they would experience ‘the God of hope’ filling them ‘with joy and peace’ as they trusted in him (Romans 15:13 New International Version).
If we put our trust in God, we too can know the hope that he offers. Because he loves us and wants the best for us, he will help us in tough times, giving us peace when life feels uncertain, hope for our future – and an ultimate joy that nothing will be able to defeat.
Man of Steel is back
Film feature: Superman in cinemas
Superman puts himself on the line to save a member of the public
Superman in his base, talking to his dog Krypto
Voice noted
talk talk Team talk Team talk ‘ ’ j TEA M TALK
St Paul’s Cathedral
‘No one wants to listen to your prattling voice note’ ran the headline above Anniki Sommerville’s piece in the i newspaper. As a keen voicenote communicator – sending audio messages by phone – I felt guilty.
Anniki believes that voice-note culture is spiralling out of control. She refers to the social media platform WhatsApp, which reports that seven billion of these messages are sent worldwide every day. The journalist takes issue with excessively long voice notes, which become a monologue, not a conversation – her friend’s record is talking for 29 minutes straight.
‘Half an hour listening to a one-woman show that you never signed up to? No thanks,’ Anniki writes. Dialling up her criticism, she suggests that the format can make us more self-indulgent.
‘Voice notes give us the opportunity to show off to our friends, create our own personal podcasts but perhaps lose some of the skills of listening, and feeling empathy and connection,’ she explains.
It can help if we pause
While I’m unrepentant about sending voice notes – which connect me with family members living across different time zones – I’m reminded to show thoughtfulness towards recipients. Anniki’s words challenge me to put aside my own agenda and listen, empathise or connect with the other person, rather than simply waffling on – a concept just as relevant to any in-person conversation.
I can just hear in my head some words of wisdom shared in the Bible, where one author encourages his readers, ‘Take note of this: everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak’ (James 1:19 New International Version).
While we all have a right to be heard, it can sometimes help a situation if we pause, think about the power of our words, and decide if they’re beneficial or kind before vocalising them.
By contrast, being quick to listen to other people makes them feel acknowledged and valued – which is how God treats everyone who tells him how they feel in prayer.
Interactions with others enable us to offer them dignity, care and respect – for however long they require. Here ends the monologue.
St Paul’s Cathedral has established a new hub that will provide training in heritage crafts.
The Wren International Centre of Excellence – named after the architect of the cathedral – has been launched to mark the 350th anniversary of the building’s foundation. It will offer young people apprenticeships in endangered craft skills such as stonemasonry and carpentry.
Rebecca Thompson, the director of property at St Paul’s Cathedral, said: ‘Craft skills have always been at the heart of St Paul’s, but heritage skills are at risk, with fewer people joining heritage professions. We’re launching our new Wren International Centre of Excellence so that we can pass the torch to a new generation of skilled craftspeople.’
SweetS boSS refuSed to Sugar-coat PoVertY
Bridget Foreman
Playwright
BRIDGET
FOREMAN explains why she is staging the story of Seebohm Rowntree, a partner in the Rowntree’s chocolate company and a social reformer whose faith in God inspired him to address the problem of poverty
Interview
by Claire Brine
It started as a small, family-run cocoa business in the city of York. But over the years it grew to become a chocolate and confectionery empire, dishing out Fruit Pastilles, Kit Kats, Aeros, Jelly Tots and Smarties to sweet-lovers across the UK.
‘The Rowntree’s story is one that the people of York tend to be very familiar with,’ says playwright Bridget Foreman, who lives in the city. ‘The company’s chocolate-making is a huge part of our industrial past. But Seebohm Rowntree, who joined the family business in 1889, is someone I find especially interesting – because, although he worked on the confectionery side of things, his biggest impact was as a social reformer.’
At the turn of the 20th century, Seebohm – a chemist by training –conducted his first of three studies of poverty. By holding door-to-door interviews with around two thirds of the households in York, he sought to gain a greater understanding of poverty, why it existed and how it might be addressed. His findings were published in the 1901 report Poverty, A Study of Town Life. It’s a text studied by social science students
Turn to page 6 f
Seebohm Rowntree
From page 5
today – and one that inspired Bridget and co-writer Misha Duncan-Barry to write the play His Last Report, a York Theatre Royal production in association with Riding Lights Theatre Company.
‘Our story starts with Seebohm in the 1930s, when he is working on his second poverty report,’ explains Bridget, who is the associate director of Riding Lights. ‘He’s about to retire, he’s moving house and the audience gets the sense that he has lost some of his energy. He’d hoped to bring about so much change for people living in poverty and not all of it has materialised.
‘From there, the play pulls him back
to a period of time in his early 20s, when he made a visit to some of the poorest areas of Newcastle. What he saw in the city was hugely significant in terms of how it informed his work on poverty. The play then continues to move through time and space, with the action becoming very disrupted as Seebohm keeps being pulled forwards to the present day.’
Before highlighting the relevance of Seebohm’s poverty reporting for today’s audiences, Bridget outlines its impact on Edwardian Britain. Back then, she says, poor people were typically viewed as ‘feckless’ – poor because they had
‘squandered everything’ they were given.
‘Seebohm realised that if he wanted to learn about the reality of poverty, then he needed to talk to people who lived in it,’ says Bridget. ‘By interviewing them about the conditions in which they lived, how many mouths they had to feed, how many families shared the same sewer and so on, he and his team amassed a huge amount of data, which he outlined in a written report. His was a very scientific, methodical approach.
‘One of the main things to come out of his study was this idea of a “poverty line” – a term that we still use today. Seebohm pointed out that if people didn’t earn more than 21 shillings a week, then they were living in poverty, because they simply didn’t have enough money for the necessities.
‘He also introduced the term “poverty cycle”, explaining that it had to be broken by external circumstances, because there was no way that people could break it by managing their money more effectively or having stronger willpower. It just wasn’t possible.’
Through his research, Seebohm discovered that 30 per cent of the people in York lived in poverty. He also pointed out that the main causes were illness, unemployment and low wages, and that the very young and very old were the groups most at risk. The report went on to have a significant impact on the British government.
‘Winston Churchill said that it made his hair stand on end,’ says Bridget. ‘He and Lloyd George – who were both part of the Liberal Party – were at that stage working towards the reforms of 1906 to 1914, and Seebohm’s report had a huge influence on what they set out to do to reduce poverty. It created the foundations that the welfare state was built on.’
The ways in which the Rowntree family chose to run their business also made a lasting impression on political leaders. They began to see that it was possible to create a wholesome working environment in which fairly paid employees would not only
Antony Jardine plays Seebohm Rowntree
DAVID KESSEL
Cast members enjoying the rehearsal process
survive, but thrive.
‘There has always been a philanthropic and socially engaged dimension to the work of the Rowntree family,’ explains Bridget. ‘They ran exemplary factories in terms of caring about the welfare of their employees.
‘Seebohm was a boss who set a limit on the number of hours and days that a person could work during a week. He introduced a pension scheme, which was such a financial commitment that it nearly made the company bankrupt. He ensured that his employees had access to doctors and dentists.
‘Rowntree’s also believed that a person’s wellbeing was important, because it enabled them to live life to the full. So the company offered leisure activities and opened swimming pools and gym classes. There was a theatre for people to go to. There were brass bands to get involved with. These activities were compulsory for employees, not an added extra. They were provided because Rowntree’s felt they were necessary.’
But why? In her study of the family, Bridget found that Seebohm’s sense of responsibility towards his staff stemmed from his Quaker roots and Christian faith.
‘He believed that business had a soul, which I find really interesting,’ she says. ‘Seebohm cared about the people he
employed just as much as he cared about the money and the product. And he felt that if you have the care of all these human souls, then the business itself must have a soul, simply because it’s made up of people.
The impulse for their work came from God
‘Hisfaith was a huge motivational force for him as he tackled poverty, just as it had been for his father, Joseph Rowntree, before him. Their morality, their work ethic and their dedication to service were rooted in their Christian beliefs. Seebohm was quite open in speaking about his faith as well.’
The play touches on the ways in which faith motivated him and his approach to business.
‘There’s a scene in which Joseph says to Seebohm that he needs to have an understanding of the impulse for their work and where it comes from,’ Bridget says. ‘For both of them, that impulse came from God.
‘Seebohm, we see, is also driven by the Quaker notion of sufficiency. He realises that he can only provide for others and improve their lives so long as the business
is successful. So he splits his life between looking after the factory and making sure it runs smoothly – by inventing new sweets, such as Fruit Pastilles – and making sure that what he has, he shares with others.
‘To put it simply, Seebohm’s faith ran through him like the words in a stick of rock. It was always part of him.’
And while it influenced the ways in which he ran his business, his faith also gave him the hope and conviction that poverty could be eradicated in his lifetime. He worked tirelessly to achieve his goal.
Bridget says: ‘Seebohm had a saying, which was: “There’s work to be done.”
He was a phenomenally energetic person – and I think that his relentless pursuit of solving the poverty problem carries an important message for audiences today: that you can fight to end the injustice that poverty brings.
‘Seebohm didn’t think of poverty as purely financial. He saw that there were other deprivations that people faced when finances were lacking. People faced a poverty of education or of opportunity. I think his message for audiences today is that these are still struggles which need to be taken up.’
The way that the play aims to present
From page 7
such a message to audiences is both fascinating and challenging. As Seebohm builds his business and the morale of his employees, the play itself undergoes a dismantling. Bridget explains more.
‘When I was writing the script, I thought about everything that Seebohm had achieved in his fight against poverty,’ she says. ‘And then I looked at our world now, with its food banks and zero-hours contracts, and I thought: “What would Seebohm make of all this?” I had this sense that we have dismantled all that he created. What he built, we destroyed.
‘As I was thinking about how to put that on stage, I thought that most audiences have an idea of what a well-made play is – in structural terms. So I thought it would be interesting if the play itself started off as a narrative that audiences understood, but then started to fall apart. So it begins to destroy itself. It’s disrupted by the present.
‘I suppose I wasn’t interested in a play that was focused solely on the past, because I think that what it has to say to us now is the most important thing. Ultimately, we have to be confronted with the present. We have to be challenged if we want things to change regarding poverty and how we address it.’
The acts of dismantling which occur in the play are carried out by a group called the Ministry. These are people who aim to cut out everything that isn’t seen as necessary to life.
Life is miserable if it’s nothing more than an existence
‘The Ministry has the job of making life more efficient,’ explains Bridget. ‘It shows the audience what happens when everything that’s of value is stripped away, pushing life to an absurd place. It’s this idea of: we are all going to get older and die one day, so what’s the point in providing healthcare?
‘The point of the Ministry in the play is to provide a clarion call to audiences to wake up and look at what we are destroying here. Life is miserable if it’s nothing more than an existence. Life is for living. If you give people food through a food bank, you’re not helping them to live life to the full; you’re enabling them to exist – and that’s different.’
To use Bridget’s own words, the play’s
ending ‘isn’t cosy and comfortable’, but she hopes that it carries a message of hope alongside the challenges.
‘It would be good for us to see the value in fighting for those things in our world which are life-enhancing and spiritually enriching,’ she says. ‘Perhaps sometimes we accept too easily that certain services need to be cut because we are told that the priority has to be something else.
‘I also think that the play prompts us to take another look at our understanding of poverty – especially if we have become inured to it. Seebohm used to say to people when confronted with a problem: “Ask yourself what you can do about it.”
‘My hope is that when people see the play, they will acknowledge the pain of the situation that we are in and begin to strip away any cynicism that’s hardening their hearts. Once we all do that, I believe we will become more empowered to chip away at the institutions and systems that need to change.’
Or, as Seebohm would say: there’s still work to be done.
l His Last Report runs at York Theatre Royal from 19 July to 3 August. For more information visit yorktheatreroyal.co.uk
Bear retells
TV adventurer BEAR GRYLLS answers some questions about the background to his latest book, The Greatest Story Ever Told
Interview by Emily Bright
Adventurer Bear Grylls has climbed the Sunday Times bestseller list with his latest book The Greatest Story Ever Told: An Eyewitness Account
The book is a reimagining of the accounts of Jesus’ life and death as told in the Bible. After being published last month, it rose to No 1 in the newspaper’s general hardbacks category.
Telling the story from the perspectives of the people close to Yeshua – Jesus’ name in Hebrew – the book explores how they may have felt about the events of his life. The Greatest Story Ever Told aims to distance itself from a westernised view of
Turn to page 10 f
Bear Grylls
From page 9
Jesus, drawing on theological experts to ensure maximum accuracy in contextual details.
Q: Bear, you’ve said elsewhere that you’d have given up everything work-wise to have written this book. Why does this project mean so much to you?
A: It’s something so much more powerful than any adventure or mountain I could ever climb. This is about everybody – all of our lives and futures, where we build our confidence, our pride, our hope, our dreams, our aspirations. Everything else, to be honest, pales into insignificance.
I’m super proud of many things in my life, but I feel they’ve all been building the foundations to be able to share this beautiful story of love and redemption with millions of people around the world. The adventures I’ve done have given me the platform to do that, and it’s a privilege to be able to share the story that is already changing and empowering so many people’s lives.
Q: The Greatest Story Ever Told tracks Jesus’ life through five perspectives, that of his mother and followers. How did channelling their viewpoints lead you to see Jesus differently?
A: The reason I wrote it from five different perspectives is that it becomes all of our stories, whoever we are – whether we’re the cynic, the nervous, the fearful, the impetuous, the risk-takers.
Everyone who encountered Christ had their own story. We start with Mary and then go to ‘doubting’ Thomas and Peter and John and finish it with Mary Magdalene. Those journeys become all of our stories, wrapped up in Jesus. That is the beauty of this – his story, history.
Q: You’ve used Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic names for the characters and places. Why did you see it as essential to
return to Jesus’ original social context?
A: I didn’t want people to approach the story with what they think they know about it. I wanted people to approach it afresh, with no previous filter of good or bad experiences of faith. I also wanted to be true and authentic to how it would have been.
I think we have been often tainted with a sort of liberal, western, sanitised, Christmas version of Jesus, when the reality was much more raw, real, wild, free, less religious and much more accessible. Brokenness and humility are also a part of his story that we often miss.
Q: Which of the characters do you relate to the most and why?
A: Probably Thomas. There’s the sceptic in all of us, and in The Greatest Story Ever Told he starts by saying that others might have been convinced by a magic trick at a wedding, but it would take more than that to change his heart. And then his heart is changed, but by Yeshua’s love, not his miracles, and I love that.
Q: The retelling reveals the humanity of each narrator through their thoughts and emotions. How do you hope this style will help readers to connect with the Gospels?
A: Because it’s not about religion – it’s about love, connection and friendships, and our hopes and our futures. The story is relevant to all of our lives 2,000 years later, in ways that are hard to express unless you read it. One of the things that has been so moving is just seeing people’s responses to the book
– thousands of people writing in, saying they had no idea and that this story has touched their lives.
Q: The story doesn’t shy away from highlighting the failures of Yeshua’s followers, such as Kephas (Peter) denying that he knew Yeshua, and Ta’om (Thomas) doubting the Resurrection. How do these examples offer an opportunity to show Jesus’ redemptive power?
A: His whole life is redemption, about bringing us all home in individual and beautiful ways. The heart of the Christian faith is that we all fail, and we all need help. And Yeshua is always there, with arms stretched open wide on that cross, to receive us and to restore us, and that’s what he did wherever he went. He restored and he healed.
Q: In what ways do you hope your book will resonate with non-Christian readers specifically?
A: So many people of all faiths and no faith don’t truly know the power of this story. And when they encounter it, it’s often life-changing. That’s why the letters that mean the most to me, in some ways, are the ones I get from young Muslim people all across the Middle East, saying they had no idea about this story and that it’s beautiful.
Q: You consulted theological experts when writing the book. Why was accuracy and attention to detail so important to you?
A: It had to be right. It was a mantra I kept repeating over and over again to our team of theologians. The nuance of every encounter
included in the book had to be right. I didn’t want any theologian to read it and at any point be tripped up and say, “That’s not quite right.” We worked with a team of theologians from the American TV series The Chosen – which is about the life of Jesus – and with Dr Andrew Ollerton, one of the leading theologians in the world, who is based here in the UK. He was a true hero behind this book, helping me.
Q: Why do you think we can trust the authenticity of the Bible’s accounts?
A: Billy Graham said that there’s more evidence that this story is true than that Julius Caesar ever even lived.
Q: In what ways has the story of Yeshua changed your own life?
A: It has been the glue to my family, the secret streak of steel in my life,
a backbone, the source of any power. I always feel Yeshua is light to a dark path and strength to a failing body. He is that to me every day.
l The Greatest Story Ever Told: An Eyewitness Account is published by
Hodder Faith
Prayerlink
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’.
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
Browsing the Bible
Nigel Bovey gives chapter and verse on each book of the Scriptures
Ezekiel
Ezekiel was one of the first wave of people taken into exile in Babylon. Five years into captivity, God called him to be a prophet.
For the next 20 years, Ezekiel uses charades, object lessons, allegories and the recounting of symbolic visions as he speaks to God’s rebellious people. Despite their downfall, the people of Judah (referred to in the book as ‘Israel’) are still refusing to acknowledge their wrongdoing.
With the capital, Jerusalem, still under siege, Ezekiel builds a model of the city and lies beside it for more than a year (chapter 4). Rather like the prophet Jeremiah back in Judah, Ezekiel says that God’s judgement has come because the city’s inhabitants rejected God’s laws (5:6) and allowed idolatry in the Temple (chapter 8). He adds more details to the charge sheet in chapter 22, where he points out people’s contempt for their parents, their oppression of foreigners and their ill treatment of widows and orphans.
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.
After a series of pronouncements against neighbouring nations, Ezekiel hears that Jerusalem has fallen (33:21), and the direction of his message changes from past events to future possibilities. If the first part of the book was forth-telling, much of what follows might be regarded as foretelling.
Through a vision of dry bones being connected together and coming to life, God tells Ezekiel that he will resurrect Israel. The divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah will be reunited (chapter 37).
Ezekiel receives a vision of a new Temple to replace the glorious one built by King Solomon, which has now been destroyed (chapters 40 to 44). From this Temple, God’s river of life will flow (chapter 47). Religious observance will be reinstituted (chapters 45 and 46). Jerusalem’s walls will be rebuilt and all 12 tribes of Israel (including the ‘lost tribes’ defeated by Assyria) will repopulate the land (chapter 48).
The future, though, is not all sweetness and light. Ezekiel foresees a major conflict for the people. A confederate force from the north, south and east will attack. A bloodbath will follow, but Israel will win (chapters 38 and 39).
As with much prophecy, interpretations vary as to whether the message is to be taken literally or figuratively, whether or not it has been fulfilled and, if not, when it will be. Some commentators see this as the apocalyptic battle of Armageddon that will herald the return of Jesus Christ.
If you’ve prayed this prayer, scan the QR code or contact us using the coupon on this page
To receive basic reading about Christianity and information about
QUICK QUIZ
Who wrote the novel War and Peace?
Magnetic force
Souvenirs for fridge doors encourage positive reflection
Feature by Claire Brine
Summer holidays are in full swing – meaning that sun, sea and sand are on the horizon for many people. And it seems that those who buy a fridge magnet while away find that it helps the positive effects of a break to last even longer.
According to research carried out last year by Liverpool University, fridge magnets are more than just tourist souvenirs – they can evoke numerous memories of a holiday, giving a powerful boost after it has ended.
Which standard unit used to measure electrical current is represented by the symbol A?
Who plays Lee’s wife Lucy in the TV sitcom Not Going Out?
Robert Pattinson played vampire Edward Cullen in which 2008 fantasy film?
Which supermarket uses the slogan, ‘Every little helps’?
Who has had hit singles this year with ‘Henry, Come On’ and ‘Bluebird’? 1 2 3 4 5 6
One participant in the study explained that, rather than take photos on a trip, they buy a fridge magnet at the end ‘and I can remember it all from that’.
Others said that after they purchased a magnet, they were reminded of their holidays every time they opened the fridge door. Some pointed out that their magnets had become even more precious over time, because they brought to mind holidays spent with loved ones who had since died.
‘Far from being banal “tat”, our study found fridge magnets can bring a past holiday experience to life more powerfully than many other types of tourist souvenir,’ said Dr John Byrom, the associate dean at the University of Liverpool Management School. ‘It was also very interesting how fridge magnets can be used as a means of forgetting things that had been bad in your life, to reflect on how things got better.’
Whether they are tasteful or tacky, fridge magnets prompt reflections on times past. They may cause us to remember people and places with happiness. And it’s likely that when we look back on good memories, we feel a sense of gratitude that we got to experience them.
Believing that God is the giver of all things good, Christians direct their gratitude towards him. They are attracted to a Bible passage that urges people: ‘Praise the Lord for his love and for the wonderful things he does for all of us’ (Psalm 107:8 Contemporary English Version).
Though we can never be certain about what the future may hold, it’s assuring to know that happy memories can last a lifetime – and it’s worth remembering that God’s love sticks around even longer.
PUZZLES
Quick CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1. Early childhood (7)
5. Detested (5)
7. Argument (7)
8. Mix (5)
10. Admit (4)
11. Disdain (8)
Passionate (6)
Kinsman (8)
Taste (7)
Standard (4)
Colour (6)
Customary (8)
Unit of gas (5)
Every three months (9)
Confinement (9)
Clear (8)
Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number
Desires (6)
18. Depart (5)
Curved end of a church (4)
Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these classical composers
ANSWERS
Blueberry and orange salmon with roasted potatoes
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
450g new potatoes, halved Oil
Salt and ground black pepper
1 orange
1tbsp honey
150g blueberries
4 x 125g pieces salmon fillets
200g fresh or frozen peas
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
Cinnamon
Blueberries
2 slices white bread
Olive oil
Icing sugar
Maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4.
Put the potatoes in a roasting tin with the oil and some salt and pepper and roast for 30-40 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
Begin making a sauce by paring the orange with a vegetable peeler and cutting the rind into thin strips. Remove the pith, then cut the orange flesh into segments over a small pan to catch any juices.
Add the orange rind strips and honey to the pan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the zest has softened. Stir in the blueberries and simmer uncovered for a couple of minutes, until some have burst.
Place the salmon fillets in an ovenproof dish and spoon over half the blueberry and orange sauce. Cook in the oven alongside the potatoes for 15-20 minutes, until the liquid begins to caramelise.
While the fish is in the oven, bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the peas for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Drain and stir in the crème fraiche and mint. Serve the fish with the potatoes, peas and remaining sauce.
Blueberry French toast
METHOD
Crack the eggs into a large dish, then beat together with a pinch of cinnamon. Push the blueberries into the bread using a chopstick or similar utensil, then lay each bread slice in the dish to absorb the egg mixture for about 10 seconds on both sides.
Heat a splash of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the slices, a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.
Transfer to a plate, then lightly dust with icing
DO NOT FEAR, FOR I AM WITH YOU; DO NOT BE DISMAYED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD