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 7508
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 • 16 January 2021
EDITOR From From the editor’s desk
THIS time last year, the idea of the United Kingdom going into lockdown might have seemed the unlikely plot of a disaster movie. For the past ten months, though, everybody’s real life has been impacted by Covid-19 and the resulting restrictions. The first few days of last month started with hope that the worst was over with the roll-out of the first vaccine. But, as a new variant of the virus was confirmed, so more restrictions were introduced and new lockdowns compelled us to stay home, protect the NHS and save lives – but that will not be easy for any of us. During previous lockdowns, many people turned to music to help. Streaming in 2020 was up by a fifth compared with the previous year. And, as we report in this week’s War Cry, some people found that the sounds of gospel music brought them a sense of peace in these difficult times. Sometimes, though, the additional challenges brought by the pandemic restrictions have required more than just a soothing tune. Take, for example, Dorota Strak, who discovered that she was pregnant during the first national lockdown. Her life changed in the dramatic way it does for all expectant mothers, but with an added complication: many of the experiences parents-to-be would normally expect to go through together, Dorota has had to go through alone. Covid restrictions prevented fathers from attending appointments such as the 12-week scan, and routine midwife appointments could only be conducted over the phone. In an interview this week, Dorota explains how she found this difficult and scary, but that she found comfort in her faith and the support of her church. As we go through the coming weeks of lockdown, many people will draw on their Christian faith to help them. The good news is that God offers his comfort to everyone – all we have to do is ask him for it.
CONTENTS
What is The Salvation Army?
FEATURES 3
Digging it
Netflix film discovers drama in archaeology
5
Lost in music
Melody has been good in difficult times
6
‘We can prevent cervical cancer’
The work of an obstetrician and gynaecologist
8
Pregnant in a pandemic
How lockdown affected a mother-to-be
REGULARS
12
Team Talk
13
Puppy Tales
14 Puzzles 15
War Cry Kitchen
6
8
Front-page picture: LARRY HORRICKS/Netflix © 2021
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