War Cry 5 March 2022

‘How I learnt the A-Z of wellbeing’

WAR CRY

5 March 2022 50p

House rules Tensions are building in ITV’s family home drama

Journalist and podcaster’s ‘remarkable encounters’

What is The Salvation Army?

From the editor’s desk

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.

IT was March 2020 when everyone’s life changed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Two years on, the imposed restrictions have now been eased, and in some cases removed completely, as we learn to ‘live with’ the virus.

As people faced lockdowns, social distancing and self-isolation, many were reminded of how important it is to experience meaningful interaction with others.

‘Over the past couple of years, we have all seen the consequences of disconnection and isolation,’ says journalist and podcaster Cole Moreton in an interview in this week’s War Cry. ‘People have suffered with mental health problems and there’s been a shared sense of despair.’

Cole goes on to explain why he believes connecting with others helps people to flourish and how his Christian beliefs shape that view.

‘As a person of faith,’ he tells us, ‘I am fascinated by that idea, because the Bible tells us that we are all equal in the sight of God, and therefore we are all connected and need one another.’

That sense of connection is good for our wellbeing, as Ruth Rice explains in another article this week. Ruth has set up a charity that runs café-style ‘Renew spaces’ for people to spend time together. ‘What’s lovely is that it’s just being human together, it’s just the simple act of showing up,’ she says.

Ruth’s inspiration to help people comes from her personal experience of isolation and from her faith. But the help she provides is not only for Christians.

‘People with any faith or none can show up and bring a hobby. Attached to the café is a quiet space for prayer and meditation – but you don’t have to go to that,’ she explains.

Christians believe that the best connection to make is with God. When we are in a relationship with him, he is able to give us everything that we ad the War C e re ry need. And the great thing is that not even a u’v pandemic need end our connection with him.

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 7566

When yo

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

PASS IT ON f

not hy ,w

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

CONTENTS

Tel: 0845 634 0101 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

FEATURES

3

Resident danger

Woman loses her home in TV drama 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

6

2 • WAR CRY • 5 March 2022

Drawn-out success

Who will win the British Animation awards?

6

From breakdown to wellbeing

Charity founder describes how she learnt to be OK

INFO Your local Salvation Army centre

5

9

Journalist Cole Moreton on interacting

9

O 15

‘We all have this longing to connect’

with others REGULARS 4

War Cry World

12 Team Talk 13 Wisdom in the Words 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV

Bram and Fi’s marriage has broken down

ITV

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS A family’s house is under threat in thriller TV preview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

I

MAGINE getting home one day and home that, she says, is ‘everything you’ve precarious, we may find it unsettling. discovering that all your worldly worked your whole life for’.

But, whether we have lots of money or possessions are gone and somebody The show’s executive producer, none, a big house or nowhere to call home else is moving in. That’s the nightmare Belinda Campbell, argues that having a right now, whatever we amass on Earth Fi Lawson (Tuppence Middleton) walks property as the central feature of a thriller won’t last for ever. It’s why, when Jesus into in the first episode of the four-part can be affecting because our home is met people, he taught them a different drama Our House, which starts Monday ‘fundamental to our identities’. way to build up their (7 March) on ITV and ITV hub.

‘It taps into our central lives.

When Fi comes through the front door nervous system,’ she says.

He said: ‘Do not and sees her beautiful Victorian house ‘It’s the perfect expression of store up for yourselves completely empty, she is desperate to find all of our hopes, our dreams, treasures on Earth… out what has happened. But Bram (Martin our insecurities. So much is But store up for Compston), her estranged husband who invested in it both financially yourselves treasures bought the property with her 10 years and emotionally, so it’s the in Heaven … where earlier, is not picking up his phone. perfect thing to put under threat.’ thieves do not break in and steal. For As Fi paces the home where she has And it’s true. Where we live is often where your treasure is, there your heart raised her two sons, trying to figure out the place we build our lives, where we will be also (Matthew 6:19-21 New how two strangers seem to believe they find stability, where we raise our families International Version). have purchased it, TV viewers are taken a and create memories. It is something It is true that, while there is nothing few years back in time to watch the events we treasure. So when its future seems wrong with having nice things or creating that led up to this a home, what is moment. more important is the Infidelity, wrong aspects of life that will choices and never disappear. mistrust caused Jesus said that Bram and Fi’s the way to build a marriage to fall fulfilled life was by apart. But the one following him, loving thing they wanted our neighbours and to preserve was giving to those in the family home – need. He taught that for the sake of the being motivated by boys. It is unclear God’s love rather who or what is now than driven by a need trying to steal it for possessions can from them. change our hearts – Although her and change them for neighbour and the the better. wife of the couple If we invest our lives who are moving in in this love, we can try to console her, discover new hopes Fi is beside herself, and dreams and a lamenting the security we need potential loss of the never lose.

Fi and Bram made a house into a home, but what they built is in jeopardy

Where we live is often the place we build our lives

5 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 3

twxcxzWt AN astronomer who serves as a senior project scientist on the Hubble Space Telescope will address the question, ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ in the second of a series of four webinars called Questions of Our Times run by the Christian Evidence Society (CES).

Dr Jennifer Wiseman will speak on the webinar, hosted by CES vice-chair Nigel Bovey, at 8pm on Tuesday 22 March.

The series began earlier this week with Professor Alister McGrath speaking about the relationship between science and faith, as he answered the question, ‘Should we always follow the science?’

Other webinars in Questions of Our Times will explore AI and whether humankind exists by accident.

Limited free tickets are available on the Eventbrite website.

The Hubble Space Telescope

n

ENERGY price rises in the UK will lead more families to depend on food banks, according to a Christian charity.

The Trussell Trust has spoken out after the news emerged that energy bills are set to rise by 54 per cent in April, the Church Times reports.

The percentage increase will translate into an average annual energy bill of about £2,000, for those on default direct debit tariffs.

The trust said that thousands more people would become reliant on food banks as a result of the price increase and called for a 6 per cent increase in benefit payments.

Its policy director Garry Lemon said: ‘With inflation reaching a 30-year high, our social security system is at breaking point, and essential costs across the board are rising rapidly. Overall inflation is only set to increase further this spring.’

Musical helps biblical studies A NEW book by a former chaplain to the Queen is set to point Christians towards hip-hop songs from the West End musical Hamilton to help them explore their faith.

In The Room Where it Happens, written for the season of Lent, the Bishop of Dover, the Right Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin, seeks to generate group discussions around parallels between the musical adaptation of US founding father Alexander Hamilton’s life and the tenets of the Christian faith. It covers topics such as identity, injustice and overcoming adversity.

The Hamilton musical, which blends jazz, hip-hop and rap, follows Alexander as he seeks to rise through the political ranks and shapes the early republic before, during and after the American Revolution.

In the book, readers are signposted to inspiring songs from the musical, alongside Bible verses and discussion questions.

In an episode of the Church Times podcast, the bishop explained that her book looked at ‘themes that impact on humanity: ambition, temptation, forgiveness, redemption … love, making sacrifices, hope, courage.’

n

ON the day that conflict broke out in Ukraine, the international leader of The Salvation Army called for prayers for a diplomatic resolution.

In a message to the ‘Salvation Army family’ around the world, General Brian Peddle said: ‘Our service to the Kingdom of God transcends national identity and crosses international borders without prejudice or discrimination. We have officers serving communities in Russia and Ukraine today, and I ask you to pray for them and for those in mourning as this crisis unfolds.’

Describing The Salvation Army as ‘dismayed by the loss of life’, the General said it was praying ‘for a diplomatic resolution to this conflict and for peace to return swiftly.’

Colonel Kelvin Pethybridge, the leader of The Salvation Army’s work in Ukraine, says that ‘even in the midst of war’ Salvationists ‘have mobilised to give practical and spiritual support to those in need’.

4 • WAR CRY • 5 March 2022

t

NASA

Scientist asks if we are alone

WAR CRY

HSI

tWwxcxz

Ralph highlights the painful reality of animal testing

‘Moral duty’ to help in Afghanistan THE UK government has a ‘moral duty to lead by example’ and boost its financial support for Afghanistan amid a growing humanitarian crisis, Christian Aid has said ahead of a virtual meeting of the United Nations this month.

The government is co-hosting the virtual pledging summit which includes donor countries, UN agencies and Afghan civil society. The UN wants to raise $4.4 billion (more than £3 billion) in aid for Afghanistan. The funds will be channelled through trusted UN agencies and charities.

In the past financial year, the government has already committed £286 million in aid to Afghanistan. However, although Christian Aid has welcomed the summit, it has warned that the UK’s pledge does not go far enough.

Fionna Smyth, head of global advocacy and policy at Christian Aid, said: ‘Afghanistan is in crisis with millions on the verge of starvation.

‘With the UN asking for $4.4 billion, the £286 million committed by the UK is a drop in the ocean and does not reflect our historic responsibility.

To make this summit a success, the UK has a moral duty to lead by example.’

Do you have a story to share? a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk @TheWarCryUK TheWarCryUK

B salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

In the picture Nominated animations have a point to get across Feature by Claire Brine

C

ARTOONS and stop-motion films may look as if they’re just for kids – but there’s plenty of content for grown-ups among the nominations for the British Animation awards, which will be presented at BFI Southbank in London next Thursday (10 March).

While preschoolers will be pleased to see familiar programmes such as Hey Duggee and The Adventures of Paddington up for a prize, their parents may be more intrigued by some of the lesser-known animations, many of which address hard-hitting issues. Films exploring suicide prevention, menstrual health and the challenges of living with autism all carry the message that we need to keep talking about these topics.

Up for an award in the best short film category is Spencer Susser’s stopmotion mockumentary Save Ralph. The four-minute animation tells the story of a rabbit whose body has been damaged as a result of animal testing for cosmetic products.

Speaking directly to the camera, Ralph discusses his various injuries before explaining: ‘I’m a tester. My daddy was a tester, my mum, my brothers, my sisters, my kids – all testers. And they all died doing their job. Just like I will. But it’s OK. Testing is what we were born to do.’

As the film ends, words appear on the screen, urging viewers to support a campaign that seeks to bring an end to animal testing. In just four minutes, a white rabbit has got across a message that promotes life-changing action.

When we are faced with situations that challenge us, simple words and stories sometimes have the power to convey the most important messages.

We can show someone how much they mean to us by saying: ‘I love you.’

It’s possible to put a stop to years of hurt with the words: ‘I’m sorry.’

When Jesus wanted to teach his followers about the concept of loving God, he kept his explanation simple: Love others. Forgive their mistakes.

Don’t judge them. Pray for those who hurt you. Ask God when you need help. Don’t worry.

By using everyday words that people could understand, Jesus opened people’s eyes to the biggest picture of all: the reality of a life-transforming love beyond comprehension.

Simple words convey important messages

5 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 5

‘Why I wrote an A-Z of being OK’ A

FTER years of being what she describes as ‘relentlessly positive’, with a job she loved and a happy family life, Ruth Rice was shocked to find that one morning, she just couldn’t get out of bed.

‘I had no life or energy in me,’ she says.

‘I couldn’t pray, I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t look after my kids or do my job for about a year. During that time, I got inside the world of about a quarter of the population, who have some diagnosed mental illness. I experienced what life feels like when the lights go out.

‘I’d been a Christian for a long time, I was a primary school teacher for many years, I had three kids and I was a leader in the church. But I didn’t look after myself very well.’

As she went through a period of being unwell, she found it hard to access ‘the lovely jolly church stuff’.

‘I became very isolated,’ she says. ‘I got stuck inside my own head, and I almost had to learn how to pray again. I had to learn that God loved me anyway, just for me, not for what I was doing. I began to love the

6 • WAR CRY • 5 March 2022

RUTH RICE talks about the breakdown that led her to found a charity that runs simple café-style Renew spaces and write a guide to wellbeing Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

Psalms – these amazing prayers in the Bible where half the time the guy who wrote them really isn’t OK, and it’s still a prayer.’

Ruth learnt a lot during this period. As she began to develop better habits and discover her inherent worth to God, her situation improved.

Her experience would also eventually lead her to create the kind of space she had needed – and may still sometimes need.

With a group from church, she opened the first ‘Renew space’ in 2015 and later founded the Renew Wellbeing charity.

‘A Renew space is a quiet café-style space, where it’s OK not to be OK,’ she explains. ‘People with any faith or none can show up and bring a hobby. Attached

to the café is a quiet space for prayer and meditation – but you don’t have to go to that. We also have partnerships with mental health services, so we can signpost people to the help they may need.’

The first Renew space, Renew 37, was opened in Nottingham and is still open four days a week.

‘It’s full to capacity,’ says Ruth. ‘It’s a simple idea. We started with one centre, and then other churches asked if they could run one. Ours is in a lovely tea shop on the high street. But spaces started popping up on an allotment or in a big old dusty church building.

‘It was working because it was about the way it was hosted. By the beginning of the first lockdown, there were 50 centres nationally. When the global pandemic hit,

People with any faith or none can show up

Ruth Rice we invited more churches to try it. We said they could do it on Zoom. We put all our training online, and there are now 165 Renew spaces running.

‘What’s lovely is that it’s just being human together, it’s just the simple act of showing up.’

Last year, Ruth wrote a basic guide to setting up the spaces, called Slow Down, Show Up and Pray.

This year, Ruth has released a second book, A-Z of Wellbeing.

‘Writing the A-Z was almost therapy for me,’ she says. ‘During the third lockdown, I felt I needed to dig a bit deeper, because the things that usually brought us wellbeing vanished. But we still had wellbeing. Some of my

wellbeing became understanding that I’m “accepted”, completely; that I can “breathe” in the presence of God; and that there is “compassion” for myself. That was my ABC.’ The book is an invitation for people to plumb the depths of what wellbeing actually is, she says. For Ruth, there is a word and image that help her to think about wellbeing.

‘The Hebrew word shalom means a kind of wholeness,’ she says. ‘The picture of me holding a cup in my hands and believing my life to be the cup and my hands to be God’s big story is reassuring. That’s what shalom looks like to me – feeling held within a bigger story.

Sometimes the cup is filled with good stuff, other times it’s empty, and yet it is

God said: ‘I couldn’t love you any more, and I couldn’t love you any less’

Turn to page 8 f

A Renew space in Northampton 5 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 7

The first Renew space, which opened in Nottingham in 2015

From page 7 still being held.

‘In some ways, shalom is a tricky word to explain and that’s why in the book I ended up with 26 words. They all really explain what shalom looks like and feels like in my life. And yet it’s quite a simple concept. I experienced it in the middle of my terrible year, when I was lying in bed, not doing anything I should’ve been doing and feeling useless. God put his arms around me and said: “I couldn’t love you any more, and I couldn’t love you any less.”’

T

he ideas of wholeness and being held seem positive, but one word in Ruth’s alphabet of wellbeing may be unexpected – ‘lament’. I ask why she included it.

‘The word happiness has the root “hap”, which means circumstances,’ she says.

‘So if your circumstances are right, you’ll have this positive feeling. But joy is something different. You can have joy and sorrow in your cup at the same time. In the Psalms, the poet often expresses real sadness and anger, but also joy.

‘Lament, which is expressing sorrow, is something we’ve hidden away. As Christians, we don’t sing many songs of lament together, but when you’ve suffered a terrible loss in life – like many people have – where’s the voice for that? Where’s the space for people to not be OK for a bit and not have to do it all on their own?

We want to jolly people out of it, but sometimes we just need to sit quietly with them.

‘If you haven’t got an answer, don’t make one up, and if somebody needs to have a good moan, let them.

It is OK to not make sense of things and say things don’t seem fair.

Awful things happen in life, but joy is like a deeper river in a person’s life because you know you are still loved.’

Being loved by God is the cornerstone of Ruth’s sense of wellbeing.

‘It’s not a twee thing of just needing to know you’re loved,’ she says. ‘We have these spaces where we don’t try to give answers, we just let there be questions; where we say, “I’m so sorry you’re feeling like that”, then do something together with a person that will be good for their wellbeing; and where someone can sit quietly in the presence of God.’ ‘Before my breakdown, I don’t think I knew deep down that if I never got out of my bed again, God wouldn’t love me any more or any less. But he couldn’t.

I don’t earn his love. And I don’t hear that in many other therapeutic narratives

Where’s the space for people to not be OK?

8 • WAR CRY • 5 March 2022

that people offer. People try to help themselves by saying “I’m wonderful” or “I’m amazing”. But some days I know I’m not wonderful or amazing. I’m grumpy and fearful.

But I’m still loved.’

l A-Z of Wellbeing is published by Authentic Media

j It’s good to talk After encountering some of the world’s most famous people through his work as a journalist, COLE MORETON explains what he has learnt about the value of human connection

j j j Interview by Claire Brine

C

We all have this longing to connect

OLE MORETON is full of fascinating stories.

There’s the one about Tiger Woods, who opened up to him about the loss of his father and how much he missed him. Then there’s the ‘chat about life’ he had in a bar with Scarlett Johansson, when she revealed how challenging she found it to be alone.

Another story – about an event that lasted just a few seconds – took place in a car in Israel, when Archbishop Desmond Tutu screamed in his face.

In his 20-plus years as a journalist, writing for titles such as the Independent and The Mail on Sunday, Cole has had some remarkable encounters with some extraordinary people. And he recounts some of those stories and what they have taught him about life in his podcast series Can We Talk?, the final episode of which will be available to download from Tuesday (8 March).

‘Can We Talk? is a collection of true stories about the human longing to connect,’ says Cole as we talk about the podcast series, which also describes encounters with the Queen, Nelson Mandela and a teenage refugee called Zahra, who crossed the Channel one Christmas morning in a rubber boat.

‘We all have this longing to connect with ourselves, with each other, with nature and – crucially – with the Divine. And in my podcast I’m reflecting back on some of the remarkable encounters I’ve had with people, exploring what

Turn to page 10 f

5 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 9

jj

j From page 9

we can learn from one another about how to live better.’

To help explain the story behind his podcast, Cole takes me back to 1999, the year he came face to face with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

‘I tell the story of how he thought I was trying to kill him,’ says Cole. ‘But there’s also a bit in that episode when I talk about the archbishop’s concept of ubuntu, which is the idea that human beings are connected. He condensed it into these words: “I am because we are.” Basically, human beings can’t function on their own. We depend on each other. And, as a person of faith, I am fascinated by that idea, because the Bible tells us that we are all equal in the sight of God, and therefore we are all connected and need one another.

‘I began to see that even the most rich, famous and highly lauded people were flawed and broken, just like the rest of us.

And if they are like us, then, by extension, we are just like them. Coming to such a realisation makes it much easier to think about forgiving people for their mistakes – and accepting forgiveness ourselves.’

However people connect, Cole believes that the sharing of stories can often ‘help us to feel better’. He also feels that connecting with other people enables us

to experience the presence of God. ‘When we connect with someone, it’s encouraging because we understand that we share hopes, fears and aspirations,’ he says. ‘But I think that’s when we also begin to see God in the room. We start to understand who we are, as humans, in relation to the Divine. I believe that we are God’s creation, here to celebrate the beauty of the world he has given us – and we can do that through conversation, intimacy and understanding one another, which leads to overcoming barriers.

Connecting is what God has called us to do.

‘Over the past couple of years, we have all seen the consequences of disconnection and isolation. People have suffered with mental health problems and there’s been a shared sense of despair. But I believe that by talking to each other, looking each other in the face and spending time together in the same room again, we will start to feel warm once more in each other’s company.’

I began to see that even famous people were broken

10 • WAR CRY • 5 March 2022

O

ne of the major questions that Cole ponders in his podcast asks where humankind’s desire for connection comes from. I enquire as to whether he has found an answer to that yet.

‘I think that from the beginning, human beings were created to be in a state of grace with God and with each other,’ he explains. ‘But for some reason that connection became fractured. Today, we

still have an instinctive memory of it and a longing for it. Part of the human condition is to feel homesick without knowing where home is. I think that feeling occurs because our home rests in the presence of God.’ Although Cole has been fascinated by matters of faith since his youth, he admits that at various points in his life, his relationship with God has been difficult.

He became a Christian in his teens, but by the time he reached his twenties, his faith was at crisis point.

‘Everything fell out of place,’ he says.

‘My prayers felt as though they were falling on deaf ears and my heart was strangely chilled. It felt like I was having an anti-conversion experience.

‘But then I went to Jerusalem to write an article about pilgrimage, and as I stood by the Western Wall, I reflected that some of the most important stories told in Judaism, Christianity and, to some extent, Islam had taken place there. I began thinking again about the fractured dialogue between the Divine and humankind and, although I didn’t really understand it, I couldn’t ignore it any more. I couldn’t walk away from it.

‘Slowly I came back to a place of faith – and a relationship with God through the

j

j

story of Jesus Christ. I find in Jesus a man of compassion, a man of anger who isn’t afraid to overturn tables, a man who is prepared to do what is right, a man who understands the simplicity of children and their faith and a man who is intimately in touch with the Divine. I’m completely intrigued by him. And, though I don’t know the answers about who Jesus really is or what he really means, I’m a little bit in love with him.’

Since his trip to Jerusalem, Cole has remained rooted in faith. He explains that, even in times of difficulty and doubt, he can’t help but believe in God. ‘It’s like when you’re in a shop, going about your business, and you hear a song that’s meaningful to you, playing in the background. Once you’ve heard it, you can’t ignore it. That’s how I feel about my faith. It doesn’t matter what I feel on a particular day or how much of a struggle life is. It doesn’t matter what I understand about God or what I don’t.

None of that affects the reality that God is who he is. My faith – or lack of – makes no difference, because God continues anyway.’

Though human connection has proved crucial in helping Cole to develop his faith, he points out that there are many other ways in which people can experience the presence of God. Taking a walk, surrounded by nature, often prompts him to pray.

‘I find it very easy to see God in the natural world around me,’ he says. ‘I live in Eastbourne, so I enjoy the landscape and seascape every day as I’m walking my dog. Those are the times in which I feel free to pray out loud, shout if I need to, or

just listen. When I’m praying outside, I feel I’m in the presence of an energy that holds and envelops me in love. It’s like I’m an intrinsic part of the landscape.

‘Ultimately, I think that when we come into the presence of God, we experience a sense of connection with everything that has been created – the things that are, the things that were and the things that will be. I believe that God is everywhere and in everything.’

I see God in the natural world

5 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 11

Prayerlink THE War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their ­circumstances, for publication. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon­don SE1 6BN. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.

j

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.

talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK Less can be more

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

NICK COPEMAN described himself as an extreme organiser when he said in a BBC news report that he’d managed to reduce his worldly possessions to just 406 items.

With no clutter filling his home, the copywriter from Norfolk is able to fit all of his belongings into a few crates. Every item Nick owns is listed – including his one pen, a lip balm and loo roll. He explained to the BBC that decluttering brings benefits. ‘Once you detach any value from these items, it’s certainly liberating,’ he said.

When it comes to news stories or TV programmes about decluttering, I’m in my element. I love making space in my home by clearing out old books or kitchenware that I’m no longer using. An uncluttered room helps me to feel better – a bit more peaceful and bit less stressed.

While my efforts to declutter are nowhere near as vigorous as Nick’s, I was interested to hear him talking about what it means to live with only the basics.

‘By being a decluttered person, I firmly believe you’ll be a much better person. I know I am,’ he said.

I wonder in what ways Nick feels better. I’d like to ask him how owning less stuff enriches his life.

Does possessing fewer items create the space to think about other things?

If we are not spending our energy on the stuff we have – using it, cleaning it, repairing it and so on – are we free to pursue something else more fulfilling?

The appeal I find in clearing out unwanted items at home also brings to my mind another type of decluttering and its benefits.

As a Christian, I’m constantly aware of the need to try to live better. Part of that means trying to declutter some of my less attractive character traits.

I know that I can be stubborn and impatient. Sometimes my words upset people rather than uplift them.

Although tidying up my life usually takes a bit of effort, I can’t deny that I always feel better for it. Letting go of things that are bad for me – such as jealousy and resentment – is, to pinch Nick’s word, liberating. Surely, such an outcome is worth making room for.

Decluttering brings benefits

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

" Tick one or more of the options below, complete the coupon and send it to

a

War Cry 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

Basic reading about Christianity Information about The Salvation Army

Looking for help?

Contact details of a Salvation Army minister Name Address Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

Or email your details and request to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk 12 • WAR CRY • 5 March 2022

Keith Burr explores song lyrics that have a note of truth about them

Wisdom in the

Q

QUICK QUIZ 1

Who wrote the crime novel

2

Sting was the lead singer of

Death on the Nile?

which rock band formed in 1977?

A 3

Who plays the title role in the film Cyrano?

4

Constantinople and Byzantium are former names of which modern Turkish city?

5

In 1975, who became the first

woman to scale Mount Everest?

6

What is the largest street festival in Europe, held annually in London?

ANSWERS

words Hard habit to break I

N 2021, reaching No 1 on the singles chart became a habit for Ed Sheeran. Leaving aside his collaborations with Elton John and LadBaby, he spent 15 weeks at the top spot. It would seem that ‘Bad Habits’ – as one of those songs was called – turned out to be a good thing for Ed. Bad habits don’t usually lead to anything like a money-spinning hit single. They say that old habits die hard and, for many of us, the unhealthy ones are the hardest to change. The song puts it well – ‘Every time you come around, you know I can’t say no,/ Every time the sun goes down, I let you take control.’ It continues: ‘Swearin’ this will be the last, but it probably won’t./ I got nothin’ left to lose, or use, or do.’

The song speaks of the powerlessness we sometimes feel when we are trying to change our behaviour.

All of this is nothing new. One Bible writer, Paul, confessed: ‘What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise’ (Romans 7:15 The Message).

The truth is, it is not easy to change our habits. Perhaps one way to help ourselves is to focus less on breaking the large bad habit and more on starting some smaller good ones. Or maybe we could think about the people around us who could help. Ed Sheeran’s song ends with the line: ‘My bad habits lead to you.’ It acknowledges that habits, good or bad, are often influenced by another person.

There are, perhaps, some people whose influence on our lives is not good, but it is equally true that, when we are trying to change, having others supporting us makes all the difference. Many have found that Jesus is one such good companion. As Paul said of him: ‘He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions’ (Romans 7:25).

Jesus is willing to help us break the bad habits that spoil our lives and give us the power we need to flourish with habits that are good for us and others.

Having others supporting us makes all the difference

5 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 13

1. Agatha Christie. 2. The Police. 3. Peter Dinklage.

4. Istanbul. 5. Junko Tabei. 6. The Notting Hill Carnival.

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

ACROSS 1. Hobble (4) 3. Spigot (3) 5. Collision (4) 7. Wedlock (9) 9. Observed (4) 10. Expensive (4) 11. Stage (5) 14. More sagacious (5) 15. Arrangement (3-2) 17. Corrosives (5) 18. Goat (5) 19. Accede (5) 20. Piquant (5) 23. Cook (4) 25. Gone (4) 27. Systematically (9) 28. Ogle (4) 29. Mate (3) 30. Elderly (4) DOWN 1. Optical glass (4) 2. Design (4) 3. Roost (5) 4. Pastimes (5) 5. Fasten (4) 6. Hard up (4) 7. Harbinger (9) 8. Day before (9)

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

5 2 3 4

7 8 1 4 5 5 6 9 4 3 7 1 9 8 2 7 5 4 9 8 1 3 4 5 8 1 7

11. Implores (5) 12. Plea of being elsewhere (5) 13. Attempt (5) 14. Pale (3) 16. Pastry dish (3)

21. Chubby (5) 22. Creep (5) 23. Calm (4) 24. Dread (4) 25. Entreaty (4) 26. Informed (4)

WORDSEARCH

5 2 3 4 9 6 1 7 7 9 backwards 6 3 8and1diagonally 4 2 Look up, down, forwards, on the grid to find these retro video games 8 1 4 7 5 2 6 9 U O H X R Q J4O 5 L Q9N 6 A M2C 3 A P7 A 8 H X A H S R E D2A 8 V N7 I 5 E C1A 4 P S9 J 3 C G D QO D E T Z L S E P PM J DW J 3 O1P 8Z L7 I 9 B H Z R M I N6H Q G F5 J 4 Q C L Z B O Q O1 I G N O K Y E K N O 7 5 2 4 8 3 6D N Z QO R ZW J M I H R I L EMQ T A Y K I X W V9Y 6 E C8F 1 D V3 L 7 T K2 A 5E I U I R J D Y3N R 4 Q2 I 9T Q6B 5F F8 Z 1Y

M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

X A L A G X Q A S H

1. Yet to happen 2. Fake 3. Bird of prey 4. Percussion instrument 5. Central 6. Unexpected

ANSWERS 5 7 8 4 2 6 1 9 3

2 9 1 5 8 3 7 6 4

3 6 4 9 7 1 5 8 2

4 3 7 6 5 8 2 1 9

9 8 5 2 1 7 4 3 6

6 1 2 3 4 9 8 7 5

1 4 6 7 9 5 3 2 8

7 2 9 8 3 4 6 5 1

8 5 3 1 6 2 9 4 7

HONEYCOMB 1. Future. 2. Pseudo. 3. Osprey.

4. Cymbal. 5. Middle. 6. Sudden.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Limp. 3. Peg. 5. Bump. 7. Matrimony.

9. Seen. 10. Dear. 11. Phase. 14. Wiser. 15. Set-up.

17. Acids. 18. Nanny. 19. Agree. 20. Spicy. 23. Chef.

25. Past. 27. Regularly. 28. Leer. 29. Pal. 30. Aged.

DOWN: 1. Lens. 2. Plan. 3. Perch. 4. Games.

5. Bind. 6. Poor. 7. Messenger. 8. Yesterday.

11. Prays. 12. Alibi. 13. Essay. 14. Wan. 16. Pie. 21. Plump. 22. Crawl. 23. Cool. 24. Fear.

25. Plea. 26. Told.

14 • WAR CRY • 5 March 2022

N P N D X I D X D R

Q A Y Z B MW C T R I N L E Z F U P L Z A U Q T Z S T K HWZ O I O R E E G GO

T S Z W I E B Z L O D N P WM Q Z K N K Q Q U Z T S A R F P

ASTEROIDS CENTIPEDE DONKEY KONG FROGGER GALAXIAN GAUNTLET MANIC MINER PAC-MAN

H E H E D G E H O G

S C D G Z Y P N N S

N V E E Q A G Q S Z

E E A E GM L E P U T I S Z MP P G V G

P D R H R U T R E R

Y OQ B N T Q E Z T T I J SW Z C H D V S NM L C E B WQ C

PAPERBOY PONG SONIC THE HEDGEHOG SPACE INVADERS STREET FIGHTER SUPER MARIO BROS TETRIS THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

8 5 3 1 6 2 9 4 7

9 8 1 3 4

5 8 1 7

Rib-eye steaks with onion and rhubarb chutney Ingredients 4 lean rib-eye steaks 1tbsp English mustard powder

Method Place the steaks on a chopping board.

Season on both sides with the mustard powder. Set aside.

2tbsp vegetable stock

To make the chutney, spoon the caramelised onions into a large pan and add the stock, rhubarb and thyme. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender.

2 sticks fresh rhubarb, roughly chopped

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a non-stick pan until hot and cook the steaks for 6-7 minutes on each side.

200g jar caramelised onions

1 sprig fresh thyme, roughly chopped 1tbsp sunflower oil

Serve the steaks with the chutney, and with carrots and mashed potato.

SERVES

4

Beef pilau rice Ingredients 450g lean beef mince 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced 2tsp ground cumin ½ tsp ground turmeric 2tsp ground coriander 2tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, plus extra to garnish 225g basmati rice, rinsed 2 carrots, peeled and grated

Method Heat a large, shallow non-stick pan until hot and cook the mince and onion for 10-15 minutes, until brown. Stir in the cumin, turmeric and coriander.

Transfer to a large casserole dish and add the rice, carrots, peas and stock. Cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.

Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes. Stir through the lemon juice.

Garnish with the toasted flaked almonds and extra coriander, to serve.

100g frozen green peas 850ml beef stock ½ lemon, juice 1tbsp toasted flaked almonds

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

SERVES

4

5 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 15

EVEN WHEN WE TAKE A WRONG PATH, GOD IS STILL ABLE TO USE US Alister McGrath

WAR CRY