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
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 7507
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 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 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
INFO 2 • WAR CRY • 9 January 2021
EDITOR From From the editor’s desk
EVERY so often, an advertising campaign will tell us that the product it is promoting will revolutionise our lives. It could be anything – new technology or the latest skin cream. The idea of something being revolutionary is bound to catch the public’s attention. Many real revolutions and revolutionaries have gone down in history – think of Lenin in Russia, Che Guevara in Cuba or Robespierre in France. One name that may not immediately be linked to a revolution, though, is that of Jesus Christ. Yet, according to writer Tom Holland, that is exactly what he was. ‘My background is in classical history,’ says Tom in an interview in this week’s War Cry. ‘I became interested in what it was about Christianity that had changed the Roman world so completely.’ As a result of his interest, the historian gathered essays by writers and thinkers from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs to explore the ways in which Jesus could be considered a revolutionary. One of those writers is Nick Spencer of religion and society think tank Theos. Nick identifies the way in which the teachings of Jesus and his followers broke down divisions between groups in society. Pointing to the writings of one early Christian, Nick tells us: ‘Very early on Paul was saying that there was neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free, because all are in Christ.’ He describes that teaching as ‘momentous’. However, the revolution started by Jesus, and carried on through the centuries, is still needed today. If the events of 2020 taught us anything – aside from what it is like to live through a worldwide pandemic – it is that the message declaring the value of all people has still to reach everyone. Let us hope that this year, as a vaccine is rolled out to combat coronavirus, an effective antidote can be found to all discrimination and that a person’s worth, regardless of ethnicity, gender or ability, is acknowledged by all.
CONTENTS
What is The Salvation Army?
FEATURES 3
Sleuthing in the sun
Death in Paradise returns
5
Extended childcare
One man’s work to transform children’s
welfare in China
8
A revolutionary change
Authors on how the world was never the
same after Jesus
REGULARS
12
Now, There’s a Thought!
13
Bible Series
14 Puzzles 15
War Cry Kitchen
5
8
Front-page picture: BBC/Red Planet/DENIS GUYENON
15