From the editor’s desk
What is The Salvation Army? 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
THE 2020 Olympic Games that were due to be staged in Tokyo this summer were postponed last week. But this momentous decision was greeted by little more than a metaphorical shrug of the shoulders. The only surprise was that it took the organisers so long to make the decision. Across the world, thousands of events to which people had been looking forward are no longer taking place. In the UK that has included the Chelsea Flower Show and Glastonbury. Meanwhile, football fans are still waiting to hear whether their team’s league will resume at a later date or be declared null and void, as some leagues already have been. All these events have fallen victim to the coronavirus pandemic that grips our country and much of the rest of the world. For the past ten years, crowds have gathered in Trafalgar Square every Good Friday as Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection have been dramatically acted out. But not this year. Instead the story will be told by showing online clips of rehearsals and previous performances in London and other cities where these Passion plays were due to take place. In an interview in this week’s War Cry, James Burke-Dunsmore – who plays Jesus in the Trafalgar Square production – explains why retelling the story, whether in the open air or via the internet, is so important to him and his fellow actors. ‘I think the cast are there because they’re aware of the potential of attempting to make the sacred real,’ he says. The reality is that the events Christians remember at Easter changed the world. The fact that a group of people who had seen Jesus executed believed that they then encountered him resurrected and alive has impacted millions of people’s lives in the centuries since then. It is why, despite the coronavirus pandemic and self-isolation, Christians will still be taking time to celebrate this miracle in the coming week. Nothing can cancel out the difference the resurrected Jesus has made in their lives.
What is the War Cry? The Salvation Army first published a newspaper called the War Cry in London in December 1879, and we have continued to appear every week since then. Our name refers to our battle for people’s hearts and souls as we promote the positive impact of the Christian faith and The Salvation Army’s fight for greater social justice.
WAR CRY Issue No 7468
Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine 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
Contents
Tel: 0845 634 0101 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 Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies
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, Wales and Northern Ireland 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
As good as new
The Repair Shop is making things better
4
All by myself
The realities of self-isolation
5
Street drama goes online
Why recreating the Easter story still matters
8
Picture this
How art has depicted the sacred
8
REGULARS 12
Browsing the Bible
13
Now, There’s a Thought!
14 Puzzles 15
2 • War Cry • 4 April 2020
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War Cry Kitchen
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