War Cry 13 November 2021

Kindness Day celebrates caring

WAR CRY

13 November 2021 50p

Sign of the times 100 years of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance

Churchill’s ‘mostly unheard-of’ right-hand man

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.

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INFO 2 • WAR CRY • 13 November 2021

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O 15

FEATURES

3

Poppy years

The centenary of a symbol

5

Benefits of kind

People pledge to care

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Fears for tears

Why people need not be ashamed

of crying

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Brooke no nonsense

Churchill’s outspoken adviser

REGULARS

4 War Cry World 12 Team Talk 13 Book Review 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen

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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

Still growing strong It’s 100 years since the Royal British Legion began selling poppies as a symbol of remembrance Feature by Philip Halcrow

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ROM Flanders fields, 100 years ago the selling and wearing of poppies as a symbol of remembrance arrived in Britain.

The symbolism of the poppy grew after a Canadian doctor, John McCrae, wrote a poem, having lost a friend at the Second Battle of Ypres in 1915. In the poem, McCrae remarked on the poppies that he saw grow ‘in Flanders fields … between the crosses, row on row’, marking where ‘the Dead’ were buried.

It was published in Punch magazine and

quickly became popular.

After the war, an academic in the US, Moina Michael, read the poem and decided to wear a poppy to signify remembrance. She campaigned to have the flower adopted as an official symbol of remembrance in the US and beyond.

Another campaigner, Anna Guérin, played a key role in persuading the newly formed Royal British Legion to sell artificial poppies. In 1921, it ordered nine million – which sold out, raising more than £100,000 to help former servicemen with housing and jobs. Soon, former service personnel at poppy factories were producing millions more – and veterans still make poppy products.

The Royal British Legion now sells about 40 million poppies every year. Tomorrow (14 November), they will be worn by countless people at events marking Remembrance Sunday.

Philippa Rawlinson, remembrance lead for the Royal British Legion, says: ‘Whether you choose to wear a poppy, join with others in your community or stop to take a moment on your own, everyone is free to remember in their own way.’

Philippa says the Royal British Legion wants to ‘pass on the torch of remembrance to the next generation’, so it has launched resources for schoolchildren. ‘And recently,’ she says, ‘we

opened the Remembrance Glade at the National Memorial Arboretum, a natural space that enables people of all ages from every community to reflect on what remembrance means to them.’

Remembrance can have many meanings. For the Royal British Legion, remembrance encompasses not only armed services personnel who have died in war, but also civilians who have lost their lives as a result of conflict or terrorism. It calls the poppy ‘a sign of both remembrance and hope for a peaceful future’.

Remembrance of the past and hope for the future are reflected in an order of service put together by churches for use on Remembrance Sundays.

The service’s prayers ask God to comfort ‘all who suffer as a result of conflict’, to help us see more than ‘the torment of this broken world’ and, in the words that Jesus taught his followers, to ‘forgive us our trespasses’.

It invites everyone present to commit themselves to work so that ‘all people may, together, live in freedom, justice and peace’.

And it includes a Bible passage that records how Jesus assured his followers: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you’ (John 14:27 New Revised Standard Version).

Those who have decided to follow him since have discovered the truth of his words. They have found that the peace he offers goes even beyond an absence of conflict. It is a peace that promises forgiveness for our having made the world ‘broken’, assures us of God’s love for us and offers hope for the future.

Remembrance can have many meanings

Former servicemen make poppies in the British Legion factory at Richmond in the 1940s 13 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 3

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Dune actor Brolin gives thanks

Princess sees art helping survivors PRINCESS Eugenie joined modern slavery survivors in an art therapy session at a Salvation Army outreach hub in central London.

Visiting in her capacity as co-founder of the Anti-Slavery Collective, the princess participated in a session designed to help survivors express through art how they feel about their freedom.

The survivors told her about the support that they are receiving from The Salvation Army’s specialist workers, who are based at the hub.

Through the London outreach service, which was set up in October last year, modern slavery survivors have access to counselling, medical help, educational opportunities, legal advice and support to find employment and housing.

Jenny Gibson, programme co-ordinator of the outreach service, said: ‘Modern slavery has ravaged A VIRTUAL reality recording the lives of the people we support of a Church of England here. Art is a wonderful way for them service has been made available to explore their feelings about what across the globe. has happened and find their voice.’

Through their computer or other

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device, people can ‘stand’ in the middle of the choir to experience the blessing of the light – an evening prayer tradition dating back to early Christianity – in 360-degree vision.

Recorded in St Stephen Walbrook in the City of London, and made available through the Church of England’s Facebook page and YouTube channel, the service consists of a series of prayers and songs spanning seven minutes.

The blessing of the light gives thanks to God for Christ, the light of the world.

a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk @TheWarCryUK TheWarCryUK

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TRACY IFEACHOR, who plays Cleo Roberts in the BBC One drama Showtrial (pictured), told Radio Times that the Christian faith of actor David Suchet influences the way she approaches auditions.

Describing the Poirot actor as a ‘really strong man of God’, Tracy – who also is a Christian – recalled a conversation she had with him after she left drama school.

‘He said that before he opens an audition invite … he prays, “Lord, let’s read this together.”’ And that’s what I do now. When I looked at the first page of Showtrial, I said, “Right, Lord, let’s do this together. You’re going to direct and guide me.” And I felt really excited.’

BBC/WORLD PRODUCTIONS

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ACTOR Josh Brolin has thanked God in a social media post celebrating his eight years of sobriety.

The Mirror said that Brolin, who stars in the new film Dune, checked into a rehab centre in 2013 ‘after reports of a pub fight and a row with a cabbie’.

In a new Instagram post, Brolin wrote: ‘Sobriety is finally loving without every thought being about how it affects only you.’

He ended the post by saying: ‘Thank you God, family and friends.’

Late last year, Brolin and his wife, Kathryn, named their daughter Chapel Grace and, in a post announcing her birth, he wrote: ‘Everywhere we have travelled the one place Kathryn and I always found a great solace in were chapels. Not being particularly religious, but a God feeling heavily inundating our lives, chapels have always been sanctuaries where we felt most connectedly free to give thanks.’

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THIRTY million Bibles were distributed worldwide last year

by Bible Societies, according to the latest figures. Although the distribution of Bibles declined by 37 per cent – probably as a result of coronavirus restrictions – online downloads increased by 113 per cent.

JOHN SWANNELL

Palin backs churches IN a video message recorded for the launch of a manifesto by the National Churches Trust, Michael Palin highlighted the essential role that churches play in communities.

Designed to generate discussion about why these places of worship should be preserved and how they can diversify income, The Future of the UK’s Church Buildings highlights the social, economic and cultural benefits they bring.

The manifesto uses the findings of the Treasury to conclude that the total yearly social value of churches is £55.7 billion.

The figure is twice as much as local authorities spend on adult social care, with a return of more than £16 per £1 spent.

The Future of the UK’s Church Buildings also includes examples of the benefits that churches bring to a community. It says that they provide not only a place of worship, but also a hub for food banks and youth clubs, as well as attracting tourism and serving as music venues. VisitBritain statistics show that more than a fifth (21 per cent) of overseas visitors go to a religious building in the UK, and the Making Music organisation says that up to 58 per cent of all amateur performances take place in churches.

In the video message played at the online launch, comedy actor and globetrotter Michael said: ‘Churches remain a vital and much-loved part of the UK’s history and heritage, and we can’t let them fall into neglect and disuse. There is hope.

More and more churches are adapting to the modern world and the needs of their communities.’

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Celebration promotes the value of spreading positivity Report by Sarah Olowofoyeku

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INDNESS has looked a bit different at times over the past year and a half. Instead of hugging friends, we have been keeping our distance to show that we care. Rather than helping someone carry their shopping, we have been sanitising our hands before browsing supermarket shelves. Today (Saturday 13 November) on Kindness Day UK, all forms of thoughtfulness are being celebrated.

The organisation Kindness UK encourages people to be kind every day, but on Kindness Day it aims to increase the number of positive acts performed nationwide. Individuals or organisations can pledge to do something caring.

Kindness UK suggests sending a text to wish a friend well, giving blood or writing a thank-you letter. There are longer-term suggestions too, such as joining a community group to get to know neighbours, planting a tree or adopting a rescue animal.

Terence from Manchester has made a pledge to ‘keep smiling at everyone’, while Sonya from Devon has said that she would give £30 to a young woman she knows who needed her car fixed.

Whatever a person pledges, each caring act can make a difference to someone else. And in a Channel 5 interview earlier this year, Kindness Day founder David Jamilly said: ‘It’s not just the person who the kindness is shown to that benefits, it is the person who does the kindness, and then it spreads a huge ripple effect.’

Being shown kindness – especially when it hasn’t been earned – can be a motivation to share it with others.

Bible writer Paul encouraged such a reaction among his fellow Christians, pointing out the ultimate kindness which God had revealed through Jesus, and which forgave them for the times they had not been caring. He wrote: ‘Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you’ (Ephesians 4:32 New International Version).

If we sign up to that train of thought, it can not only create a ripple effect of kindness among us today, but it can also allow us to know that God’s forgiveness is always available for the times when we have been unkind – which is kind of a big deal.

Each caring act can make a difference

13 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 5

SUPPRESSING EMOTIONS IS A CRYING SHAME In her days as a counsellor, JEANNIE KENDALL noticed that clients would feel a need to say sorry when they cried. She wants people to be more comfortable with their tears Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

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Jeannie Kendall

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FTER falling over as a child or breaking up with someone as an adult, we may well have heard the words: ‘Don’t cry.’ But retired counsellor Jeannie Kendall says that we should let the tears flow.

‘On the very simplest level, tears, in their chemical make-up, are a stress buster,’ she says. ‘But they are also a way we give ourselves permission to say that our feelings matter and that they are OK. Many of us feel ashamed of our tears, which is tragic.

‘Some people find it difficult to let tears emerge. For all sorts of reasons – maybe upbringing or culture – we are not comfortable, so we sit on emotions. But the more comfortable we can become with our emotions, the more rounded human beings we will be.’

Jeannie recalls that, in her experience as a counsellor, many of her clients would apologise when they cried. She noticed that people were uncomfortable with their tears, which is one reason she wrote a book, Held in Your Bottle.

Through stories, she explains some causes of crying.

‘There’s anger, regret, pain, fear, loss,’ Jeannie tells me. ‘But also gratitude and empathy.’

In the book, she intersperses modernday stories of various emotions that trigger tears with imaginative retellings of Bible stories, which she included, she says, because the Bible is ‘such a realistic book’. Her title even comes from a phrase in the Bible that describes God as keeping people’s tears in a bottle, showing that he notices them and cares for them.

‘There’s a wholesomeness about the way the Bible is written, because all the emotions are there – fear, anger, stress, lament,’ she says. ‘And to me, God is the safest place to bring all those feelings.

‘Some of the most profound moments I’ve had in my friendship with God have

Many of us feel ashamed of our tears

been when I’ve been severely angry or heartbroken and I’ve been able to pour that out. The Book of Psalms in the Bible gives us that possibility. The psalms are full of anger and tears. A lot of them turn to hope at the end, but they still need to go through the sadness or a similar emotion to get to the point where they say, “Yet still I put my hope in God.” A well-rounded faith has to have space for the reality of what we feel, otherwise we’re sticking a plaster over a haemorrhage.’

Jeannie hopes that her book will help people to identify their feelings.

‘As children, some of us were not given the vocabulary for the range of things that we felt. I find people don’t often recognise when they’re angry, for example. So the book lets people see those different emotions and to understand what they look like and the complexity of them.’

Jeannie recognises that she too had to discover, process and become

comfortable with her own emotions.

‘I grew up with parents who, in different ways, struggled with their emotions,’ she says. ‘My mother didn’t overtly express them, and my father had strong emotions that he didn’t always know what to do with. I haven’t always had a happy relationship with my own tears, but I’m learning to be comfortable with them.

‘A writer I greatly respect, Brené Brown, encourages us to view any emotion that we experience with curiosity, and I try to do that. My faith has also helped me, because I’ve discovered that even in the muddle of how I try to express things, God accepts that and sits with me like a loving parent, knowing where I’m at and saying that it’s OK, because he loves me.

‘He takes all the mess and muddle of my emotional life and somehow makes it beautiful. It’s like a stained-glass window.

There might be all sorts of broken pieces, and it might look like it doesn’t

People don’t often recognise when they’re angry

really match, but with God’s light shining through, it can be something lovely.’

As well as the knowledge of God’s love, the humanity of Jesus has helped her to come to terms with her own emotions.

‘Jesus came to be like us, and he really gets it. He was able to express his emotions freely, because he wasn’t constrained by all the things that we are.

There’s no emotion we experience that he hasn’t experienced so, more than anybody else, he understands how we feel. And, whether or not we have a faith, if we can see Jesus in that light, it can open up a friendship with him.’

l Held in Your Bottle is published by Authentic Media

13 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 7

‘He curbed Churchill time and again’ Historian ANDREW SANGSTER recognises the achievements of Winston Churchill’s overlooked adviser, and sometimes greatest critic, Lord Alanbrooke Interview by Emily Bright

Andrew Sangster

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Field Marshal Montgomery, despite the direct impact Brooke had at the top of the British government.

‘Brooke curbed Churchill time and again from making the most outlandish decisions,’ says Andrew.

‘He is mostly unheard of.

Yet he was the only man who stood up to Churchill.’

Andrew is looking to set the record straight by highlighting the man’s achievements with his new book, Alan Brooke: Churchill’s Right-Hand Critic. He provides examples of when the interventions of the head of the armed forces had huge implications for the way in which the Allies fought the Second World War. Andrew explains to me how

US ARMY

TATUES of significant Second World War figures line the streets of London, including prime minister Winston Churchill, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and US general Dwight D Eisenhower. Among those commemorated is Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke. He was chief of the imperial general staff, making him Britain’s highest-ranking officer during the Second World War. Yet when historian and author Andrew Sangster surveyed a selection of popular history books, he was surprised to discover that Alan Brooke – who took the title Alanbrooke of Brookeborough when he became first a baron and then a viscount after the war – was mentioned only once.

That was in contrast to 36 mentions of

US generals Omar Bradley and George Marshall, who worked alongside Brooke 8 • WAR CRY • 13 November 2021

Brooke talked Churchill out of making some risky tactical decisions.

‘Churchill wanted to invade northern Norway part way through the war, which was an absolute nonsense encouraged by Stalin,’ he says. ‘Brooke persuaded him against it. Churchill later wanted to invade the island of Sumatra in the Pacific, which would have cost thousands of lives and resources, and again it was Brooke who stopped him.’

Brooke’s influence extended across the Atlantic, and he played an important role in advising US forces against unwise military ventures.

‘He stopped the Americans from invading Europe well before 1944, which would have been an absolute disaster, as the Americans themselves later acknowledged,’ Andrew says. ‘He told US generals Omar Bradley and Eisenhower: “You’ve got to fight the Germans first to see what they’re like.”

‘They duly did in north Africa and found the Germans much tougher than they’d expected. Bradley later wrote: “I shall be forever grateful to Alanbrooke for putting us off invading France too early.”

‘By the time the American, British and Canadian troops landed in France in 1944, they were already becoming battlehardened like the Germans. And that’s thanks to Brooke having the common sense to see you couldn’t take on the Germans too quickly. So he was a curb on mad ideas, not only from Churchill but the Americans as well.’

To learn more about the man, Andrew turned to Brooke’s personal diary and letters.

‘The diary was extremely revealing,’ he says, ‘because it was written only for himself and his wife, Benita. Therefore, it wasn’t all about strategy, but was also

Brooke’s diary reveals what he felt about people

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Brooke in his war office

Chiefs of staff on board SS ‘Queen Mary’

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DAVID HOLT

about what he felt about people like Montgomery, Eisenhower and especially Churchill.’

A forthright account of his encounters with military leadership, the diary details often terse exchanges between Brooke and Churchill.

Andrew explains: ‘They battled for some five or six years. Yet Churchill deliberately chose him because he was a strong man. Brooke became both Churchill’s burden and his bulwark.’

Having risen through the ranks and fought in combat himself, that burden and bulwark was well placed to advise the prime minister.

Alan Brooke was an Ulsterman, brought up in a semi-aristocratic Irish family. He served in India and then in the

Brooke’s statue in Whitehall 13 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 9

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From page 9 First World War on the Western Front. He became adjutant to the commander of the Royal Artillery and played an important role in the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Between the two world wars, he attended the Imperial Defence College, where he studied artillery, tanks, aircraft and the nature of war.

Rising to the rank of lieutenantgeneral in 1938, he was later appointed commander of II Corps and then shipped off to what became known as the Battle of France, when the Germans invaded the country at the start of the Second World War. Their offensive drove the British Expeditionary Force, as well as French and Belgian troops, back to the port of Dunkirk. More than 338,000 soldiers were later rescued by naval vessels and small boats between 26 May and 4 June 1940, and Brooke played a pivotal part, closing the gap behind the lines to stop the Germans catching up with the retreating troops.

‘It was actually Brooke who helped Dunkirk succeed,’ remarks Andrew. ‘Very few people know that. Had it not been for his actions, Dunkirk may have not been so successful. Yet it’s rarely acknowledged in the history books.’

After Dunkirk, he was ordered to leave his regiments and lead a redoubt

Brooke (right) and Churchill on HMS ‘Kelvin’ off Normandy

in Brittany. This decision, as Andrew explains, did not go down well.

‘Brooke fell out in a very bad way with Churchill, telling him that he would be wasting men’s lives. Though he was only a commander of a small army in France, he stood his ground until Churchill agreed that another retreat across the Channel was needed. Consequently more men were rescued and brought home, which enabled the defence of our own country.’

Rather than Brooke being ousted for his impertinence, Andrew says that ‘Churchill decided that he needed men like that around him. He didn’t want yes men, but those who would contest with him. He certainly picked the right one in Brooke.’

Brooke quickly scaled the ladder of British military leadership as Churchill saw his potential. He played an essential role in fortifying Britain’s coastal defences against invasion.

‘Churchill put him in charge of what is called Southern Command defence,’

Brooke fell out in a very bad way with Churchill

10 • WAR CRY • 13 November 2021

continues Andrew. ‘In other words, he had to protect the southern coast of England from attack, which was the critical area of defence against Germany’s planned invasion of Britain, Operation Sealion.

‘A few months later, Churchill not only gave him the defence of the Southern Command, but the whole of the country.

In one month, Brooke travelled something like 14,000 miles, making sure that the UK’s defence measures were up to standard as much as possible. He did that right up until about 1941.’

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rooke was later appointed chief of the imperial general staff, which meant he was chief adviser to the armed forces and Churchill throughout the rest of the war. As a result, he met some of the most powerful men in the world, including Stalin and Roosevelt, attending the Allies’ conferences such as Yalta and Potsdam in 1945, which would determine the future of postwar Germany.

The military man established himself as a straight-talker, which both endeared him

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Chiefs of staff with Churchill in 1943 to and alienated him from others.

‘He was outspoken and at times was considered rude,’ says Andrew.

‘The Americans loved and hated him for that reason. They loved his strength of personality, advice and military knowledge, but they were sometimes a bit worried about the way he put things.’

But Andrew emphasises that, beyond his tough military exterior, Brooke was a kind man who sought to live out his Christian faith.

‘He had what I would call Christian compassion. He could be ruthless when he had to be, but he was never personally hostile to anyone. He was a good friend to many people.

‘He was a family man. His first wife was tragically killed in a car accident, and then he was married to Benita. He had two children by his first wife and two by his second, and there is no question that he loved his four children and was a good father to them.’

He had other positive character traits too and enjoyed the lighter side of life.

‘Brooke had a tremendous sense of humour. After the Second World War, he was given many honours, and one of his friends pulled his leg about it. So he took out a bayonet, which he kept for poking

fires, made him kneel and dubbed him “Sir Knight Jealousy”.’

The faith that Alan and his wife shared was significant in shaping the field marshal’s decisions and his perspective on life.

‘He had a very close relationship with Benita, who had encouraged him deeper into the Christian faith,’ says Andrew.

‘Brooke would take away with him a list of Scripture readings, so that he and his wife would be reading the same passages on the same day.

‘And all the time he was in France, he would visit the churches and cathedrals, and comment on how good the singing was and on the quality of the sermons.’

Andrew was also struck by how often, throughout his diary, Brooke would refer to his faith and prayer.

‘He was constantly referring to God, sending up what I would call “arrow prayers” – short spontaneous prayers. He would be asking God: “Give me strength and insight into what is going on. Help me out here.” One example was when Churchill had asked him: “Would you be the chief of the imperial general staff?”

That is the top military man in the whole empire. And Brooke describes how, as

Every three or four pages in his diaries, God pops up

soon as Churchill left the room, he fell to his knees beside his bed and prayed for 20 minutes or so. Churchill wandered back in, looking for an answer, only to find him on his knees at his bedside.’

As well as being a published historian of some 15 books, Andrew is an ordained priest. He says that when he reads histories of the 20th century, he ‘sometimes pauses when coming across people who have taken their faith in a genuine fashion’, and counts Alan Brooke among those individuals.

While Andrew emphasises that Alan Brooke: Churchill’s Right-Hand Critic is not about the man’s Christian life, he adds that he has ‘made sure the reader knows he was a Christian, because on every three or four pages in his diaries, God pops up. Brooke would always look for God’s hand, not in the mess, but in how to cure it. He had an unshakeable faith in God.’ l Alan Brooke: Churchill’s Right-Hand Critic is published

by Casemate

13 November 2021 • 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.

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

talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK Online or offline, bullying can be devastating

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

I’VE been gripped by Impeachment: American Crime Story on BBC Two. Based on real-life events of the 1990s, the drama series focuses on the relationship that developed between US president Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, a young woman completing an internship at the White House.

Every week, as I watch the story unfold, I end up googling certain characters or events. I’ve been particularly fascinated by the programme’s focus on Monica (played by Beanie Feldstein). I can remember the intense public criticism that the real-life Monica faced when her affair with the president made global headlines, so I’m not surprised to learn that today she works as an anti-bullying campaigner.

I decided to watch her TED talk, in which she addresses the growing problem of cyberbullying and its devastating consequences.

‘Every day online, people … are so abused and humiliated that they can’t imagine living to the next day – and some tragically There is still don’t,’ she says. Reflecting on her own experiences and the experiences of others, Monica stresses that the a need for ‘bloodsport’ of public shaming has to stop. Instead of compassion criticising people, the online world needs to show more compassion and empathy.

‘Online we’ve got a compassion deficit and empathy crisis,’ she says. ‘I’ve seen some very dark days in my life, and it was the compassion and empathy from my family, friends, professionals and sometimes even strangers that saved me. Even empathy from one person can make a difference.’

Though Monica gave her TED talk some years ago, it remains relevant. There is still a need for compassion and kindness. Next Monday (15 November) is the start of Anti-Bullying Week, which focuses on the online and face-to-face experiences of children and young people. The week’s theme this year is One Kind Word. One kind word, say the organisers, can provide a moment of hope.

It can change a person’s perspective. It can mark a turning point in their life.

One person, says Monica. One kind word, says Anti-Bullying Week. If we want to make a difference for good the world over, we should never underestimate the power that every one of us has.

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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 • 13 November 2021

BOOK REVIEW A Curate’s Promise Margaret Harkness Shield Books

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QUICK QUIZ 1

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Which Star Trek actor has become the oldest person to fly in space?

Which UK politician was the president of the Cop26 climate change conference in Glasgow?

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5

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Which indie rock band had a Top 10 hit in 2009 with their single ‘You’ve Got the Love’?

Which Manchester United footballer recently published You Are a Champion, a children’s advice book?

The computing term ‘app’ is short for which word?

In which ocean are the Turks and Caicos Islands?

ANSWERS

SET in 1917, A Curate’s Promise is a novel inspired by The Salvation Army’s work during the First World War. It was initially published in 1921 by journalist and social activist Margaret Harkness, and a new edition has been released by the church and charity to mark the book’s centenary.

The story centres on curate Benjamin Digby, who is frustrated at being exempt from conscription because he is a member of the clergy.

While so many of his generation head off to war, Benjamin longs to contribute to society in his own way. An idea of how he could do this comes when he receives a letter from his brother, Lionel, who is fighting in the trenches on the Western Front.

In the letter, Lionel sings the praises of The Salvation Army for its support of British soldiers, and he gives Benjamin a blank cheque to fill out on his behalf. Intrigued by his brother’s liberal act of charity, Benjamin decides to see the work of The Salvation Army for himself. After writing to the organisation, he is taken under the wing of Brigadier Overton, who takes him on a tour that will transform his life.

The novel offers a fascinating insight into the wartime work of The Salvation Army, which included supplying food and emergency accommodation, rescuing people from rubble after bombing raids, ministering to conscientious objectors and providing employment and skills training to help people rebuild their lives.

Littered with words of wisdom and explanations of the ethos of the charity’s founders, A Curate’s Promise provides a glimpse into the attitudes and actions of The Salvation Army in the early 20th century.

While providing a snapshot of history through a literary lens, many of the themes are strikingly familiar and continue to shape The Salvation Army today – its compassion towards the most vulnerable, its willingness to go above and beyond to help people in practical ways and, ultimately, its desire to see more people know the love of God.

The novel offers an insight into the wartime work of The Salvation Army

Emily Bright

1. William Shatner. 2. Alok Sharma.

3. Florence and the Machine. 4. Marcus Rashford.

5. Application. 6. The Atlantic.

13 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 13

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 3. Strike (3) 7. Cake (6) 8. Sell (6) 9. Self-assurance (6) 10. Perfect society (6) 11. Tree trunk (3) 12. Erase (6) 14. Scottish dish (6) 17. Motor (6) 21. Lethargy (6) 24. Craze (3) 25. Faith (6) 26. Ravenous (6) 27. Bank cashier (6) 28. Truly (6) 29. Extremity (3) DOWN 1. Specimen (6) 2. Previously (6) 3. Meek (6) 4. Water container (6) 5. Physically powerful (6) 6. Two-piece bathing suit (6) 12. Stain (3) 13. Yellowish brown (3) 15. Electrical unit (3) 16. Wily (3)

SUDOKU

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

2 6 3 9

3 5 9 2 9 4 5 6 2 1

7

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

WORDSEARCH

18. Required (6) 19. Hanging frozen water (6) 20. Exertion (6) 21. Stick (6) 22. Yearly (6) 23. Fence (6)

9 7 5 2 6 4 8 3 3 1 4 7 5 8 9 2 Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally 2 find 6 these 8 types 3 9of tree 1 4 5 on the grid to 8 3 9 5 7 6 2 1 B S D E A J R U H Z O Z 7 5 1 4 J 3E O S B S 2 6 9 L Q E B Z B G Z C W G E K I Y N O Z 6 4 2 1 8 9 5 7 S Q K Z Q V G T M H C S X R W T Q H J C A Q K C V Q Z W H M A R W E G 5 8 7 6 2E 3 1 4 N R O H T W A H D N A L D I M K F H 1 9 3 8 4 5 7 6 R Z H T D O L P D R P V P H T M C C V Q S C S Q F G S O C W V E R D J R 4 2 6 9 1 7 3 8

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

W Z I O P P F P P H G F P E U K J I A Q L M I W I K Q T W W P L V R Z B C R G M N V C N M K H I O Z G L Z R Q Z N O D A F N E C N H A O D S R E K Q E N L M W Q T U Q V O P D Q R V V X K B E C V O J B M Z J L V E P L F V Z E M I B Y R R E H C D L I W I C T Y E M F T H S E P Y S Z B Y Q S F N H C Z X Q M Z D M R J L Q T O Z W H W H I T E W I L L O W U I O O S H F Q Z Q T R G A A F Q I E T U U Q

1. Floor covering 2. Domesticated polecat 3. Female parent 4. Patriotic song 5. Proposal in parliament 6. Lower leg bone

ANSWERS 9 3 2 8 7 6 5 1 4

7 1 6 3 5 4 8 9 2

5 4 8 9 1 2 7 3 6

8 7 9 3 2

2 7 3 5 4 1 6 8 9

6 5 9 7 3 8 2 4 1

4 8 1 6 2 9 3 5 7

8 9 4 2 6 5 1 7 3

3 2 5 1 9 7 4 6 8

7 2 4

1 6 7 4 8 3 9 2 5

HONEYCOMB 1. Carpet. 2. Ferret. 3. Mother. 4. Anthem.

5. Motion. 6. Fibula.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 3. Hit. 7. Gateau. 8. Retail. 9. Aplomb. 10. Utopia.

11. Log. 12. Delete. 14. Haggis. 17. Engine. 21. Apathy.

24. Fad. 25. Belief. 26. Hungry. 27. Teller. 28. Really. 29. Toe. DOWN: 1. Sample. 2. Before. 3. Humble. 4. Trough. 5. Strong.

6. Bikini. 12. Dye. 13. Tan. 15. Amp. 16. Sly. 18. Needed.

19. Icicle. 20. Effort. 21. Adhere. 22. Annual. 23. Hurdle.

14 • WAR CRY • 13 November 2021

ALDER BUCKTHORN

MIDLAND HAWTHORN

BLACK POPLAR

ROWAN

COMMON BEECH

SCOTS PINE

DOGWOOD

SILVER BIRCH

ENGLISH OAK

SPINDLE

HOLLY

WHITE WILLOW

JUNIPER

WILD CHERRY

1 6 7 4 8 3 9 2 5

4

Chicken jalfrezi Ingredients 30ml rapeseed oil 700g boneless chicken, cut into cubes 1tsp cumin seeds 1tsp turmeric powder 1tsp red chilli powder 3 medium onions, chopped 400g can chopped tomatoes 20g fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin pieces 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 peppers, any colour, chopped 1½ tsp ground coriander 1tsp garam masala 4 green chillies, sliced 250ml water Coriander, freshly chopped, to garnish Cooked rice, to serve 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

Method Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over a high heat and cook the chicken pieces for 2 minutes. Add the cumin, turmeric and chilli powder and mix well. Fry on a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the chicken is lightly cooked.

Remove the chicken and set aside, leaving the oil and juices in the pan. Add the onions and fry on a medium heat for 7 minutes, until soft and slightly golden.

Meanwhile, whizz the tomatoes in a blender or mash well using the back of a fork.

Add the ginger, garlic and peppers to the pan with the onions and cook for 2 minutes, then add the blended tomatoes and mix well. Cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the ground coriander and garam masala and cook for a further minute.

Return the chicken pieces to the pan, stir well to coat in the mixture and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Mix in the green chillies and fry on a medium heat for another 2 minutes. Pour the water into the pan. Stir, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Once the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat. Garnish with the chopped coriander, then serve with the rice and a wedge of lemon.

SERVES

4

Panjabi dhal Ingredients

Method

50g red split lentils, washed and drained

Soak the lentils in cold water for 3-4 hours before cooking.

170g split mung dhal, washed and drained

Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a large pot. Simmer on a low heat for 25-30 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then top with the coriander, to serve.

1.5l water 1 large onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 4 green chillies, finely chopped 30ml rapeseed oil 1½ tsp turmeric powder 1tsp cumin seeds Coriander, freshly chopped, to serve

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Public Vegetarian Health Society England website website vegsoc.org nhs.uk/change4life

SERVES

4

13 November 2021 • WAR CRY • 15

The God I love is the same God no matter where I am Jacinta Read

WAR CRY