War Cry 2 November 2019

SINCE

1879

2 November 2019 20p/25c

S YEAARRCRY 140 W THE OF

‘WE ARE NOT THERE JUST TO BE DISRUPTIVE’ Climate campaigner on protests

TOUGH GIG Helping people find stable work

Reach for the skies BALLOONISTS AIM HIGH IN AERONAUTS FILM

What is The Salvation Army?

2 COMMENT AND CONTENTS • WAR CRY • 2 November 2019

The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity providing services in the community, particularly to those who are vulnerable and marginalised. Motivated by our Christian faith, we offer practical support and services in more than 700 centres throughout the UK to all who need them, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation. To find your nearest centre visit salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church

From the editor’s desk ‘CLIMATE crisis: Melting glaciers reveal five new islands in Russian Arctic’ ran the headline in the Independent last week. The online paper reported that the Russian navy had spotted the islands during an expedition. Announcing the discovery, the expedition leader said that ‘temperature changes’ in the region were partly responsible for the islands’ emergence.

Temperatures and Arctic sea ice have become hot topics.

Recently, Pascal Peduzzi, of the UN Environment Programme, said: ‘Under the influence of global heating caused by human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, we have seen a sharp decrease in the extent of Arctic sea ice since 1979.’

While islands may be emerging, the UN has also highlighted how some small islands are at risk of the effects of climate change. In its report The Heat is On, it commented on the work being carried out by the Marshall Islands. The Pacific country is increasing coastal defences and cutting its use of fossil fuels. According to the report, ‘the government says the nation accounts for a miniscule 0.00001 per cent of global emissions but wants to show leadership since it is so exposed to storms, “king tides” and rising sea levels’.

In an interview in this week’s War Cry, a member of Christian Climate Action explains why she took part in October’s Extinction Rebellion protests in London. Holly-Anna Petersen says that the Christian protesters care ‘about God’s planet and what happens to the most vulnerable people around the world’.

She recalls meeting people already being affected by climate change in Kenya. Describing their struggle to grow food as heartbreaking, she says: ‘Climate change has always been painted as this distant, far-off issue which we need to address some day.

The immediacy of climate change … needs to be told.’

The policies and lifestyles of people around the world are having an effect on others thousands of miles away. The 21st century seems a good time to remember the truth that has survived since poet and priest John Donne wrote it in 1624: ‘No man is an island.’

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.

SINCE 1879

140 YEARS

OF THE WAR CRY Issue No 7447

Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Claire Brine Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight War Cry office: 020 7367 4900 Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101

Contents

Helpline: 020 7367 4888 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Secretary for Communications: Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant

Published weekly by The Salvation Army ©The Salvation Army United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland ISSN 0043-0226 The Salvation Army Trust is a registered charity.

The charity number in England and Wales is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.

Printed by Walstead Roche Ltd, St Austell, on sustainably sourced paper

Your local Salvation Army centre

FEATURES 3 High drama

Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones take flight in The Aeronauts 5

The struggle for stable work, on and off screen Salvation Army scheme offers support

8

‘I’ve seen the desperation climate change has caused’ Activist explains why she protested

REGULARS 4

News and media

12

Browsing the Bible

13

Out of the Mouth of Babes

14 Puzzles 15

War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: Courtesy of Entertainment One

5

8

15

2 November 2019 • WAR CRY • FILM 3

FLYING HIGH A

FLAMBOYANT hot-air balloon pilot and an ambitious meteorologist rise through the skies of Victorian London. Their attempt to reach a record altitude results in some moments of high drama in The Aeronauts, which is scheduled to be released in cinemas on Monday (4 November).

Two years after a flight that had tragic consequences, pilot Amelia Wren (Felicity Jones) is still recovering from the trauma. Her sister advises her to distance herself from ballooning, seeing only danger.

Meanwhile, academic James Glaisher (Eddie Redmayne) longs to learn more about the weather, believing that if correct predictions are made, lives can be saved. His ideas are dismissed as ludicrous by members of London’s leading scientific academy, the Royal Society.

He is criticised in the press, and even his parents struggle to understand his ideas.

Then James meets Amelia and urges her to take him on a flight that will help him understand more about meteorology. Overcoming her fears, she agrees.

As they ascend above the clouds, they see some extraordinary sights, such as fluttering swarms of butterflies and a full-circle rainbow. James witnesses all kinds of phenomena and develops his scientific knowledge beyond what he could have imagined.

The pair continue to climb in altitude, defying the critics and naysayers. But as they seek to push the boundaries of what is possible, they encounter conditions that will test the balloon’s capabilities and their survival instincts to the limit.

Felicity Jones describes The Aeronauts as ‘a film about hope and feeling that anything is possible’. She

Courtesy of Entertainment One

They seek to push the boundaries of what is possible

James Glaisher and Amelia Wren take flight

Is the sky the limit for hot-air balloonists? asks Emily Bright

says: ‘It’s great to have a film that is about optimism and to remind people that humans are capable of great things when they put their minds to it.’

It’s true that, when striving to achieve our ambitions, we humans can hit the heights – but it’s also the case that there are times when, as individuals, we feel we’ve reached the end of our tether. Circumstances derail our plans. We are misunderstood. We may face unfair criticism, rejection, prejudice and disappointment – times when casual words of optimism from others are likely to go down like a lead balloon.

But facing seemingly impossible situations, many people have found hope in a timehonoured truth. One of the first people to realise it was the Bible writer Paul. He endured imprisonment, hunger and persecution when he was striving to reach new people and places with the groundbreaking message about God’s love for humankind, as revealed in Jesus.

And what gave him hope through those times was the message itself.

Aware that there were no boundaries to the love Jesus has for every individual, Paul understood that nothing could ultimately rob him of a sense of peace. He knew that Jesus cared for him whether he was living through good or bad times, causing him to say: ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13 New Revised Standard Version).

Jesus offers us all the same support. Whether we’re feeling deflated at disappointments or weighed down by worries, he can reignite our hope. With the knowledge that he cares for us, we can more than weather any storm.

4 NEWS AND MEDIA • WAR CRY • 2 November 2019

Digital prayers? Amen to that, say app users PRAYER apps created by the Church of England were used a record five million times within the past 12 months.

Apps offering morning, evening and night prayers were accessed 4.2 million times on Apple devices alone in the past year, an increase of 446,000 on the previous year. Users were on

WONDER Woman actress Gal Gadot is producing and starring in a new film about the life of a Christian woman who sought to protect Jewish children from the Nazi occupation of Poland, reported entertainment news website Deadline.

Gadot will play the lead role of Irena Sendler in the film, which will be a ‘fact-based historical thriller’.

Social worker Irena Sendler rescued 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto during the Second World War. She helped them escape and then encouraged Polish families to adopt them or placed them in convents and orphanages.

Irena was arrested by the Gestapo and sentenced to death, but was freed after the Polish underground movement bribed a prison guard and she assumed a new identity.

Shutterstock.com

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the Daily Prayer app for an average of eight minutes.

The Bishop of Ripon, Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, said new figures on the church’s digital outreach ‘show how people are using apps, smart speakers and social media to explore and engage in the Christian faith, wherever they might be.

‘The Church’s digital innovation is enabling people to hear the good news of Jesus Christ in ways that weren’t previously possible, alongside regular Sunday worship and at significant moments such as Christmas and Easter.’

Bidders chase Harley grail of signed bike

© Vatikan/Jesus Biker

A HARLEY-DAVIDSON motorbike signed by the Pope has sold for £42,000 at an auction in Staffordshire.

The 1,570cc custom bike, with gold-plated components, a sunken cross and MexicanAmerican-style detailing, was sold by Bonhams auctioneers.

The vehicle was created in Germany for a Jesus Bikers group in Austria, and was then donated to a Catholic outreach network. It was presented to Pope Francis, who added his signature before it was put up for auction.

All proceeds will go towards building an orphanage and school in Uganda.

Campaign group is worried by Algerian church closures ALGERIAN authorities have closed three churches as part of a crackdown on Christianity.

Anti-persecution charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) says that the authorities ‘forcibly evicted’ worshippers from the Light Church in northern Algeria.

The Full Gospel Church, also in the north of the country, was shut and its pastor was served with a police summons on the same day. The Source of Life Church in central Algeria was also closed.

The closures follow five earlier this year, based on a 2006 law which declares that all non-Muslim places of worship must be authorised by the National Commission for Non-Muslim Worship.

‘We are deeply concerned,’ said CSW’s chief executive Mervyn Thomas.

‘These closures violate article 42 of the Algerian constitution, which declares the inviolability of the freedoms of conscience and opinion, and guarantees the free worship of all citizens.’

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The Pope signs the bike that was auctioned

RELIGIOUSLY motivated hate crimes reported to police have almost quadrupled in the past five years, according to the latest Home Office figures.

The number of incidents throughout England and Wales has soared from 2,264 in 2013-14 to 8,566 in 2018-19, with a 3 per cent increase within the past year alone.

In total there were 103,379 hate crimes recorded across England and Wales in 2018-19.

Community action group Citizens UK claims that the total number of hate crimes committed is likely to be far higher as some people say they never report incidents.

Responding to the Home Office figures on behalf of Citizens UK, the Bishop of Barking, the Right Rev Peter Hill, said: ‘People of faith point to a creative God who delights in diversity. That is why we must stand together in calling out all hate crime, verbal or physical.’

2 November 2019 • WAR CRY • FEATURE 5 JOSS BARRATT

WHEN WORK DOESN’T As new film Sorry We Missed You focuses on the pitfalls of the gig economy and the resulting problems, Linda McTurk reports on how The Salvation Army helps people facing such challenges in the real world

ARD-working Mancunian Ricky H Turner wants to provide the best in life for his wife and two school-aged

children. But problems keep getting in the way, as cinema audiences discover in Sorry We Missed You, released in cinemas yesterday (Friday 1 November).

A decade ago, Ricky and his wife, Abby, almost bought a house, but the financial markets crashed. Ricky then lost his job and, with it, any hope of getting a mortgage.

Since then, he has moved from job to job.

Although both of them work full-time, Abby and Ricky are still renting their home and only just making ends meet.

Ricky dreams of a better life for his family.

When he hears about a new opportunity to work as a self-employed delivery driver, he jumps at the chance, hoping to earn more money. But even before his first day on the job, Ricky’s employer asks him to buy or rent his own work vehicle.

Desperate for a chance to do something different, Ricky sells Abby’s car to invest in a work van. A matter of days into his new job, Ricky finds his employer is unfairly deducting money from him. Before long, he

seems to be losing more than he is earning.

To make matters worse, without a car, Abby, who cares for people in their own homes, has to work round the clock to travel to her clients. She is angry at Ricky for taking her car away.

The difficulties faced by the couple hardly help their life at home with their children – and threaten to drive their loving family apart.

Many families over the years have been through situations similar to the Turners’.

For more than a century, The Salvation Army

Turn to page 6 ➥

Ricky wants the best for his wife and children

6 FEATURE • WAR CRY • 2 November 2019

From page 5 has helped to lift people facing such circumstances out of poverty. Since the 1890s when the organisation opened an early labour exchange, it has helped individuals get back on their feet. Today, some 3,000 people a year benefit from its Employment Plus programme.

Employment Plus helps jobseekers with their applications, interview preparation and CVs. Its goal is to give people the tools to be able to change their lives and to support them every step of the way, regardless of how employable the individual may seem.

Lee Durbin, an employment development co-ordinator for the programme in Bristol, says: ‘We work out of Salvation Army centres, as well as libraries, community centres and job centres. And we work with absolutely everyone – it doesn’t matter whether or not they are a British national. The only criterion is that they have be to 18 or older.

‘We do a lot to help people who have

The Turner family cherish moments together in ‘Sorry We Missed You’

addiction issues and people who are homeless. We give them the support they need with things such as benefits, GPs or help with addiction.

‘We have a lot of people who, because of the life they have led, are physically never going to be able to work because

I find the gig economy to be generally exploitative they have damaged their bodies. That is the reality for some people. On the other hand, we also work out of job centres and get a lot more people who haven’t got as many barriers to employment.’

As portrayed in Sorry We Missed You, the UK job market has changed significantly over the past two decades.

Many low-skilled job opportunities appear

in the gig economy, in which a worker is not paid by the hour as an employee, but is instead given money for every freelance job that they do for a company as a selfemployed person. Other people may find jobs through zero-hour contracts, in which an employer does not have to offer any set hours to an employee.

‘What I generally find is that people who work in low-skilled jobs in the gig economy lack a lot of the rights that they would have as employed persons,’ Lee says. ‘A lot of the time they have to do their own national insurance and tax. They are not guaranteed any hours. It is very transient work. Most people on zero-hour contracts want more hours than they actually get.’

Lee says that, while these types of jobs may be beneficial to a small group of people, such as students, they can be bad news for low-skilled workers.

‘I find the gig economy to be generally exploitative. Most agency workers I speak

2 November 2019 • WAR CRY • FEATURE 7

to would be able to tell me about times when they have been shortchanged by an agency or not had money paid to them. uniforms. It There are all happened some good agencies very quickly – it was three weeks out there, but between me there are also speaking to Lee and lots that really take Le s u eD l him sorting this out. advantage because tP urb in of Employmen ‘Lee is a good man and they know they can.’

Aware of the dangers of I feel grateful to him. But, to be honest, this hard time in my life still exploitation, Lee wants to help his has not finished and I’m disappointed with clients at Employment Plus avoid being circumstances I’m not able to understand.’ unfairly treated.

Lee acknowledges that not all of his ‘I’m street-smart and I can fight my own corner,’ he says. ‘But there are lots of clients’ situations can be easily remedied. people who aren’t able to But, despite various setbacks that people do that because of illness may face, he hopes that his work at or being worn down. I try my best to help people who are being taken advantage of. It seems to happen far too often.’

One of the individuals that Lee has helped to get back on his feet is Michael, who has found it difficult to attain a steady job since arriving in the UK from eastern Europe.

Michael says of his search for stable work: ‘I’m very sad that despite trying for 15 years, I have generally failed. One of the companies I worked for promised me a pay rise and a contract, which I didn’t get. Instead of what I was promised, the company offered more duties and a wage cut.’

Michael encountered many similar situations in his search for a stable job, including one company that, like Ricky’s employer in Sorry We Missed You, threatened unfairly to deduct money from him.

Desperate for help in his search for stable work, a few months ago Michael contacted Lee. ‘I explained my situation to Lee,’ Michael says. ‘He asked to have a look at my CV. Then he put me in contact with a potential employer at a care home. He also provided me with some

I try my best to help people who are being taken advantage of Employment Plus will continue to help people get on the right track.

‘I’m motivated when people leave with a new sense of purpose, feeling relieved and less anxious,’ he says. ‘They know that there is somebody helping them and that there is somebody they can speak to. When I hear good news about people finding employment after a long time, or that their lives have been improved in any way, it gives me the motivation to come to work.’

l Michael’s name has been changed JOSS BARRATT

8 INTERVIEW • WAR CRY • 2 November 2019

The Bishop of Colchester, the Right Rev Roger Morris, joins protesters

HOLLY-ANNA PETERSEN, a member of Christian Climate Action, talks to Philip Halcrow about why the group takes part in Extinction Rebellion protests

T

Holly-Anna Petersen

HE Extinction Rebellion protesters in London were making their point on climate change. Over the course of two weeks in October, they took over Trafalgar Square and blocked roads round Westminster, disrupting road traffic. The temperature of the debate rose when they prevented trains on the Underground network from leaving their stations, infuriating commuters who were baffled at why public transport was being targeted.

Members of Christian Climate Action took part in all three types of protest. They blocked a road bridge near the Houses of Parliament. They prayed in Trafalgar Square. Two of the group – both clergy – climbed on top of a Docklands Light Railway train heading for the City of London while a third activist from the group glued himself to the side of the train and prayed with two other members. The five were arrested.

Extinction Rebellion released a statement saying that, while the action on the Underground network had taken place in accordance with its non-violent principles, many of its own members had been opposed to it.

Holly-Anna Petersen, a member of Christian Climate Action who took part in some of

the protests but says she did not necessarily agree with all aspects of the action on the Underground, acknowledges that many of the decisions that the group take as part of the wider Extinction Rebellion movement are difficult.

‘If we look back at social justice movements in the past hundred years, it has been economic disruption that has caused the people in power to create change,’ she says. ‘Sadly, economic disruption is disruptive in other ways. We’re not going to find the perfect solution. No one has all the answers.’

But Holly is certain there is a problem that needs to be solved.

Christian Climate Action began its work ‘about six years ago’, she says.

‘We started off as a group of people who wanted to take non-violent direct action together.

As Christians, who love the Church, we felt that if churches wanted to have integrity on the issue of climate change, they had to stop funding the extraction and burning of fossil fuels, which is causing so much devastation to the poorest people around the world. So during a debate of the Church of England’s General Synod at Church House in London, we dropped a banner that went all the way from the gallery to the floor with a message pleading with the church to take its investments out of fossil fuels.’

Through word of mouth Christian Climate

2 November 2019 • WAR CRY • INTERVIEW 9

Action became aware of the emergence of Extinction Rebellion and felt an affinity with its stated aims of carrying out non-violent direct action and telling the truth. The Christian group began to join its actions and felt welcomed. ‘It has been clear that Extinction Rebellion wants people of faith to share their wisdom,’ Holly says.

She believes that Christian Climate Action makes a distinctive contribution to the movement.

‘We could be at the Extinction Rebellion protests under another

we do – we are not there just to be disruptive but because we care so much about God’s planet and what happens to the most vulnerable people around the world. When we’re taking action, people can see that we’re doing it prayerfully and in a way that radiates nonviolence.

‘The Christian faith has so many principles that are key to solving the climate crisis. It talks of forgiveness and repentance, and those come

Climate change is leading to a lot of desperation banner. For instance, I could be there as a mental health practitioner or a Londoner. But we’ve chosen to be there as Christians because that’s what inspires us to take action. And that gives an authenticity to what

Christian Climate Action

out in everything we try to do.’

Holly says she has witnessed how climate change is affecting some of the poorer people on the planet.

‘I used to work for Climate Stewards, a Christian NGO, and I went on a trip to assess the viability of a project in Kenya. I had learnt about climate change from the news and at school, but meeting people who were suffering the effects of climate change was heartbreaking. I saw the desperation and confusion it caused.

‘In the UK we have the luxury of buying our food from a supermarket.

When we go to the shop, we know food is going to be there. But in Kenya people do the hard graft of planting their own crops, and that is how they look after their children. Uncertainty causes huge anxiety. When should they be planting the seed? When will the rains come?

‘The rains don’t come and then they still don’t come. And when the rain for which they have been waiting does arrive, it is really hard and washes away the fertile soil and the seeds. So what Lambeth Bridge good is the rain to them? It just causes becomes a ‘faith bridge’

Turn to page 10

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10 INTERVIEW • WAR CRY • 2 November 2019

From page 9 more devastation.

‘Environments are drying up, which fuels conflict. Climate change is leading to a lot of desperation.’

Such scenarios motivate Holly to join other members of Christian Climate Action in Extinction Rebellion – or XR – demonstrations, such as October’s two weeks of protests in the capital.

At the beginning of the fortnight, Christian Climate Action closed Lambeth Bridge to traffic and called it a ‘faith bridge’.

Holly says: ‘We were alongside people of other faiths – for example, XR Jews, XR Muslims and XR Buddhists – and we prayed together, worshipped together and had talks about what it means to stand up for our common home. Representatives of the Christian NGOs Tearfund and Christian Aid came to the bridge, standing in solidarity with us and giving talks about why they supported us in taking action.

‘After that we were based in Trafalgar Square, where we had daily prayer and worship. Along with about a dozen other people, I reaffirmed my baptismal vows in a paddling pool in a ceremony with the Rev John

Swales. It was a powerful moment, because it was important for me to know that I was protesting with the strength of a God who knows what it’s like to be man and to stand up against injustice.

‘When Jesus stood up to injustice, he was scared; it wasn’t some kind of jolly for him, but

There are so many policy changes which could be made he did it anyway, and that’s how he showed his love for us.’

The Bishop of Colchester, the Right Rev Roger Morris, and the Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev Paul Bayes, were among the clergy who attended the protests. After joining members of Christian Climate Action in Trafalgar Square, the Bishop of Liverpool tweeted that he was ‘standing in solidarity with those of all faiths and none who see the terrible urgency of our situation as a planet’.

Extinction Rebellion talks of a ‘climate emergency’ and is making three demands of the UK government: that it set up a citizens’ assembly on climate and ecology; that it ‘halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025’; and

The Bishop of Liverpool, the Right Rev Paul Bayes, in Trafalgar Square

that it ‘tell the truth’ about climate change.

The government must tell the truth because, says Holly, ‘climate change has always been painted as this distant, far-off issue which we need to address some day. The immediacy of climate change has been missing from the narrative. In the UK, we’re getting heavier rains and heatwaves, although it is not having a devastating impact on many of us yet.

However, it is already too late for lots of people around the world. This immediacy needs to be told.’

Holly also argues that the changes necessary to tackle climate change must be taken by government rather than just individuals.

‘Previously the narrative has been focused on the individual. So when we heard a message about how we needed to tackle climate change, we were told that we had to drive less or turn off the taps when we brush our teeth. The onus was always on us to make those changes. Not only has that been wholly unsuccessful, in that we are still going full steam ahead in this climate emergency, but it also simply makes people feel guilty and not good enough.

‘Instead we need to focus on governments, because the changes needed are going to be big. There are so many changes which could be made at a policy level and which would mean that the choices we make day to day would naturally be more sustainable. The electricity we use would come from a sustainable source.

The cars that are manufactured would be more environmentally friendly. Buildings would be more environmentally sustainable.

‘We need to create changes across all aspects of society so that it isn’t down to the individual to make decision after decision every day.

2 November 2019 • WAR CRY • INTERVEW 11 VLADIMIR MOROZOV

Christian Climate Action members protest at a DLR station

There’s not a perfect solution which would create change but not cause any disruption way to make their voice heard. One of those who took part in the action at the DLR train station blogged that she had agonised over the decision, and she offered an apology to anyone who thought she had made the wrong choice.

But they all agree that the situation is urgent.

Holly says: ‘We need to move on from a state of denial which says that climate change

is not happening. It’s such an easy trap for us as humans to fall into, to procrastinate and offer half-baked solutions. We need to grieve what we have already lost and acknowledge what we stand to lose.’

Their message is that when it comes to tackling climate change, there can be no more delays.

PA

‘I work in mental health, so I spend my day sitting with people from all walks of life and hearing them talk about the challenges they already have. It’s unfair to put the burden of the future of our planet on people who are already scared about whether their work is sustainable, whether they have enough money to pay for their children’s food or whether they have to go to a food bank. The government needs to be making systemic changes.’

It could be pointed out that protests that block roads and disrupt public transport may add to the stresses of people who are already worried about employment, money and family.

Holly acknowledges the difficulties.

‘Before everything we do, we inform the authorities and try to cause as little disruption as possible to people going about their general working day, but there’s not a perfect solution which would create the change necessary but not cause any disruption.’

She explains: ‘We would rather not be doing this. It would be much easier for me to write to my MP, as I have been doing for years, rather than engage in non-violent direct action.

If I had any evidence that it would make a difference, I would just do that. Standing in the rain in Trafalgar Square is not how I want to use my annual leave.

‘I guess it is about trying to cause as little disruption as possible to people but also to get people in power to listen.

‘And it’s also the case that the clients I work with are not just stressed about everyday life – they’re scared about the future of our planet too.’

Members of Christian Climate Action may have varied views on the best

12 INNER LIFE • WAR CRY • 2 November 2019

Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for Jean, who has shingles; and for Hellen, who is undergoing major surgery.

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

Nigel Bovey gives chapter and verse on each book in the Scriptures

The gospels HE word ‘gospel’ comes from the Old T English ‘godspel’ and means ‘good news’. Like four reporters covering the

same story, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John record key events and quotes from the life of Jesus from different angles and for differing audiences.

Matthew, Mark and Luke focus on what Jesus said, did and experienced. John delves into who Jesus was. All four heavily feature the events immediately leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The gospels are not a product of divine dictation or angelic revelation. They are not myths, philosophies or allegories, but are firmly set in human history – real time, real places, real people and real events.

Just as journalists have their sources, so the gospels are based on information from witnesses.

Dating from between AD65 and 70, Mark is the earliest and shortest of the gospels.

Scholars detect Mark’s associate and Jesus’ lead disciple Peter as a key source.

With much of Mark’s stories appearing in Matthew and Luke, scholars have battled to discover Matthew and Luke’s sources. One theory is that they used Mark plus an undiscovered source that scholars label Q (from quelle, the German for ‘source’) plus their own material. Because these gospels cover much of the same ground, they are known as the Synoptic (literally, ‘together seeing’)

Gospels. John was written independently.

By the early 2nd century, the Early Church had accepted the four gospels as inspired, authentic and authoritative.

Occasionally, excited references to ‘lost gospels’ appear in the media – as well as in the novel The Da Vinci Code. Quoting the

Dan Brown popularised the idea that the Church suppressed the truth ‘Gospel of Philip’ and the ‘Gospel of Mary’, Dan Brown popularised the idea that the Church historically suppressed the whole truth about Jesus.

Products of the 3rd century, many of these ‘gospels’ are the works of Gnosticism, a philosophy that linked salvation with secret knowledge.

By contrast, 1st-century convert Paul outlines the truths that we need to believe in order to be saved: ‘By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you … that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day … and that he appeared’ (1 Corinthians 15:2–8 New International Version). These are events that are recorded by all four gospel writers.

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2 November 2019 • WAR CRY • EXPRESSIONS 13

Rosemary Dawson on the life lessons she has learnt from her grandchildren

Familyship EING the youngest of three can have its advantages. You can usually get B away with more than your older siblings. But it also has disadvantages. For instance, you have to shout louder to be heard.

QUICK QUIZ 1. Who is the prime minister of India?

2. Which is the largest of the Channel Islands?

3. Who played the socially awkward Maurice Moss in the TV show The IT Crowd?

4. What is Elton John’s birth name?

5. Which country won the Ashes in 2015?

6. Who wrote last year’s Man Booker prize-winning novel Milkman?

Benjamin is 9 years old, and has two elder sisters, aged 14 and 11. They argue constantly. As this happens nearly every day, you’d think he’d be used to it by now. But recently, even his usual laid-back manner was disturbed by the noise coming out of his sisters’ bedrooms over something that to him seemed quite trivial.

When the shouting started interfering with his computer game, Benjamin decided to put a stop to it there and then.

‘That’s enough!’ he told his surprised sisters. ‘It’s not good for familyship.’

His intervention had the desired effect. It not only stopped that particular argument, but also had an impact on the whole family – reminding them about domestic harmony and how easily it can be destroyed by a few words.

The Bible writer James warned of the dangers of destructive words. He said: ‘By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it … You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue’ (James 3:6–8 The Message).

Well done, Benjamin. I’m sure your future as an international diplomat is assured as ‘familyship’ becomes a regular feature of daily life. Let’s hope it lasts.

BOOK REVIEW The Mystery of Matthew Gold Chick Yuill Instant Apostle

Twitter: @TheWarCryUK

AFFLICTED from childhood by a crippling stammer, Matthew Gold, the character at the centre of Chick Yuill’s novel, has always struggled to relate to other people. He finds escapism through the detective stories that he reads and writes. But even as he attains fame and fortune from the sales of his mystery books, he is still baffled by questions in his own life.

Whenever Matthew manages to get close to anyone, tragedy seems to get in the way. But as he encounters people who challenge him to look beyond himself, he begins to discover that there is more to life than he first realised.

Through his inventive story of Matthew, Chick provides fresh insight into age-old questions about suffering and grief.

Matthew’s life shows that hope can exist even when the world remains a mystery.

Facebook.com/TheWarCryUK

Linda McTurk

ANSWERS 1. Narendra Modi. 2. Jersey. 3. Richard Ayoade.

4. Reginald Dwight. 5. England. 6. Anna Burns.

CBAD a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk B www.salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

14 PUZZLES • WAR CRY • 2 November 2019

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Dither (4) 3. Faucet (3) 5. Man (4) 7. Meticulous (9) 9. Staffs (4) 10. Lisa’s brother in The Simpsons (4) 11. Jumped (5) 14. Musical drama (5) 15. Russian mountain range (5) 17. Accepted (5) 18. Follow (5) 19. Din (5) 20. High-pitched (5) 23. Lake (4) 25. Expel (4)

by Chris Horne

7. Opponent (9) 8. Wise (9) 11. Subsequently (5) 12. Foot joint (5) 13. Tuna (5) 14. Number (3) 16. Regard (3) 21. Bequeath (5) 22. Determination (5) 23. Central American civilisation (4) 24. Merit (4) 25. German river (4) 26. Prong (4)

27. Sixties rock band (9) 28. Soon (4) 29. Sadness (3) 30. Destroy (4) DOWN 1. Terror (4) 2. Ado (4) 3. Yours (5) 4. Corpulent (5) 5. Society (4) 6. Boat steered with a pole (4)

SUDOKU

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

HONEYCOMB Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Desert plant 2. Piercing cry 3. Not cheerful 4. More than one 5. Shock 6. Quantity

ANSWERS

WORDSEARCH AMSTERDAM BARCELONA BEIJING CAPITAL BELFAST CHANGI DUBAI ENTEBBE FRANKFURT HANEDA HEATHROW HONG KONG INCHEON INDIRA GANDHI JOHN F. KENNEDY SHEREMETYEVO SYDNEY VANCOUVER

2

7

4

5

9

6

3

8

1

5

9

1

3

8

4

6

7

2

3

6

8

7

1

2

5

9

4

4

1

6

9

7

3

8

2

5

7

8

3

2

5

1

4

6

9

9

5

2

6

4

8

1

3

7

8

2

7

4

6

5

9

1

3

6

3

5

1

2

9

7

4

8

1

4

9

8

3

7

2

5

6

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these international airports

2

7

4

5

9

6

3

8

1

M V L O M I 5Q Z H P G A J O L 9 1 3 8 4 6 L S S 7 2 A U K A J G J A X G B Z Y T A M H K 3 6 8 7 1 2 5 9 4 D Z J U W U N K F M M W T T M G J Z 4 1 6 9 7 I 3 X Q Z Q C 8 2 5 R Y C T J E E O C Z B K E S C D D B P Z B Z H P X T J G L V 7 8 3 2 5 1 4 6 9 T D B A R C E L O N A O S G J L S J 9 5 2 6 4 8 1I L 3 S U 7 S I A E B B O R E C H A N G M N C W A H R R G N F 8 2 7 4 E C G R O J 6 5 9 1 3Z A D C H Y U C N J L T B A X K I M C 3 5 1 2 9 7I O O K 4 8 W I U L J P 6 I Q E Q B E Z T O R A E Z J N B L 1 4 9 E X E B G H R N S 8 3 7 2 5 6 C A Z B I W C Y A Z N D Z B V R B G I G K E U S H E R E M E T Y E V O R V A B Z Y D E N N E K F N H O J L W J N L L K Q O D T W E X M R C K Z V K D B Q N W N Y R E V U O C N A V R P H L E V B C S F L T Z G C N S L O D I N K J L X B P T R U F K N A R F

HONEYCOMB 1. Cactus. 2. Scream. 3. Solemn.

4. Plural. 5. Fright. 6. Amount.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Faff. 3. Tap. 5. Chap.

7. Assiduous. 9. Rods. 10. Bart.

11. Leapt. 14. Opera. 15. Urals. 17. Taken.

18. Ensue. 19. Noise. 20. Reedy.

23. Mere. 25. Oust. 27. Yardbirds.

28. Anon. 29. Woe. 30. Raze.

DOWN: 1. Fear. 2. Fuss. 3. Thine.

4. Plump. 5. Club. 6. Punt. 7. Adversary.

8. Sagacious. 11. Later. 12. Ankle.

13. Tunny. 14. One. 16. See. 21. Endow.

22. Drive. 23. Maya. 24. Earn 25. Oder. 26. Tine.

4

1

3

6

2

8

5

9

8

7

1

4

6

3

9

5

7

2

4

1

3

6

9 5 7 2 3 6 8 1 4

8 1 4 6 2 9 7 3 5

3 2 6 4 5 7 1 8 9

7 9 5 8 1 3 2 4 6

2 7 9 1 4 8 5 6 3

5 4 1 3 6 2 9 7 8

6 8 3 7 9 5 4 2 1

SUDOKU SOLUTION

9 5

8 1

3 2

7 9

2 7

5 4

6 8

2 November 2019 • WAR CRY • WHAT’S COOKING? 15

Beef with tomato and olive sauce 2tbsp olive oil 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped Pinch dried chilli flakes 400g can cherry tomatoes Dash Worcester sauce Salt and freshly milled black pepper

SERVES

4

12 pitted black olives, halved 1tbsp fresh oregano, chopped 4 lean sirloin steaks

Quick beef biriyani 2tsp rapeseed oil

300g basmati rice, rinsed

2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped

850ml beef stock

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 3tbsp curry paste 450g thin-cut beef steaks, cut into strips

Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Heat 1tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes until soft. Add the chilli flakes, tomatoes and Worcester sauce and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat, add the olives and oregano and set aside.

Season and coat the steaks with the remaining oil on both sides. Heat a separate non-stick frying pan and cook the beef for 6 minutes on each side.

Serve the steaks with the tomato sauce and a side of potatoes and broccoli.

200g frozen peas Large handful freshly chopped coriander

Heat the oil in a large heatproof casserole dish with a lid and cook the onions over a low heat for 10 minutes until soft. Increase the heat and add the garlic, curry paste, beef, rice, stock and seasoning and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes.

Add the peas and stir gently. Cover and continue to simmer until the rice is cooked. Remove from the heat and garnish with the coriander.

SERVES

4

Serve immediately with naan bread and yoghurt.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board website simplybeefandlamb.co.uk

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