Top footballers’ faith stats explored
22 August 2026 50p/60c
Clued up
Puzzle setter Ludwig helps police with their enquiries
‘My Fringe show asks questions about Jesus’
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.
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WAR CRY Issue No 7795
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 Hundreds of thousands of people will be making up the crowds at football stadiums this weekend as the Premier League kicks off again. Every set of supporters will have their own dreams for the upcoming season and will be putting their faith in the players on the pitch to make those dreams come true. However, a significant number of those footballers have placed their faith in something else. ‘Three quarters of clubs have Christians in their squad,’ Graham Daniels, general director of Christians in Sport, tells us this week in a feature about the research that his organisation has carried out into the top six tiers of English football. ‘If you went back 15 years, you’d hardly find anyone who’d say they were a Christian,’ he says, adding that today ‘loads of clubs have a weekly get-together, which is either peer-led or with the chaplain’. Hoping to draw in some good-sized crowds in Edinburgh next week is Sam Pullen-Campbell. But, rather than taking to the football pitch, Sam is part of a team who are putting on a production at the Fringe Festival. Their performance, Salt and Light, recounts events in the life of Jesus. ‘It’s a show where the whole gamut of emotions come into play,’ she says. ‘Our aim in Salt and Light is to paint a picture of Jesus, allowing the audience to envisage him for themselves.’ She concludes: ‘My hope is that people who watch our show will go home thinking: “I’ve never heard the stories of Jesus being told quite like that before. Maybe this man really was who he said he was.”’ Through the centuries, people have gathered together in churches, football stadiums, homes and wide-open public spaces to find out more about Jesus – and not just hundreds of thousands but millions of them have decided to follow him. Those who made that decision have never been the same since – and the sense of purpose they’ve discovered has prompted them to lead lives that stand out from the crowd.
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CONTENTS
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
FEATURES
3
Hunting for clues Ludwig is on the case in TV series
6
Faith on the Fringe Bible-based show opens in Edinburgh
8
On the ball
8
Football players are turning to God 13 Dog day of summer National day celebrates canine friends
Your local Salvation Army centre
REGULARS
FO 4
Team Talk and War Cry World
12 Tell-tale Signs 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: BBC/BIG TALK STUDIOS/OLLY COURTNEY
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John (centre) works to solve crimes with his police colleagues
BBC/ BIG TALK STUDIOS/OLLY COURTNEY
CONFESSION TIME Double trouble for Ludwig as sisters both admit guilt TV feature: Ludwig BBC1 and iPlayer By Emily Bright
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rossword setter and former police impersonator John Taylor (David Mitchell) is back to solve more crimes with the return of BBC1’s comedy drama Ludwig. At the beginning of the first series, John’s twin brother, DCI James Taylor, mysteriously disappeared. James’s wife, Lucy (Anna Maxwell Martin), was desperate for answers. So she asked John – who uses the puzzling pseudonym Ludwig – to impersonate his brother at work and search the police station for clues as to his whereabouts. But before he knew it, John was being roped into police cases. John valiantly juggled the tasks of solving crimes, investigating his brother’s disappearance and avoiding detection of his real identity. Yet even in these extraordinary circumstances, it transpired that he had a natural talent for cracking cases. He even began enjoying his double life, until an attempt to blackmail him got out of control and he ended up confessing his true identity to colleague DI Russell Carter (Dipo Ola).
To avoid a bureaucratic nightmare, the police station pretended that James was retiring and then hired John as a crime scene consultant shortly afterwards. So in this series, John can continue his work. His latest case is a real head-scratcher. An elderly woman is watching a theatre performance in a box with her two daughters, rattling off complaints as the lights dim for the start of the show. But shortly afterwards, she is discovered dead, with scissors in her chest. In a twist, both daughters confess and take sole responsibility for her murder. With the help of newly promoted DCI Carter and two new detectives, DC Caitlin Sullivan (Rumi Sutton) and DC Ethan Cole (Ben Ashenden), Ludwig must figure out if either daughter is telling the truth. As well as cracking cases, he remains determined to get to the bottom of his brother’s disappearance. He knows there’s a wider cover-up related to the case that James was working on when he vanished, but he hasn’t solved the mystery yet. Often, both for Ludwig and viewers,
Lucy continues searching for her missing husband there aren’t simple solutions to life’s puzzles. We can be left feeling bewildered, not knowing what to do next. But Jesus taught that if people prayed to God, they would receive the wisdom and hope that they needed to face any problem. Advising them on prayer, he said: ‘Continue to knock and the door will be opened for you. All who ask receive. Those who seek, find what they seek’ (Matthew 7:7 and 8 The Voice). Although God may not answer in the way that we expect, he always hears and answers our prayers. No matter how confused we may feel about our next steps, he is beside us, providing us with the guidance we need to see us through. The solution is simple: if we turn to God, he can help us solve even the toughest of life’s challenges. 22 August 2026 • WAR CRY • 3
Team talk TEAM WA
talk ‘ TALK’ j Lessons from Mum
Claire Brine gives her take on a story that has caught the attention of War Cry reporters ‘Ten years ago,’ wrote Hollie Richardson in The Guardian, ‘Stefan Golaszewski introduced us to 59-year-old Cathy in his sitcom Mum.’ The series started with a funeral. Cathy (Lesley Manville) was preparing to say a final goodbye to her husband, and the couple’s friend Michael (Peter Mullan) dropped by the house to give her some flowers. Over the next three series, Michael ‘slowly revealed his true feelings to Cathy’. It started with ‘a little hand grab’. A closeness developed. The sitcom concluded with Cathy recognising that her love for Michael had grown, saying: ‘It sort of crept up on me.’ To mark the programme’s 10th anniversary, actors Lesley and Peter gave an interview in which they reflected on their roles. When Hollie asked the pair what they thought Cathy and Michael could teach viewers about love, Peter said that ‘it comes in all shapes and sizes and we should have more of it’. Lesley added: ‘For Cathy, at the most awful time of her life, you could never have imagined that this little acorn of love was brewing right there in front of her.’ Both actors make good points. Just as Peter says, love can be platonic or romantic. It can be expressed passionately or tenderly. Love can be sacrificial. Unconditional. Everlasting. More love in the world would be no bad thing. It’s also interesting to consider Lesley’s words – about how love managed to break through in Cathy’s life despite her pain and grief. I find it encouraging to think that love – however small it may start – can ‘brew’ inside us all, even when we least expect it. I’m reminded of the story of Jesus’ resurrection. When he was put to death on a cross, his bereaved followers believed that all hope was lost. It was the most awful time in their lives. But then Jesus did the unexpected. He rose to life. And through his resurrection, his followers found joy, understanding that God’s love for them had the power to overcome death. In other words, the worst time gave birth to the best time. It still can. When we trust in God’s love, and build a relationship with him, our life can go on a journey that we could never have imagined.
Clothes shown and sold A pre-loved clothing fashion show at Swindon Gorse Hill Salvation Army raised £900 for its community work. The church’s hall was transformed into a catwalk as staff, volunteers and family members modelled outfits made up of donated clothing. Unsold items were later placed on sale in its charity shop to promote affordable and sustainable fashion.
Love can be platonic or romantic
Team talk 4 • WAR CRY • 22 August 2026
Volunteer Dot models a customised skirt
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Signing signals source of help
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New Chelsea signing Maxence Lacroix has described Jesus as the ‘foundation’ that helps him cope with the pressures of professional football. Speaking in an interview posted on Chelsea FC’s Facebook page, the French international (pictured) revealed that his faith provides him with stability and has supported him through personal challenges. ‘I didn’t grow up in a Christian family but I really met Jesus some years ago and that changed totally my life,’ he said. ‘And it was a beautiful journey. The journey is not finished, of course, but it’s like the foundation of my life. And this helped me every single day, every single moment. ‘Because sometimes in football you have ups and downs, and it’s really important to have something different than just human beings.’
COURTESY OF ANGEL STUDIOS
King and conqueror
A new film is telling the Bible’s story of David
An animation depicting the life of the Bible’s King David is hitting cinemas across the UK and Ireland. Released on Friday 21 August, the musical film David tells the Old Testament story of the Israelite shepherd boy who put his trust in God to defeat his Philistine enemy, Goliath, and went on to become a great king, prophet and poet. ‘There are few men that have had a greater impact on my life than King David,’ says Phil Wickham, the American singer-songwriter who voices the character as an adult. ‘I’m so proud to be a part of such a beautiful and life-giving film. I believe it will fill hearts with hope, and lift eyes to Heaven for many years to come.’
Cathedral attendance increases Church of England cathedrals experienced a growth in attendance last year. The church reports that during 2025, weekly attendance reached 32,600, an 8 per cent increase compared to 2024. Christmas and Easter also attracted larger crowds, with Christmas attendance increasing by 6 per cent and Easter returning to pre-pandemic levels for the first time. Away from regular worship, cathedrals welcomed 1.83 million people to public and civic services and attracted 9.23 million visitors. 22 August 2026 • WAR CRY • 5
Shanty show explores net gains E
dinburgh Fringe festivalgoers are being invited to sit ‘around the campfire for shanties, stories and spoken word – the tales of the first disciples’. The production Salt and Light, in which Gospel stories are told from the point of view of characters who knew Jesus, runs from 27 to 29 August at the city’s Palmerston Place Church. ‘An audience member who saw the show last year when it made its Edinburgh Fringe debut summed it up as Fisherman’s Friends meets Les Misérables,’ says Sam Pullen-Campbell, the creative director of the Christian touring company the LAMPS Collective. ‘It’s a show where the whole gamut of emotions come into play. And the music is all original. It’s either shanty-based or has a folksy feel to it – and is performed by the actors live on stage. We use the songs to help audiences reflect on the encounters that take place in the Bible stories.’ Set in the fishing village of Capernaum, Salt and Light features a family whose lives are changed when they get to know Jesus.
The show asks questions about Jesus
‘S
ome of the characters are real people from the Bible and others are imagined,’ explains Sam. ‘We have the disciples James and John and their father, Zebedee. Then we have created two women to be in the family: Salome, who is Zebedee’s wife, and a cousin called Miriam, who’s the wife of Jesus’ disciple Peter. Each family member has a different encounter with Jesus.’ Sam, who wrote the show, hopes that as the characters ‘cobble together a sense of Jesus’ identity’, audiences will be able to recognise some of their own responses to faith. ‘One of the characters is cynical about Jesus, but then there’s another who has an immediate openness,’ she explains. ‘There’s also a character who has been
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Creative director SAM PULLEN-CAMPBELL explains why stories of fishermen and faith have a place at the Fringe Interview by Claire Brine devoted to organised religion all her life, but whose encounter with Jesus breaks through all that and brings home the nature of his reality. ‘All the characters tell the Gospel stories in different ways. For example, the story of the paralytic man being lowered through the roof to receive Jesus’ healing is enacted by James and John as witnesses, telling their family what happened.’ The characters’ interactions with Jesus prove life-changing. Zebedee, who tells the story of tax collector Zacchaeus, finds it mind-blowing to see a fellow working man so instantly changed by this unconventional teacher. John, who recalls a moment when Jesus calms a stormy sea, tries to make sense of his rabbi’s supernatural power. ‘We never see Jesus on stage,’ Sam reveals. ‘I think people’s imaginations are far more powerful than what an actor could try to depict. So our aim in Salt and Light is to paint a picture of Jesus, allowing the audience to envisage him for themselves.’ And as they’re prompted to consider key moments in Jesus’ ministry, audiences may find that certain questions spring to mind, including: who is this man? ‘One of the shanties, called “Who is He, What is He?”, runs through all the stories,’ says Sam. ‘This isn’t a show that beats people over the head with what Christians believe to be the truth. It asks questions about Jesus. Even at the end, when most of the characters have reached a point where they call Jesus the Messiah, there’s still one person asking: ‘Could it be true?’ Reflecting on the stories of Jesus caused Sam to think more deeply about her own faith. She finds the story of Jesus
Sam Pullen-Campbell
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Characters use music and song to reflect on their experiences
The fisherman James describes the impact of spending time with Jesus
walking on water particularly baffling. ‘I couldn’t get my head around the physics of it,’ she explains, ‘so I found it hard to accept. It was challenging for me to realise that I can believe in the Resurrection, but the story about Jesus walking on water feels very difficult. ‘I ended up using my uncertainty to create a scene in which James wrestles with doubt and recognises the importance of holding on to Jesus in those moments. He has seen Jesus and Peter walking on the water – and yet he can’t get his head around it. ‘I know that there are lots of elements to my faith that I will never be able to understand in this lifetime. I may not understand all the details of what Jesus did, but I put my trust in him. And I believe that, with the story of Jesus walking on water, something happened along those lines. ‘I also think that, although our doubts
are challenging to express, God uses them, because they can resonate with other people. We have permission to find some bits of faith harder than others.’ In writing the show, Sam found herself considering not just the people and places associated with Jesus but also how the stories revealed his multifaceted nature. She saw compassion when he administered healing, power when he performed miracles and kindness in his treatment of outcasts. ‘Jesus is like a diamond – and it has been lovely exploring each facet of his character,’ she says. ‘My hope is that people who watch our show will go home thinking: “I’ve never heard the stories of Jesus being told quite like that before. Maybe this man really was who he said he was.”’
l For more information visit lampscollective.com
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All to pray for Data shows that Christianity is playing a role at many football clubs in the English league structure. GRAHAM DANIELS, general director of Christians in Sport, reflects on how an aspect of the game’s gone in an encouraging direction Interview by Philip Halcrow
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Graham Daniels
Scotland’s Ben Gannon-Doak posted that he was thankful to God
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pectacular goals. Last-ditch tackles. Penalty misses. Red cards. But not every memorable moment at the summer’s World Cup took place between each game’s kick-off and final whistle. There was a controversial suspension of a suspension. There were scuffles between players. But there was also a different kind of scene: after the bronze medal match, a number of victorious England and defeated France players joined together – and prayed. Soon after the game, Ballers in God – a network that supports and encourages Christians in full-time football – was answering questions on Instagram about the identity of the players. Among them were Marc Guéhi, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Bukayo Saka and Trevoh Chalobah, who had all arrived at the tournament from Premier League clubs. As had Scotland international Ben Gannon-Doak, whose Instagram post signing off from the World Cup talked of his disappointment at his team’s group-stage exit but also thanked God for his steadfast love. Graham Daniels is not shocked by the fact that there are Christians at English league clubs – but he admits that even he was surprised by some of the findings of research recently published by the outreach organisation he helps to lead, Christians in Sport. As well as being general director of Christians in Sport, ‘I’m a director of Cambridge United,’ says Graham, who counts the U’s among the clubs that he
played for as a professional footballer, ‘so going to visit teams in League One and League Two, I knew that most dressing rooms have Christians in them. I knew that loads of clubs have a weekly get-together, which is either peer-led or with the chaplain. So, I could see this with my eyes – and that drove the research. ‘I felt it was important to go for some really basic but solid data. ‘To get 80 per cent return on the poll we sent out was a huge reach. And then to find out that three quarters of clubs have Christians in their squad was astonishing. I knew that the presence of Christians in football went far and wide, but I didn’t know they were at so many clubs.’ The research covered the 164 clubs that make up the top six tiers of the English game, from the Premier League, through the English Football League and down to the regionalised National League North and South. It received responses from 134 clubs. The findings were published in the report Christians in Men’s Professional Football, which revealed that 75 per cent of clubs have Christians in their first-team squads and that 42 per cent have Christian players in their under-23 and under-21 squads, in their academy or among staff. The report also said that 40 per cent of clubs regularly host Christian activities, such as Bible studies and prayer meetings – and that 37 per cent of those activities are led by players. ‘When I tell you my backstory, you can
ALAMY/XINHUA
England and France players pray together at the World Cup
see how wonderful that all feels,’ says Graham. Graham had been prompted to think about Christianity when he was a teenager.
The Lord seems to be using this new generation
‘M
y school cricket team was short of a player, and I was always available with kit,’ he says, ‘and the captain of the team came to get me and took me on the school bus trip to play cricket in Cardiff. I didn’t do anything. I was just making up the numbers. But he was very kind and, because I was a youngster – I was 15 and he was 18 – he sat by me on the way back, and he asked what I did at the weekend. I told him that on Saturday I played but on Sunday I did nothing, because it was Wales in the ’70s and nothing was open. ‘I asked what he did at the weekend. He said that he played cricket on Saturday and went to church on Sunday. I asked him why
he went to church, and he said: “Because I follow Jesus.”’ Graham’s path to faith continued as his playing career began. ‘I left home to play football and subsequently joined Cambridge United. I played against my boyhood hero Kevin Keegan when we played Newcastle in the Championship. He was at the end of his career and I was in the early days of mine. It was a dream come true – but it wasn’t satisfying. ‘Over that next year or so, living in a new city on my own, I was not only playing football but also thinking. I bought a Bible and I bought books about the gospel. When I was about 22, I came to faith.’ After his conversion, Graham was confronted with a number that throws the recently compiled data into sharp relief. ‘Andrew Winfield Digby, who was the
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From page 9
COURTESY OF CHRISTIANS IN SPORT
director of Christians in Sport, came to visit me at my football club. He asked if I knew that there were other Christians playing professional football. ‘I said that I didn’t think there could be, because I had been looking. Every week when we played another team, I’d been asking everyone whether there were any Christians at their club – and nobody knew anyone who was. I really thought that I was the only Christian playing football. ‘But Andrew told me that there were Christian footballers. ‘After six months of looking and finding no one, I was pretty excited. I asked: “How many?” And he said: “Four.” ‘I asked who they were, and he named three. So I said: “Well, who’s the fourth?” And he said: “You.”’ Since becoming a Christian, faith has had a pivotal role in Graham’s life. As well as playing, managing and
coaching, he gained a degree in theology and completed a PhD which looked at footballers who ‘came to Christ in the ’90s’ and compared their experience with other players’ in terms of injury, deselection and retirement. He says that his examination of players such as Gavin Peacock and Cyrille Regis is ‘partly behind’ the new research that Christians in Sport has carried out. They were playing in a ‘very different climate’ in football. ‘For so many years – certainly from the period when I came to know Christ and then through the ’90s and ’00s, there weren’t really many people who would stick their head above the parapet and say they were a Christian. And if you did, you’d find an aggressive culture against you. You’d be perceived as somebody who wouldn’t join in with some of the drinking or sexual behaviour that went on in the
Graham playing for Cambridge United against Manchester City
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way that male bonding was understood in that era. It was pretty tough for people. ‘So I wanted to encourage the pioneers who were believers in the ’90s and ’00s – really brave men in football. I wanted them to be encouraged by the fact that, hard as it might have been for them, the Lord seems to be using this new generation to spark into flame the advancement of his cause in football.’ He believes that several factors have influenced the changes in the game.
They were respected in their changing rooms
‘T
he first reason is the advent of the Premier League in 1992, much as that is 30-odd years ago,’ he says. ‘It changed the demographic of footballers. People from different cultures came into the English game, and they weren’t shy about being a Christian. ‘Secondly, there was the likes of Gavin Peacock, Cyrille Regis and others, who were very well-known players professing faith in Christ in the ’90s. There were probably 10 or 15 of them, and they would meet together. And I think the footballers who played with them saw them as good professionals and as people who could hold their own. They were respected in their changing rooms. So that shifted the culture. ‘Chaplaincy has helped change the culture too. There have been chaplains at clubs for the best part of 30 years. Of the 92 league clubs, 80 or so have chaplains. ‘Lastly, I think that postmodernity has brought about change. While postmodernity has some negative aspects for the Christian, its emphasis on giving people the freedom to be who they want to be and on identity has been positive. ‘Now,’ he adds, ‘you couldn’t be bullied for being a Christian. A person would be sacked if they bullied you. The zeitgeist in the whole world of football has changed.’ The environment in football may be different from what it was in the past, but the Christians in Sport research points out that footballers who are believers still face distinct pressures. They can feel a tension in trying to maintain good relationships with team-mates while not wishing to join in with some kinds of dressing room banter. And busy training schedules and short-term contracts can leave them without much support from fellow Christians. Graham says: ‘If you went back 15 years, you’d hardly find anyone who’d
ALAMY/ALLSTAR PICTURE LIBRARY
Cyrille Regis – one of the ‘pioneer’ players who spoke about their Christian faith say they were a Christian. They’d have to be pretty brave to say it, so the odds are that they would already be well embedded in following Jesus and were getting stuck into church life. Now, because so many people can profess faith, the risk is that these things can be a mile wide but an inch deep. ‘So the challenge is for those of us who are Christians to give them support. Can we be aware enough to look out for them? And if we happen to see them in our neighbourhood or town, rather than ask them about how Saturday’s game went, can we say to them: “It’s lovely to hear you say that you are a Christian. How can I pray for you?” ‘The very least that we can do as churches is to pray for these young men.’ Having a Christian faith, says Graham, can transform a player’s own experience of football, helping them to deal with disappointment in a profession where – from a young age – rejection, failure and injury are common. Christian footballers, he adds, can also change others’ experience of the game.
‘For instance, I remember that when some players at Nottingham Forest were warming down after training, one of them came up to this Christian boy and said: “Look, I think my girlfriend’s going to leave me. I can’t tell the boss, because he’ll worry that I won’t be up for the game on Saturday. If I tell any of the other boys, they’ll make fun of me. I know that if I tell you, you’ll listen to me. I’m sad and I don’t know what to do.” And he cried. ‘This Christian boy had told people he was a believer and had taken the flack, but he had held his own on the pitch – and so he had built up trust. His existential security as a Christian and his integrity meant he could bring some light in the darkness.’ And Graham believes that a player’s influence can spread far beyond his teammates. Reflecting on the new data, he says that football is ‘such a huge phenomenon’ that ‘seeing young men being proud to say they’re a Christian’ can have a particular result. ‘That’s the way the gospel – the message of Jesus – advances,’ he says.
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Prayerlink Your prayers are requested for Adam’s knee surgery. 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’.
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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.
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Tell-tale signs Lynne Shaw explores how Jesus’ stories pointed to a bigger picture The parable of the vineyard owner and his workers – Matthew 20:1–16 We live in a world of hourly working rates, ranging from less than the equivalent of 50p an hour all the way to more than £500 an hour. Whatever the rate, we are paid for our time – so the idea that you might earn exactly the same as someone else who was doing an identical job but fewer hours could seem ludicrous in this job market. Yet Jesus told a story that seemed to be all about just such a scenario. A landowner went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard, agreeing to pay them the usual daily wage for a labourer. He then went back out at nine, noon, three and five o’clock, each time looking for more workers, and each time offering them a day’s wages. Nobody realised what the landowner was doing until it was time for the workers to be paid. He told his foreman to start by paying the last labourers to have been hired, and they received a denarius – a full day’s wages. So those who had been hired earlier in the day naturally thought that they’d be paid more. But each worker – right up to the first to have been hired – received a denarius. Jesus told how those who had been hired first ‘grumbled against the landowner’ for making those who had worked only one hour ‘equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day’ (Matthew 20:11 and 12 New International Version). The landowner responded: ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?’ (20:13). Jesus had started this story by saying: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner…’ (20:1). And through it he was explaining the way God’s Kingdom works. Everyone is invited to take up a place as a member of God’s eternal family – not because of what they do, but because of God’s love. With infinite goodness, God invites us into an everlasting relationship with him – and the value of his love can’t be increased or reduced. God holds nothing back. We can all receive it in full – no matter what we have done or for how long.
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Or email your name and postal address to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk 12 • WAR CRY • 22 August 2026
Who’s a good boy? Dog lovers celebrate their pets Feature by Ewan Hall
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QUICK QUIZ 1
Who wrote the children’s book The Gruffalo?
2
What does the French word ‘Bienvenue’ mean in English?
3
The Earth observation component of the EU Space Programme is named after which Renaissance astronomer?
4
Which radio comedy featuring Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe ran from 1951 to 1960?
5
Who had a No 1 hit with the song ‘Always on My Mind’ in 1987?
6
What is the capital of the country of Georgia? UNSPLASH/ALVAN NEE
ANSWERS
ny dog owner knows the joys of having a four-legged friend. Stolen socks, muddy paws and enthusiastic greetings that make us smile all mean that life with a dog is never dull. And on Wednesday (26 August), National Dog Day gives canine fans the perfect excuse to celebrate. The day was founded by dog trainer and animal rescue activist Colleen Paige. She wanted to promote animal welfare, adoption and support for pooches in need. The date holds personal significance to Colleen: it was the day her family adopted their dog, Sheltie, in 2004. Since then, National Dog Day has evolved into a celebration of the loyalty and service dogs provide every day, whether in workplaces – where they can assist in law enforcement or detect medical conditions, including some cancers – or in the home as cherished companions. Not everyone can have a canine pet, but many owners recognise the comfort that dogs bring by accepting and valuing them for who they are. For Christians, that experience can serve as a small reminder of something greater – their belief that God’s love is unconditional and is open to everyone. In the Bible, one writer explains how God cares for people, whatever they have done and whatever hardships they face. He says: ‘Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God’ (Romans 8:39 New International Version). If we let God into our lives, we will receive a love that exceeds anything we have ever known before. It is a love that does not depend on our achievements, appearance or being perfect. God sees us for who we are in our failures and successes and still chooses to embrace us. Unlike the love we sometimes encounter in this world, which can be fleeting, God’s love never fades, changes or turns away when things get tough. No matter who we are or what we have done, it’s always there for us – and that can always give us something to smile about.
22 August 2026 • WAR CRY • 13
1. Julia Donaldson. 2. Welcome. 3. Copernicus. 4. The Goon Show. 5. Pet Shop Boys. 6. Tbilisi.
PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Taunts (5) 4. Force (5) 8. Also (3) 9. Scent (5) 10. Type of tree (5) 11. Expel (3) 12. Entice (5) 13. Deed (7) 16. Picked (6) 19. Embrace (6) 23. Owing to (7) 26. Retains (5) 28. Quill (3) 29. Clutch (5) 30. Plumped (5) 31. At this time (3) 32. Earn (5) 33. Approaches (5) DOWN 2. Brush (5) 3. Surprise (7) 4. Meditate (6) 5. Puppy (5) 6. Wireless (5) 7. Charred (5) 9. Loft (5)
SUDOKU
Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9
7 2 8 3 8 1 2 9 7 4 2 3 4 5 5 6 9 6 1 4 9 2 7 5 2 8 3 8 4 2 5 14. Conducted (3) 15. Unwell (3) 17. Garden tool (3) 18. Health resort (3) 20. Anonymous (7) 21. Soothed (5)
22. Regret (6) 23. Start (5) 24. Demand as due (5) 25. Higher (5) 27. Additional (5)
W RDSEARCH Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these summer games
M O B HONEYC
P Q V YWS C Z T UWY S T Z N F V W I J WX QO G Q E V R J O B Z CW Z A S QD E L Z F D KWS U S B K Q M T N R L J D R B Y K C K CW L N A J MB A E Q H L V QMQ I H Z L S L DQEQRDP T KOS T T R V F R I S Z S F V F NEN L L U T UCXCH NP XBQLQUKOT L L GCQZ I GS ACDOSQOP T X E BA X P I S J Q X Z G Q NWRWN S Y I D T J X Z U L T I MA T E F R I S B E EM Q P ZWQ N Z T Q T U D J MU A E Z CSOHX I L EHAUARQDQL L W I P S JMY P YWF OO T B A L L SNDHP SR J Y AORKCS YB J RNSQZKCZGQCRA Z P AUO D E EWS P Z U S L WO B Q V P D F D T Z F V YWX Z N Y T Q BWH Z Q
Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Amount left in a will 2. Young swan 3. Book of financial accounts 4. Be present at 5. Lifesize carving 6. Dough used to make pies
ANSWERS 5 8 6 9 1 7 2 4 3
7 1 3 2 4 5 6 9 8
4 2 9 3 8 6 5 7 1
2 9 1 4 5 3 8 6 7
8 3 5 7 6 2 9 1 4
6 4 7 8 9 1 3 5 2
9 7 8 5 3 4 1 2 6
3 6 2 1 7 9 4 8 5
1 5 4 6 2 8 7 3 9
HONEYCOMB 1. Legacy. 2. Cygnet. 3. Ledger. 4. Attend. 5. Statue. 6. Pastry. QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Jibes. 4. Power. 8. Too. 9. Aroma. 10. Elder. 11. Rid. 12. Tempt. 13. Exploit. 16. Chosen. 19. Cuddle. 23. Because. 26. Keeps. 28. Pen. 29. Grasp. 30. Opted. 31. Now. 32. Merit. 33. Nears. DOWN: 2. Broom. 3. Startle. 4. Ponder. 5. Whelp. 6. Radio. 7. Burnt. 9. Attic. 14. Led. 15. Ill. 17. Hoe. 18. Spa. 20. Unknown. 21. Eased. 22. Repent. 23. Begin. 24. Claim. 25. Upper. 27. Extra.
14 • WAR CRY • 22 August 2026
BADMINTON BOWLS CRICKET CROQUET FOOTBALL MINIGOLF PÉTANQUE
ROUNDERS SKITTLES TENNIS TOUCH RUGBY ULTIMATE FRISBEE VOLLEYBALL WATER POLO
The Lord is GOOD AND HIS LOVE ENDURES FOR EVER Psalm 100:5 (New International Version)