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.
A VERSE from First World War poet Laurence Binyon’s poem ‘For the Fallen’ will be quoted many times this weekend. People attending Remembrance Sunday commemorations up and down the country will hear his words: ‘They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old.’ The other stanzas of the poem – like the rest of Binyon’s poetic output – are not quoted so often, but one talks about ‘a glory that shines upon our tears’. Unsurprisingly, tears are a feature of war poetry. Ivor Gurney writes of his ‘tears and sacrifice’ to serve his country. Wilfred Owen says that it is appalling when observers have ‘made themselves immune/ To pity’ and to ‘whatever shares/ The eternal reciprocity of tears’. This issue of the War Cry refers more than once to the conflicts that flag up that this is – in the words of a Remembrance Sunday order of service – a ‘broken world’. But wars and acts of terror that take people’s lives are not the only examples of conflict that make the world imperfect. Differences can turn into divisions between communities, within communities and even in our personal relationships. So it is not strange that, if we attend a Remembrance Sunday service, we may be invited to ‘commit ourselves to work in penitence and faith for reconciliation between the nations, that all people may, together, live in freedom, justice and peace’. Trying to make any part of our world a better place or trying to find a sense of peace for ourselves is not easy. But we don’t have to deny our hurts, sorrows and struggles or go through them alone. Retired counsellor Jeannie Kendall, who has written a book encouraging people to be comfortable with their tears, tells us in an interview this week that she finds the insights of the Bible helpful. ‘All the emotions are there – fear, anger, stress, lament,’ she says. ‘And to me, God is the safest place to bring all those feelings.’ ad the War C e re It’s a truth that we are all invited to discover. ry u’v
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 7551
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Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN 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 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
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INFO 2 • WAR CRY • 13 November 2021
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FEATURES
3
Poppy years
The centenary of a symbol
5
Benefits of kind
People pledge to care
6
Fears for tears
Why people need not be ashamed
of crying
8
Brooke no nonsense
Churchill’s outspoken adviser
REGULARS
4 War Cry World 12 Team Talk 13 Book Review 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen
PA IMAGES/ALAMY
CONTENTS
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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