DEAN ROGERS
1 June 2019 • WAR CRY • TELEVISION 3
Past redemption? Philip Halcrow sees a man set out to make sense of his childhood pain in The Virtues
W
HO does he think he is? Joseph, the emotionally scarred Scouser at the centre of Channel 4’s drama series The Virtues, which reaches its finale next Wednesday (5 June), has crossed the sea to Ireland and tracked down his long-lost sister. But back in the town where he spent his early days, he is still ill at ease. After his ex moved to Australia, taking their young son with her, Joseph lost his grip. The recovering alcoholic fell off the wagon and went on a drink and drugs binge. When he came round, lying on the floor of his flat, he decided to set about working out what had been haunting him in flashbacks. His sister, Anna, was amazed to see him. He moved in with her and her husband, Michael, who gave him work in his building business. Wanting to confront his past, he broke into the nowderelict children’s home from which he ran away as a nine-year-old. It disturbed him. Joseph is not the only tortured soul. His new workmate Craigy was seemingly caught up in the same traumatic events as him. And Michael’s sister, Dinah, is regretting that she gave in to her mother’s pressure and gave up the son she had as an unmarried teenager. They have all been hurt. And, because the past is painfully present, they still have to decide how to react. Jack Thorne, who co-wrote The Virtues with Shane Meadows, says that the drama’s title highlights ‘the relationship between virtues and sin’ and ‘the way that goodness and badness comes out of a certain situation’. And religion makes its fair share of appearances in the series. The title graphics turn the ‘T’ of Virtues into an image of Jesus on the cross. The photograph that advertised the series showed Joseph cruciform on the floor – an image of suffering. And as the series comes to a climax, a scene from the first episode may come back into the mind of viewers.
Joseph (Stephen Graham) is haunted by flashbacks
As he wandered Joseph and the the streets on his wild night, Joseph heard a preacher agreed preacher’s voice, calling that everyone out: ‘When Jesus says “come to me”, he means needed peace everyone. Sometimes we’re filled with despair. Jesus says: “Come to me and I will forgive you of all your sins. And when you come to me, this is what I will give you instead.” Jesus talks about the virtues.’ Joseph responded: ‘The virtues of what?’ ‘Forgiveness,’ the unseen preacher said. Joseph asked, ‘Forgiving what sins?’ before answering his own question with the traditional seven deadly ones: ‘Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride.’ ‘Every single one of them.’ Joseph and the preacher agreed that everyone needed peace in their lives. ‘Give him a chance,’ the preacher urged Joseph. ‘He’ll never turn you away.’ ‘Not ready for that yet,’ said Joseph. ‘No problem,’ said the preacher, adding: ‘God loves you unconditionally.’ ‘I know,’ said Joseph. Joseph lives in a world – as we all do – where goodness and badness can come out of a variety of situations and where badness sometimes even dresses itself up as goodness. Should anyone show forgiveness? Can anyone know forgiveness? The street preacher’s assurance echoes something Jesus said: ‘I will never turn away anyone who comes to me’ (John 6:37 Good News Bible). People who follow those words say that forgiveness for us is a possibility – by virtue of what Jesus did on the cross.
6 INTERVIEW • WAR CRY • 1 June 2019
During Volunteers’ Week, which begins today (Saturday 1 June), groups and organisations will be holding events to say thank you to the people who make a contribution to life in the UK. Salvation Army volunteer JEAN METCALFE tells Emily Bright how she helps people escape the horrors of modern slavery
Y
OUNG Mara loved poetry, classical music and playing the violin at her church in Latvia. Highly intelligent, she could speak many languages. But then she lost her dad, and her life came crashing down around her. She sought solace in the arms of a man who told her that he loved her and wanted to marry her. They set off for Cardiff together. But within 48 hours, he had handed her over to be repeatedly abused by countless men, and she was trapped in slavery for almost two years. Jean and Frank Metcalfe, volunteer drivers for The Salvation Army’s modern slavery team, were assigned to transport Mara to safety. Jean was shocked at what she saw. ‘She was the most injured and damaged girl I’ve ever seen in my life,’ she explains. ‘She had scars from knives and a broken plate. She had
They’ve been cheated, lied to and damaged a fractured eye socket, and she had been punched and beaten.’ Mara told them that she never slept more than 20 minutes at a time, as she was haunted by memories of the men who hurt her. Once safely in the car
‘Their only crime
Frank and Jean Metcalfe
and wrapped in a blanket, she said that she finally felt safe and wanted to stay there for ever. The couple dropped her off at a safe house run by a Christian organisation, promising that she would receive all the help she needed. In July 2011, The Salvation Army was awarded a governmental contract as the official provider of anti-trafficking support in England and Wales. Since then, it has helped more than 7,000 victims of modern slavery, offering specialist services for victims including counselling, financial advice and housing support. Two such victims helped by Jean and Frank were a Polish husband and wife. The couple, who spoke excellent English, saw an advertisement offering work in a big house for a handyman and a domestic helper. But, as Jean explains, life quickly unravelled for them. ‘From the minute they arrived with three huge suitcases, they were locked in. He was taken in the back of a van to do hard labour, while she cleaned, cooked and washed for the whole house until her husband became seriously ill.’ Over time, his illness became increasingly critical. ‘The husband
was vomiting blood, and he was so weak. She kept begging them to call a doctor. One day, he wasn’t well enough to work, so they were turned out onto the streets with none of their belongings.’ The couple had nowhere to go, and slept in a bus shelter until a member of the public encouraged them to visit the police station. The two victims were referred to the modern slavery team and were later driven to safety. Jean and Frank have transported more than 220 victims since they started volunteering five years ago. Jean says that over that time, she has come across victims from all backgrounds who were similarly deceived with false promises. ‘They’ve
1 June 2019 • WAR CRY • INTERVIEW 7
was to be too trusting’ all been cheated, lied to and damaged. Their only crime was to be too trusting. ‘Sometimes you come home in pieces, thinking: “How could anyone be so cruel?” But then you’ve got the confidence of knowing that they will get the help they need.’ Now an enthusiastic advocate of the volunteer scheme, Jean first heard about the opportunity when she and her husband attended a service at their Salvation Army church in Idle, Bradford. A visiting speaker told the congregation about the work of The Salvation Army’s anti-trafficking team and explained that it was looking for volunteers. ‘We thought we’d send in the application forms, and that if we were
accepted it was meant to be. We started almost straightaway, as soon as we’d had our police checks. We feel that it is something we’re called to do.’ She acts as a chaperone, while Frank drives the car. Their role is to pick up rescued victims from police stations, hospitals, social workers and charities, and then transport them to a safe house. ‘Frank’s a capable driver, and he can easily cope with the long journeys, which sometimes involve a round trip of about 340 miles. I do the nurturing bit, and we move them as kindly, gently and lovingly as we can.’ One of the aims of Volunteers’ Week is to encourage people to
We move them as kindly, gently and lovingly as we can
offer their services to groups and organisations that make a contribution to society. Jean has a message for those considering joining the ranks of Salvation Army volunteers. ‘Go for it! Don’t hesitate; you’ll be given all the help you require.’ Reflecting on her own experience of volunteering, Jean says that her Christian faith plays a vital role in sustaining her. ‘I can only do my work by the grace of God. If he wants me to do the work, he will continue giving me the strength and ability to do it.’ l For more information visit salvationarmy.org.uk/volunteering
12 INNER LIFE • WAR CRY • 1 June 2019
Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for Helen Ann, who has had MS for many years and recently fractured her arm. The War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their circumstances. Send your requests to Prayerlink, War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. Mark your envelope ‘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 am truly sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything that I know is wrong. Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free. Thank you that you offer me forgiveness and the gift of your Holy Spirit. Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International
Ecclesiastes
Nigel Bovey gives chapter and verse on each book in the Scriptures
CCLESIASTES is the Old Testament’s E third book of wisdom offering philosophical insight into issues of the time.
The question under consideration is how to find a satisfying life. The account is narrated by ‘the Teacher’ – the meaning of the word ‘Ecclesiastes’. He is traditionally identified as King Solomon. If so, this is the world view of a man who knows what power, prestige, wealth, pleasure and popularity are like. The foundational premise is that within everyone there is a deep-seated yearning to find purpose and meaning in life. God has ‘set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end’ (3:11). The reason for such dismissal of God is because, although God made everything beautiful (3:11), humankind is fallen (7:29) and sinful – no one is righteous (7:20). The Teacher considers some of the ways people try to make sense of, and find satisfaction in, life. He considers some of the ways by which people define themselves – education (1:13), drinking (2:3), sexual pleasure (2:8), career building (2:23), wealth chasing (5:16) and family (6:3) – and, from personal experience, declares them to be ultimately ‘meaningless’. Life, he says, is short. There is more to life than this world. Death – dust to dust (3:20) – comes to everyone. Ultimate meaning is to be found beyond this life. It is found in the way of wisdom. Wisdom, says Proverbs 3:19, is
the mechanism by which God created the universe. Divine wisdom, says the Teacher, is a shelter that ‘preserves those who have it’ (7:12).
It’s the world view of a man who knows what power, prestige, wealth, pleasure and popularity are like Wisdom means there are ultimate moral values. There is wickedness; there is righteousness (7:15). The Teacher observes oppression (4:1), extortion and bribery (7:7). Such actions – all actions – have consequences. God will judge everyone (3:17). Life’s meaning is found by connecting with the God-placed ‘eternity in the heart’. Throughout the book, the teacher encourages the reader to stand in awe of God (5:1–7), remember God (12:1) and to ‘fear God and keep his commandments’ (12:13).
Key verse
God does ‘I know that everything siastes cle (Ec ’ will endure for ever on) rsi Ve l 3:14 New Internationa
"
Looking for help? Just complete this coupon and send it to War Cry 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Basic reading about Christianity Information about The Salvation Army Contact details of a Salvation Army minister
Name Address