War Cry 15 February 2020

15 February 2020 20p/25c

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY JANE AUSTEN’S EMMA BACK ON THE BIG SCREEN

’Cause we’re going to…

THE PLACE THAT’S FOREVER LINKED WITH A BEATLES HIT HAS OPENED ITS GATES

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

IMAGINE how kind a school pupil would think their teacher was if they were given a whole month off from homework. Then imagine their reaction if they were told that, instead of completing homework, they had to carry out random acts of kindness.

That was the task assigned to the pupils of a Cork primary school at the end of last year. The schoolchildren spent their time doing things such as tidying their rooms, loading dishwashers and writing thank-you notes to those who cared for them.

Monday (17 February) is Random Acts of Kindness Day, when we are encouraged, whatever our age, to be kind to other people. War Cry journalist Claire Brine took up the challenge a few days ago and writes about her experiences in this week’s issue. In her article, Claire describes her nervousness about how people would respond to a complete stranger complimenting them or offering them a seat on a busy train.

Claire’s experience was that everybody she was kind to appreciated it. It brightened their day. In turn, being deliberately kind to others had a positive effect on Claire’s mood.

Sometimes when people talk about being kind or helping others, they say they are ‘going the extra mile’, meaning that they are doing more than is expected.

That phrase comes from the teachings of Jesus, as recorded in the Bible. In Matthew 5:41, Jesus tells his followers that if they have to walk a mile with someone, even when they do not want to, they should literally go an extra mile and walk two.

Jesus also says that if someone demands that one of his followers give them their shirt, they should hand over their coat as well.

Jesus encouraged his followers to do more than what was expected of them in their interactions with other people.

As Random Acts of Kindness Day approaches, we could all do with taking such encouragement on board.

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 7461

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

FEATURES 3

A hitch in the works Life gets complicated for matchmaker Emma

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The judges’ decisions Who’s found favour in awards season?

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Kind regards A look at Random Acts of Kindness Day

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The long and winding road… …leads many to Strawberry Field

REGULARS

Your local Salvation Army centre

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News and media

12

Browsing the Bible

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Faces of Faith

14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page pictures: Shutterstock; PA

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FILM © Universal Pictures

RING F TRUTH Emma’s expectations don’t marry up with reality, writes Emily Bright

LIDING gracefully through the G greenhouse on her estate, the rich, smart and beautiful Emma

Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) carefully selects the finest flowers for her friend’s wedding day.

The opening scenes in the latest film version of Emma, which opened in cinemas yesterday (14 February), show Jane Austen’s heroine as being delighted by the marriage, believing that it stems solely from her matchmaking endeavours.

Bored by her sheltered existence, she embarks on her next matchmaking project. Emma is set against marriage for herself, so she turns to her friend Harriet Smith (Mia Goth), a girl of lower social status. She seeks to gentrify Harriet into a lady and marry her off to a suitable man.

When a humble farmer proposes to Harriet, Emma is horrified. She encourages Harriet to reject him, and redoubles her efforts.

But when Emma does find a suitor for Harriet, he becomes besotted with her instead. She, however, misunderstands his intentions, thinking that he is courting her friend. Emma’s misjudgment of the situation means she leaves one man heartbroken.

Her childhood friend Mr Knightley (Johnny Flynn) chides her cavalier attitude to matchmaking and the havoc she creates. She is hurt by his criticism, but is soon distracted by the arrival of Mr Churchill (Callum Turner), an attractive, charming and flirtatious gentleman. But all is not as it seems, and her judgment is called into question once again.

For all her self-professed skills at bringing couples together, Emma remains confused about who loves who. Her life is further complicated by the revelation that she is falling

Emma, with Mr Churchill (left) and Mr Knightley

for someone who has been hiding in plain sight.

Readers throughout the generations have been enthralled by the highs and lows of Emma and other novels written by Jane Austen.

It can be so easy to lose our way But often, our reality is stranger than fiction as we seek to navigate the flawed world in which we live.

We aspire to create a perfect life for ourselves, perhaps by seeking out the ideal relationship, financial security or the love and admiration of others.

However, sometimes, no matter how hard we try to do right, our actions can backfire or we make miscalculations about situations or individuals. Whether through failed financial investments, broken

relationships or addictions that we develop as a coping mechanism, it’s so easy for us to lose our way.

In a world of uncertainty, it can be difficult to judge who and what we should trust.

Many people throughout the centuries have turned to God in their uncertainty. Christians believe that only God can be totally relied on. In the Bible, Jesus says that by putting our trust in him and following his teachings, ‘you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:32 New International Version).

The truth that Jesus gives is that we can have a life-changing relationship with God through him. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can now all access God’s offer of eternal love, which provides clarity, meaning, peace and hope in our lives.

All we have to do is accept God’s proposal that we turn to him.

15 February 2020 • WAR CRY • 3

NEWS AND MEDIA

Potter kirk celebrates anniversary

Shutterstock.com

A CHURCH graveyard that inspired the names of characters in the Harry Potter books is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year, the BBC website reported.

JK Rowling wrote part of the novels in the Elephant House café around the corner from Greyfriars Kirk in Edinburgh (right). While there, she derived some of the characters’ names from the church’s gravestones.

Fans of the Harry Potter books and films now visit the kirk to see the grave of Thomas Riddell, whose name inspired the villainous Tom Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort.

William McGonagall, a Scottish poet, is buried in the same graveyard.

JK Rowling used his name for Professor Minerva McGonagall, who was the head of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts School.

Characters Alastor ‘Mad Eye’ Moody and Rufus Scrimgeour are also said to have derived their names from the same place.

In addition, the kirkyard is thought to have inspired the resting place of Harry’s parents in Godric’s Hollow.

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UK FOREIGN policy will prioritise ending persecution of Christians overseas, civil servants and diplomats have been told.

The Sunday Express reported that a training programme will be introduced to make officials aware of the threats facing Christians across the globe, after the issue was debated by MPs earlier this month.

Sir Desmond Swayne, a Conservative campaigner for religious liberty, said: ‘This is all part of global Britain. This is us now reaching out with our soft power, using our diplomacy to defend religious freedom.’

A PRISON chaplain who retired after n 11 years of service was praised for the support he gave to ‘prisoners and staff alike’.

Colin Nicholls, a member of The Salvation Army, worked as part of the chaplaincy team at HMP Woodhill. Colleague chaplain Imam Shehzad Hussain highlighted Colin’s work with bereaved prisoners, adding: ‘He is known for his calm, friendly and wise interactions.’

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Corrie star’s marathon effort for charity A STAR of Coronation Street who featured in a modern slavery storyline supported by The Salvation Army is running the London Marathon to raise funds for the church and charity, the Daily Star Sunday reported.

Last year, Ruxandra Porojnicu played the role of eastern European Alina Pop, who was trafficked and forced to work in a nail bar. The Salvation Army provided advice on the plot, which helped to raise awareness about the reality of modern slavery in the UK. Ruxandra told the Sunday paper: ‘I had no idea what The Salvation Army do to help people like Alina until I worked on this storyline and that’s why I want to help by running the marathon.’

In an interview with the War Cry last year, the actress explained the impact her storyline had made on the show’s fans.

‘When I was reading the feedback from Coronation Street, viewers said they were amazed that it could be happening next to them and they wouldn’t know,’ she said. ‘But people said at least now they knew how to spot a victim and they were glad that there was a number to call.’

She praised the work of the church and charity, adding: ‘The Salvation Army does so much to get people on the right path.’

EYES ON THE PRIZE

PLAYERS from Premiership n rugby club Wasps have opened a gym in a hostel for

people experiencing homelessness.

Wasps players Tom Willis and Owain James met with residents at the Gateway in Coventry. The hostel is owned and managed by social housing provider Citizen, and The Salvation Army provides practical and emotional support to its 60 residents.

The players offered advice on how the residents could maximise their use of the gym, which includes a treadmill, exercise bike, two rowing machines and strength training equipment.

Tom said: ‘This is a great idea by the hostel to introduce the gym, as exercise can really help to boost mood and motivation – which are two key ingredients for anyone trying to overcome any form of adversity.’

Sarah Olowofoyeku sees the best in the entertainment industry being judged for their performances

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Everything celebrities do is under scrutiny

ITV

by Joaquin Phoenix in a poignant acceptance speech for his best actor award at the Baftas.

High-profile ceremonies put a spotlight on the stars’ private lives too. Before the Los Angeles Times celebrated Brad Pitt’s ‘charming’ acceptance speeches, a photo of the actor and his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston smiling together at the Screen Actors Guild awards had gone viral. On Twitter some fans were happy to see them together, although others brought up Brad’s past mistakes.

In public or private, celebrities are often held to a high standard. Everything they do is under scrutiny, particularly their performances in their chosen fields.

Whether we are in the limelight or not, we may be able to relate to the pressure to perform well in life. If we fail to act in certain ways, we can risk being rejected by the people around us.

Many people, however, have learnt that even when they perform at their worst, God will never overlook them. Although he wants us all to live in a way that is good for us and others, there is nothing we can do that takes us beyond God’s forgiveness.

One of Jesus’ followers put it like this: ‘God saved you by his grace when you believed … it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done’ (Ephesians 2:8 and 9 New Living Translation).

If we are sorry for the things we do that are wrong and put our trust in God, we can discover his acceptance and his love for us – no matter how we have acted.

PA

GAVIN DICKSON

FFERING head-turning fashions on the red carpet and the occasional unforeseen win, such as Parasite winning best picture at the Oscars, awards season entertains millions of TV viewers and magazine readers each year.

Since January, industry professionals from big stars to behind-the-scenes make-up artists have been gathering to celebrate their peers.

The run ends with the Brit awards, which will be broadcast on ITV on Tuesday (18 February).

Throughout the season, media outlets have been applauding the outfits of the best-dressed celebrities or lamenting the continued lack of diversity in the talent that is recognised. That issue was also addressed

Wasps players Owain James (lef t) and Tom Willis with a hostel res ident

Ruxandra Porojnicu in ‘Coronation Street’

FEATURE

Brad Pitt with his Screen Actors Guild award for outstanding performance in a supporting role

15 February 2020 • WAR CRY • 5

That’s ‘R

ANDOM Acts of Kindness Day is coming up on 17 February,’ said a colleague in the War Cry office. ‘Maybe we should write something about it.’ Around the room, I could sense the cogs turning. My colleagues were trying to work out how we could feature the day without just saying: ‘It’s Random Acts of Kindness Day – now go and do something kind.’

Before I knew exactly where my thoughts were heading, I piped up: ‘Maybe one of us could go around carrying out random good deeds and write about the experience.’

That someone ends up being me. But why not? I can be kind. Friends tell me I can certainly be random.

This should be a doddle.

That night, on leaving the office, I decide to start my assignment early by paying some compliments. I tell a colleague I like his new beard. I remark to another that his jokes are funny – and then I dash to the train station.

As I walk along, I’m looking for opportunities to be kind. I’m secretly hoping that someone will drop their wallet, so I can swoop in to pick it up and return it with a smile. I’m almost disappointed when no such incident occurs.

Never mind. On the train I spy my first chance for some random kindness. I see a woman and I think to myself that she is wearing a lovely coat. Aha! I don’t have just to think this – I can go over and tell her. So I do. She beams at my compliment and thanks me, and then we go our separate ways. It was a short and sweet exchange, but I enjoy feeling that I’ve made someone happy.

As my journey continues and I hop on another train, I’m faced with my first random-actof-kindness dilemma. I have a seat.

A woman near me

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FEATURE

a bit random!

Claire Brine takes up the kindness challenge is standing. In my quest to be kind, I’m about to offer her my seat, but just before I open my mouth, I panic. What if she thinks she looks elderly or pregnant when she’s neither? I don’t want to offend her – because that wouldn’t be very kind. I start to feel that maybe this ‘random acts of kindness’ malarkey is trickier than I first thought.

As the days go on and I throw myself into looking for ways to be kind, I realise what a lovely thing it is. And perhaps I haven’t been doing it enough. Yes, I reason with myself, perhaps I do some kind things every day without thinking, such as saying good morning to a passer-by in the street, or holding a door open for someone with heavy shopping bags. But I haven’t been seeking out opportunities. And if the small kindnesses I am showing to others are pretty effortless, maybe I need to up the stakes a bit and commit some bigger, more considered acts of kindness.

So, what next? Thinking hard, I head to the supermarket in need of chocolate.

I buy three bars for £1.20, encouraged by the special offer and decide to give two away. I spot a couple of members of staff at empty tills and make my approach. They look serious. Perhaps they think I’m about to make a complaint.

But as soon as I offer them free chocolate, the frowns disappear and they cannot thank me enough. ‘This makes Friday a little bit better,’ says one.

Once I’m outside, I feel great.

My random act of kindness was gratefully accepted. Sure it wasn’t a life-changing good deed, but it brightened up someone’s shift.

And it was so easy to do. A saying comes to my mind: ‘Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.’

On my way home, I go to a coffee shop and leave some money with the owner, asking him to buy the next customer a coffee on me.

This approach is different. I want to be generous without feeling the need to be thanked. I want to be kind just because it’s the right thing to do.

As I’m throwing myself into this assignment, I find that the more kind things I do, the more kind things I want to do. So I write a card to my daughter’s nursery worker, thanking her for the way she cares for my little girl. I spot some litter on my street and take it to a bin.

What’s more, I start noticing kindness everywhere I look. And it’s not always in the grand, newsworthy gestures.

It’s the woman who holds her friend’s hand in the hospital waiting room. The driver who doesn’t honk his horn angrily when a learner makes a mistake. The child who shares their toy with another who is crying.

Such acts are uplifting – and too often unnoticed.

Before I know it, my article deadline is looming and my allocated time to carry out random acts of kindness is coming to a close. But I’m not ready to say goodbye to the positive perspective it has given me.

So I’m going to carry on with my acts of kindness on Monday and beyond – I’d recommend it.

As soon as I offer them free chocolate, the frowns disappear

15 February 2020 • WAR CRY • 7

Fab for every Last year, Strawberry Field – the childhood haunt of John Lennon that inspired a Beatles hit – reopened with a new visitor centre and an employment training programme for young people. Philip Halcrow travelled to Liverpool to find out how the Salvation Army site is serving people from near and far

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fans and to provide training for young people who face barriers to employment. And on this weekend in January, the first group of trainees on its Steps to Work programme are graduating.

The original Victorian house was replaced by new accommodation in the early 1970s. In 2005, as ideas about how best to care for children changed, Strawberry Field was closed. But last September it reopened and is becoming a destination for people from around the world and closer to home.

‘After it closed,’ says Kathy, who was appointed mission director for Strawberry Field in 2018, ‘The Salvation Army wanted to know how best to use the site to serve the people of Liverpool.

‘There was a lot of prayer, and The Salvation Army carried out research which revealed that there are something like a million people in this country with a learning disability and that about half would love to have work but only 7 per cent are in paid work. The research also found that 31 per cent have no contact

Turn to page 10

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Strawberry Field ‘as John would have seen it’ and the new centre

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PA

PHILIP HALCROW

HEN John Lennon was younger, so much younger than he was when the Beatles released ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ in 1967, he would play with his friends and attend the summer fêtes that took place here. Today, rubbing her hands against the cold as we walk through the gardens of Strawberry Field, Liverpool L25, Major Kathy Versfeld stops to show me a see-through display panel that superimposes the image of a grand old house on to the real-life modern landscape behind it.

‘This,’ she says, ‘is where you get to see the place as John would have seen it, had he come up from the back wall – this would have been his view of the house and the steps.’

At Strawberry Field – the place that helped to inspire the Beatles’ hit – some things have gone, and some remain. The stones of the old site are still present in the steps and in the benches along the path. When the young John Lennon hung out in its grounds with his friends in the middle of the 20th century, the house was a Salvation Army children’s home. In 2020 The Salvation Army is using the site to welcome Beatles

FEATURE

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Paul, George, Ringo and John in 1967, the year they released ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’

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Major Kathy Versfeld

fearful that the person might not get on with others in the workplace. But when we put a trainee on a placement, our work coaches have meetings with the employer and the trainee, and those relationships become quite close.

‘Now we’re finding that some of the employers want trainees to come back for a second placement. They like the experience.’

Chris, one of the first Steps to Work graduates, speaks with enthusiasm about his

placements. Having studied performing arts and drama at college, he was happy that Strawberry Field found him placements at three Liverpool theatres.

‘In my first placement at the Unity Theatre, I was an usher, collecting tickets and showing people to their seats,’ he says. ‘I was there for three months, and then three months at the Hope Street Theatre.

‘Then I went to the Everyman Theatre. That was the biggest place to go, because it’s so well known. At first I worked as an usher, then on the café side of things and cleaned the tables and spoke to the customers, and then I worked at the box office, where they showed me how to make bookings.

‘I learnt a lot at the Everyman. The people there are really friendly – they don’t rush you or put unnecessary pressure on you.’

Chris enjoyed his theatre experience. The Everyman was so impressed by Chris that it offered him a position.

Other trainees talk to me about how much they have appreciated Steps to Work. Rumbi, who wants to work in a school or nursery, says that Strawberry Field ‘helped me with my confidence’. Mike, whose work placements helped him gain experience in catering, also talks about becoming more confident and adds: ‘I love coming here. I’ve enjoyed being able to see the work coaches and meet a load of nice people. It’s just somewhere to come and chill and relax.’

Strawberry Field has a track record of being a place where people love to be. As well as supporting young trainees, the new-look centre offers a welcome to Liverpudlians and the thousands of Beatles fans from around the world who turn up at its gates, fascinated to see the place that John Lennon sang about going to.

Kathy says: ‘Every year 60,000-plus people have been coming to the gates and looking in. The Salvation Army wanted the centre to become a place of refuge for them too.’

As well as the café, the centre includes an exhibition put together by Jerry Goldman, the former director of The Beatles Story, Liverpool’s permanent Fab Four-focused exhibition.

Equipped with an audio guide, visitors can go on tour through the space and learn about the history of Strawberry Field, the song that it inspired and The Salvation Army. In video clips

Chris

Rumbi

Steps to Work manager Alan Triggs

From page 8 with friends or family.

‘So by bringing young people with learning disabilities together for skills training, we’re not only meeting a need around employment, but we’re also addressing problems of isolation and loneliness. When they come here, there’s a sense of community.’

In the well-populated café at the new centre, Alan Triggs, manager of Steps to Work, describes how the training programme has begun to help these young people.

‘A lot of the time in their past, they have been told what they can’t do or what’s not possible,’ he says. ‘We focus on what they can do.’

The Steps to Work team help the trainees identify their interests and their strengths, and they find them work placements.

‘When we get to know the young people, we tend to find out early on what sector they want to work in,’ says Alan. ‘About two thirds of them already have an idea of what they’re good at, but some don’t really have a clue.

‘In Steps to Work the trainees go on three work placements, so if they’re unsure of what they want to do, they can try different sectors.

For example, they may go on a retail placement and find they don’t like it, so then we may get them to try childcare.’

Alan and his colleagues train the young people in money management, CVs and interview techniques. They also help them with some of the other challenges faced by people with learning difficulties.

‘Some of them are confident in travelling by public transport, but others may fear getting lost or what they could be faced with when they get on a bus. If they are on the autistic spectrum, a lot of our trainees won’t travel at peak times or when there are a lot of schoolchildren on the bus, because it’s very noisy and the situation is quite erratic. So we provide travel training – we give them a process they can follow to travel almost anywhere in the city region.

‘We look at different ways in which they can travel and the benefits of those. Then we have a day where we go to a hotel for lunch. We look at what time we need to be there to eat, how long it will take us to get there, what time we’ll need to leave, and we build in a bit of contingency time in case we miss a bus. We get the trainees to download an app and talk them 10 • WAR CRY • 15 February 2020

through using the technology to get to the hotel in time. It gives them the confidence to be able to travel.’

The Steps to Work team, says Alan, ‘don’t just deliver a trainee to a work placement and wave goodbye’. Instead, they regularly visit the trainee. They also support the employers.

‘In the past, employers in general have been apprehensive of taking on somebody with a learning difficulty, because they have been

I’ve enjoyed being able to see the work coaches and meet a load of nice people

FEATURE

An exhibition tells the story of the site and the song a former resident recalls life at the children’s home, and a teenage friend recalls knocking John sideways by introducing him to Little Richard’s single ‘Long Tall Sally’.

The audio guide also leads visitors outside and round the grounds, which are open to everyone with no need for them to pay.

Kathy says that one of Strawberry Field’s values is generosity.

‘Before we reopened, there were discussions about whether we should charge people to come into the gardens. No doubt many would have paid to come. But we decided that, although people have to pay for the exhibition, we wanted people to be able to access the garden and this space freely.

Mike

In the garden, Kathy points out quotations on plaques, designed to invite those wandering its long and winding paths to consider some of the subjects raised Julia Baird by ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, John Lennon’s other music and the Christian ministry of The Salvation Army.

Anyone wanting to explore further whether all you need is love or what kind of world is worth imagining can visit a prayer space or talk with Captain Louise Brown, who leads a Salvation Army ‘Fresh Expression’ – ‘a new way of being church’ – on site.

Kathy says: ‘There’s a real sense that God is at work here. Often people come up to me and their opening line is, “I’m not religious but…”

Then they tell me that they came to a prayer meeting here and felt that their prayer had been answered. Or they say that they came out into the gardens and just felt something amazing.’

Julia Baird sees connections between what Strawberry Field meant to her brother, John Lennon, and what it means to people today.

Julia, the honorary president of the Strawberry Field project, has seen the first trainees go through the Steps to Work programme and has come down to Strawberry Field this weekend to hand them their certificates.

‘We used to call this place “the orphanage”,

though it was not technically true,’ she tells me. ‘I do know – and even back then we did know – that in fact some of the children here had parents who were still alive but that it was enormously problematic for some families to be kept together in postwar Liverpool.

‘We know that John used to climb over the walls and watch the girls playing. It was blatantly a place of sanctuary for him – we know because he wrote the song.’

In late 1966, when the members of the Beatles went off to do their own projects before reconvening, John travelled to Spain to play Private Gripweed in Dick Lester’s surreal film How I Won the War. ‘When you’re filming, there’s a lot of hanging around,’ says Julia, ‘and while he was in Almeria, he wrote “Strawberry Fields Forever”. They’d all had a really tacky year in 1966. They were happy to leave behind the madness of public touring.

‘It sounds like mishy-mashy talk but they did want some time for themselves to reflect on who they wanted to be. And the song that John wrote was “Strawberry Fields” because he was thinking back, and Strawberry Field was a place of sanctuary for him.

‘And it’s a place of sanctuary for all these students. They can always come back here.

That’s why I call Strawberry Field their forever home.’

15 February 2020 • WAR CRY • 11

PHILIP HALCROW

John was thinking back, and Strawberry Field was a place of sanctuary for him

EXPLORE Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for Karl, who is being released from prison; and for Laura and her son, who are in need of strength.

The War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their ­circumstances. Send your requests to Prayerlink, War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon­don SE1 6BN. Mark your envelope ‘Confidential’.

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 Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

Nigel Bovey gives chapter and verse on each book in the Scriptures

Colossians OLOSSAE was located in the region C of Phrygia (in modern-day Turkey).

Although the Book of Acts records that

Paul visited the region, this letter to the Colossian Christians raises the possibility that he had not met them (2:1). He is mentoring their local church founder, Epaphras, who has visited him in his Roman prison (1:7 and 4:12).

The letter focuses on two themes: who Jesus Christ is and how Christians should behave.

Paul addresses the prevailing ‘deceptive philosophy’ (2:8), which denied the divinity of Christ.

The word ‘Christ’ comes from the Greek word christos, meaning ‘anointed’. Its Old Testament Hebrew equivalent is ‘mashiyach’, from which the word ‘messiah’ originates.

Paul now outlines the nature of that divine anointing. Jesus’ death and resurrection are the way God chose to forgive and redeem people (1:14). Christ is ‘the image of the invisible God’ (1:15) – meaning that if we

Key verse ‘For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form’ (Colossians 2:9 New International Version)

want to know what God is like, we need only look at Jesus.

Christ has the divine attributes of Creator and sustainer of the universe (1:16 and 17).

He is the head of the Church and, therefore, rightly the object of worship (1:18), and he is divine (1:19 and 2:9).

Through his death and resurrection, Christ has reconciled a sinful creation with its

Believers are to live as Jesus lived, showing compassion and gentleness sinless Creator (1:20–22). His death is the means by which God forgives all our sin (2:13 and 14). He is the fulfilment of the principles and practices of the Old Testament Law (2:16 and 17).

Using imagery familiar at the time, Paul describes Christ as sitting at God’s right hand (3:1). One day, Paul assures his readers, they will be with Christ (3:4).

In preparation for that unknown day, believers are to stop their old life of sin, characterised by the likes of sexual immorality, anger, malice and greed.

Instead, they are to live as Jesus lived, showing compassion, kindness, and gentleness, being forgiving and ruled by love (3:5–14), ensuring they conduct all their relationships in ways that honour God (3:18–4:6).

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Name Address

j Q&A

EXPRESSIONS

FACES OF FAITH ELIZABETH YENTUMI, from London, on Beyoncé, breakfast cereal and recovering from cancer

What’s your typical day?

I’m coming to the end of treatment for breast cancer, so at the moment a typical day can range from having various tests done in the hospital or resting at home, reading or watching something.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Beyoncé! Well, I jumped between wanting to be a lawyer, the head of the United Nations and a triple-threat performer – singer, dancer and actress. When I do go back to work it will be to my job as an HR business partner at the Department for International Trade, which involves making sure you get the best out of people in order to achieve the goals of the organisation.

What makes you feel like a grown-up now?

Getting a better deal for my car insurance! And not speaking even when I want to.

What was the last book you read?

The Power by Naomi Alderman. It shows what the world would be like if there was a male-female role-reversal. It made me think a lot about identity and expectations.

What’s good about being a Christian?

It’s a relationship more than a religion. You get to be on a journey where you can improve who you are as a person – but the one encouraging you, God, has nothing but love for you.

How does faith influence your life?

If I say I love Jesus and that he means everything to me, then it means that everything I do and say has to reflect how much he loves me and how much I’m trying to live for him.

QUICK QUIZ 1. Who wrote and illustrated the book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse?

What do you pray about?

I pray for big things, like racial justice, and small things – that my favourite cereal will be in the shop, for example.

2. What Latin phrase means ‘the existing state of affairs’?

3. Which musician was named by the Official Charts Company as the UK’s artist of the decade for 2010 to 2019?

4. What Oscar-winning film depicted the friendship between AfricanAmerican pianist Don Shirley and his Italian-American driver?

5. Who presents the TV game show Pointless alongside Alexander Armstrong?

6. To the nearest thousand miles, how long is the Great Wall of China?

ANSWERS

Who is your favourite Bible character?

David, because in the Psalms he’s shown us that you can be completely real with God. You can show him all your emotions and you don’t have to be perfect before you become God’s friend.

15 February 2020 • WAR CRY •13

1. Charlie Mackesy. 2. Status quo. 3. Ed Sheeran. 4. Green Book.

5. Richard Osman. 6. Thirteen thousand.

PUZZLES

QUICK CROSSWORD QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Twist (4) 3. Catch (3) 5. Flat circular object (4) 7. Boundary (9) 9. Den (4) 10. Actual (4) 11. Rattle (5) 14. Brush (5) 15. Shaft (5) 17. Copying (5) 18. The Earth (5) 19. Coagulated (5) 20. Follow (5) 23. Test (4) 25. Hitch (4) 27. Enlarged by lens (9)

HONEYCOMB

28. Trickle out (4) 29. But (3) 30. Support (4)

DOWN 1. Dungeon (4) 2. Smirk (4) 3. Whinny (5) 4. Shatter (5) 5. Stag (4) 6. Spring (4) 7. Impossible wish (9)

SUDOKU

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

5

1

8

8

1

2

9

WORDSEARCH

WORDSEARCH ANNIVERSARY BANNS OF MARRIAGE CEREMONY COMMUNICATION FIDELITY FORGIVENESS FRIENDSHIP HONEYMOON IN-LAW INTIMACY KINDNESS LAUGHTER LOVE NEWLYWED RESPECT SPOUSE TRUST WEDDING VOWS

8

6

HONEYCOMB HONEYCOMB 1. Choker. 2. Freeze. 3. Lounge.

4. Parent. 5. Debris. 6. Shield.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Curl. 3. Nab. 5. Disc.

7. Perimeter. 9. Lair. 10. Real. 11. Shake.

14. Sweep. 15. Arrow. 17. Aping. 18. World.

19. Lumpy. 20. Ensue. 23. Exam. 25. Snag.

27. Magnified. 28. Ooze. 29. Yet. 30. Prop.

DOWN: 1. Cell. 2. Leer. 3. Neigh. 4. Break.

5. Deer. 6. Coil. 7. Pipedream. 8. Reprimand.

11. Spade. 12. Amiss. 13. Eagle. 14. Saw. 16. Way. 21. Nanny. 22. Unfit. 23. Echo.

24. Mate. 25. Seep. 26. Gawp.

8

3

2

1

4

6

6

9

3

7

5

2

9

4

7

8

1

5

7 9 5 4 1 8 2 6 3

1 5 7 2 4 3 8 9 6

6 4 9 8 5 7 1 3 2

2 8 3 1 6 9 5 4 7

4 6 2 7 8 1 3 5 9

5 7 1 3 9 4 6 2 8

9 3 8 5 2 6 7 1 4

SUDOKU SOLUTION

8

2

6

3

9

5

9

14 • WAR CRY • 15 February 2020

2

9

1

1. Close-fitting necklace 2. Turn into ice 3. Sitting room 4. A father or mother 5. Scattered rubbish 6. Protective object used by warriors

ANSWERS

6

2

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

8. Chastise (9) 11. Digging tool (5) 12. Faulty (5) 13. Bird of prey (5) 14. Cutting tool (3) 16. Road (3) 21. Childminder (5) 22. In poor health (5) 23. Repeat (4) 24. Pal (4) 25. Leak (4) 26. Stare (4)

4

8

5

1

6

8

2

5 9

3

2 6

6

2

3 5

9

Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these words related to marriage

5 1 3 6 2 7 9 8 4 A A P L N G R T M K J Z F Z X A L N 8 7 6 9 3 4 5 2 1 S Z V Z J E Y H F N O O M Y E N O H 4 9 2 I 8 1 5 3 I 6 P W 7 S M C I S Z W F R E N D S H G S Z P S L S L Z X A S U L T K E B 2 5 8 3 7 9 1 4 6 O Z E Q E L R Q Y E B O M A L D K M 7 3 1 4 5 6 8 9 2 V C R F N Y H T N W P U C A D H D N T A Z K E N C E I Y M E C 9 V W S 6 4 2 8 N 1 I 7 3 5 X W S A V O B Z K I N D N E S S G P 6 4 5 7 9 3 2 1 8 K T Y N I M K B A U T G X L P N Z X 1 2 9 5 4 8 6 7 3 Q M C N G E Z V M Z V B Q V A Z Q J E G A I R R A M F O S N N A B W T S 3 8 7 1 6 2 4 5 9 Z R M V O E O N W K Q V B C Z L E Q G D I E F C T S U R T G V Z D L O C G N T R F Y K H Z R T P L C I Y M A W N N S D M A L G J D G M J B O Q O E S I A X Z X X O U E T Z A K A C S A Q T R W D W J F V A H M N T X Q J L G P Y D D J F I D E L I T Y C D Q

6

9

4

2

3

2 5

RECIPES

Fish’n’chips SERVES

4

1tbsp vegetable oil 4 potatoes, scrubbed and each cut into 8 wedges Ground black pepper 75g dried wholemeal breadcrumbs 1 egg, beaten with 2tbsp cold water 4 fillets skinless haddock 300g mushy peas

Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/ Gas Mark 6 and lightly grease a baking sheet with a little of the vegetable oil.

Place the potato wedges in a separate roasting tin. Add the remaining vegetable oil and toss to coat. Season with pepper. Bake for an initial 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, sprinkle the breadcrumbs on a large plate. Season with a little pepper. Dip each fish fillet in the beaten egg and coat in the breadcrumbs. Place on the greased baking sheet.

Turn the wedges over after 20 minutes, and put the fish into the oven at the same time. Cook for 20 minutes.

Heat the mushy peas for a few minutes in a saucepan, then serve with the fish and chips.

½ lemon, juice 2tbsp olive oil

Greek-style salad

SERVES

4

½ tsp dried oregano Ground black pepper 200g cherry tomatoes, halved 1 red onion, finely sliced

To make the dressing, mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and a large pinch of black pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

8 olives, quartered

Combine the salad vegetables, olives and dressing in a serving bowl. Crumble the cheese over the top and serve with crusty bread.

100g reduced-fat Greek-style salad cheese

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

½ cucumber, sliced and quartered

15 February 2020 • WAR CRY •15

God heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds Psalm 147:3