War Cry 16 Mar 2019

16 March 2019 20p/25c

TORN APART Drug Addiction threatens family’s foundations in new film

‘A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY’

TURNING KIDS FROM KNIVES

SO MUCH MORE THAN A DIAGNOSIS

Bishop of London talks about her role

Charity engages with schools to combat crime

Living life to the full with Down’s syndrome

2 COMMENT AND CONTENTS • WAR cry • 16 March 2019

From the editor’s desk

What is The Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army is a church and 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 over 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

FOR many people a trip to the cinema provides an escape from the everyday challenges of life and the chance to forget its pressures, if only for a couple of hours.

But the latest Julia Roberts film, Ben is Back, is set in the gritty world of a family trying to cope with a child in the grip of a drug addiction. As we report in this week’s War Cry, it is a world that many are familiar with, because people of all ages, classes and backgrounds struggle with addictive behaviour.

In our report The Salvation Army’s addiction officer Lee Ball explains how people who are living with an addiction are often in deep distress and experiencing emotional pain. ‘Their addiction is usually a coping strategy,’ he says, before going on to describe how The Salvation Army offers them the loving support that has previously been missing in their lives as the first step to help their recovery.

When individuals, especially young people, lack adequate care and support, or struggle to find their identity, they are at risk of making bad decisions. Our media outlets have recently been awash with headlines about the tragic consequences of knife crime, and this week the War Cry includes an interview with actor and writer Marcel White. He is part of a Christian theatre company that has visited schools with a production aimed at preventing further increase in knife crime among young people.

He reveals that he knows of children as young as 12 carrying knives as they get caught up in gang culture and find their worth in fighting and having people fear them.

What the interviews with Marcel and Lee clearly show is that the root of some of the biggest social and criminal problems in this country is individuals feeling unloved, unsupported and of very little personal worth.

Our society urgently needs to find a way to show every member of it how much they matter and how valuable they truly are.

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 7414

Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Stephen Pearson Assistant Editor: Claire Brine Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright 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 Tel: 0845 634 0101

Contents

Helpline: 020 7367 4888 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@sp-s.co.uk Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill

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 and Wales is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399.

Printed by Walstead Grange Ltd, Southwick, on sustainably sourced paper

Your local Salvation Army centre

FEATURES 3

Family faces drug test

New film depicts the conflict addiction can cause

6

A woman’s work

Interview with the first woman to be Bishop of London

8

Have high expectations

A mum talks about family life when one of her children lives with Down’s syndrome

REGULARS 4

News feature

12

Browsing the Bible

13

Faces of Faith

14 Puzzles 15

Money-wise meals Front-page picture: STX International

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8

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16 March 2019 • WAR cry • FILM 3 STX International

Holly is desperate to help her son Ben

NO EASY A son’s drug addiction tears a family apart, writes Linda McTurk

I

t’s Christmas Eve and teenage drug addict Ben has returned home to his suburban family, much to the delight of his mother Holly. But not everyone is happy about his return in Ben is Back, released in cinemas yesterday (15 March).

Aware of how easy it would be for Ben (Lucas Hedges) to overdose again, his stepfather Neal (Courtney B. Vance) is adamant that Ben needs to go back to a drug rehabilitation centre. But Holly (Julia Roberts) convinces him to let Ben stay. For a while, Ben appears to be doing well. He interacts positively with his younger step-siblings and decorates a Christmas tree with his teenage sister Ivy (Kathryn Newton).

But while Ben is out Christmas shopping with his mum, he is spotted by another addict. And when the family home is later ransacked and their dog stolen, Neal blames Ben. Frustrated, Ben walks out of the house, telling Holly that he plans to find the family dog by going to his former drug contacts.

Holly is desperate to help and convinces Ben to take her with him. Confident that she can help her son on her own, Holly deceives Neal and Ivy about what is really going on. For a time she believes that she is getting through to her son. But when they stop at a convenience store, Ben distracts his mum and drives off in her car, returning to the world he had tried so hard to leave.

Ben is not alone in his struggle to break free from his addiction. In reality thousands of people can relate to his story. Throughout the year The Salvation Army works with individuals to help them overcome their addictive behaviours and to remain free from harm.

Addictions officer Lee Ball tells the War Cry: ‘Anyone living with an addiction is often in deep distress. Their

FIX addiction is usually a coping strategy that offers them temporary relief. My team and I offer people compassion and grace.’ Instead of focusing solely on someone’s behaviour, Lee looks to go deeper.

‘We will ask people why they are in pain and then meet them where they are. This is an expression of the type of love that has often been missing in their lives,’ he says.

Anyone living with an addiction is often in deep distress It is not only people living with an addiction who can feel as though love is missing from their lives. We can all experience times when we struggle to believe that we are loved or cared for, resulting in us feeling deeply hurt and abandoned.

But there is someone who will never abandon us. Jesus loved us so much that he was crucified on a cross for our sake and then rose again to be with anyone who will accept his love. One of his followers John summed it up when he said: ‘This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us’ (1 John 3:16 Good News Bible). Jesus’ actions demonstrate that he won’t ever leave us, even when things get tough. If we are willing to trust him, he is ready to help us in our times of need.

No matter what may be tearing us apart, we can always depend on Jesus.

4 NEWS FEATURE • WAR cry • 16 March 2019

Dramatic intervention ROM the start of this month, Fdominated the news headlines have been by reports of a shocking

Saltmine

increase in knife crime and the resulting deaths of male and female teenagers in UK cities. This tragic surge in killings has prompted a national debate throughout March between government, politicians, community leaders and others to find solutions to the issue. However, a Christian charity is already working to try to tackle the problem.

Switch Up is a production by the charitable theatre company Saltmine Trust. The faith-based group was commissioned to write a play about knife crime by Derby City Council after the local authority perceived a rise in the number of knife incidents in their city. The aim was to prevent any further increase and stop the problem from getting out of control.

Accepting the job was a no-brainer for co-director and co-writer Marcel White. ‘I have such a heart for young

Co-writer and co-director Marcel White

people,’ he says, ‘and seeing the rise in knife crime over the years has been heartbreaking.

‘When Paul, the other writer, and I were asked to create this we said “absolutely”. It took us less than a day to plan it out because the ideas just flowed. I was able to write it because I understood the lifestyle. I grew up around it and was part of that life.

Although I didn’t carry a knife, I wanted to because I felt as if I needed to protect myself and I wanted to feel like a bad boy.

‘We wrote the production because we understand why kids think the way they think – why they want to carry a knife.’

Marcel and Paul know that some of the children watching Switch Up will already have experience of carrying knives. They are school pupils aged 14 to 16, but Marcel reveals that he knows of children as young as 12 who are ‘not scared to carry a knife and do something’.

The play tells the story of two teenagers, Dan and Jay, who are growing up around gang culture but are not directly involved.

Jay wants to be a pro footballer and is on track to get a scholarship; he wants to be able to move away from his surroundings. Dan, however, is attracted by the gang lifestyle and takes Jay in with him, saying it’s just to earn extra money.

At the end of play it is Jay who ends up being killed. ‘Jay’s dad talks to Dan at the funeral and tells him he doesn’t have to live like this, he can choose the right path,’ Marcel says.

‘Like Jay’s dad, we can warn young people and challenge them. We can tell them that the power is in their hands and they can make a difference in stopping the cycle.’

After the play, the actors hold a workshop with the students to further engage them. The students are asked questions about statistics and taught about the laws relating to knife crime and carrying knives.

In the play ‘Switch Up’, Dan (Freddy Goymer) is attracted by the gang lifestyle

Saltmine Trust is keen to take this play all over the country, in order to be proactive in stemming the rise in knife crime.

Marcel believes that, through the play, they are able to tackle one of the underlying factors in young people’s involvement with gangs and in knife crime. ‘One of the people who was part of the commissioning group said that

If God hadn’t saved me, I’d be dead or in prison other initiatives had failed to address kids struggling with identity.’

‘And that’s exactly what happened with me,’ Marcel explains. ‘I found my identity in girls liking me and boys fearing me. I didn’t know who I was without fighting people. I didn’t know who I was without speaking to multiple girls at the same time.’

This way of seeing himself ended when Marcel became a Christian. ‘We

16 March 2019 • WAR cry • NEWS FEATURE 5

to tackle knife crime can only change ourselves up until a certain point,’ he says. ‘But when God changes you, he changes you on the inside and he changes you for ever.

‘I was at a point in my life where I was ready and willing to do anything to be more bad or to be feared. But God said to me: “Marcel, you’re trying to be someone you’re not.” I always knew in my mind that God was real, but when he spoke to me that day, he changed my life. If God hadn’t saved me, I’d either be dead or in prison.’ hile faith can play a significant W role in helping young people, Marcel also believes that there are

other issues that need to be addressed.

News outlets report on factors such as funding cuts to youth services and to the policing budget. Meanwhile, community members and activists cite school expulsions, poverty, domestic abuse and the

care system as key factors which have affected young people across the country for more than a century.

‘When I was growing up, a lot of my friends who were selling drugs were doing it because they came from a single parent home with their mum working multiple jobs to put food on the table,’ Marcel recalls. ‘They didn’t want to be in it for fun, they needed to earn money for the house.

‘Some people growing up without positive role models in their lives find other role models within gangs. Others carry knives because they are afraid.

Many are frustrated and angry, or dealing with depression and mental health issues. There isn’t a space for them to talk about it any more.’

Though it may seem that

Some people carry knives because they are afraid the situation is getting worse, this isn’t something that deters Marcel. He seeks to use his faith to make a difference.

‘I believe that the Church is one of the most powerful things in the world, but we need to learn to engage with our culture and communities. Jesus was very relevant to the community he lived in; he would sit down with all different types of people to listen to them. If we come together, we can make a difference.’ l For more information, visit saltminetrust.org.uk

Jay (Theodore Griffiths) wants to move away from the gang culture in his neighbourhood

PA

6 INTERVIEW • WAR cry • 16 March 2019 Sarah is installed as Bishop of London at a service in St Paul’s Cathedral (right)

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A woman’s

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AST Tuesday (12 March) marked 25 years since women were first ordained as priests in the Church of England. While some Christian denominations have had female leaders for more than 150 years, it was only in 1994 that women were given the right to become priests in the Anglican tradition.

The Church of England’s most recent figures, recorded in 2017, show that 30 per cent of people in ordained ministry were female – up from 27 per cent in 2013. In 2014, women were allowed to become bishops for the first time in the church’s history, and the Right Rev Libby Lane became the first woman to be ordained in this position when she was made Bishop of Stockport a year later.

Last year the Right Rev and Right Hon Dame Sarah Mullally was installed as the 133rd Bishop of London and is the first woman in the role.

Bishop Sarah, what drew you to become a vicar in the Church of England?

The Church of England is the community where I found my faith, where I was married, and where my children were baptised and confirmed. It is the community in which I found my vocation and in which my faith continues to be nourished.

You were the youngest ever chief nursing officer, and now the first female

The Right Rev and Right Hon Dame SARAH MULLALLY talks to Sarah Olowofoyeku about the experiences that led to her becoming the first female Bishop of London bishop of London. What’s it like to be a pioneer?

My vocation has always been to follow Christ – a vocation which I initially pursued as a nurse, and now as a priest and bishop. It is an honour to be the Bishop of London, and be at the front of a church which is rooted in Scripture and tradition but not afraid to reimagine the future.

How did you come to faith?

We were taken to church as children by our grandparents, so faith was always a part of my family life. But it was as a teenager that I decided that I wanted to follow Christ, and it was this new-found faith which motivated me to continue to go to church.

What has your experience of being a female priest, and then bishop been?

Have you faced opposition? If so, how have you been able to deal with it?

I know that for some the appointment of a woman as a bishop was a difficult subject, and I am very respectful of those who, for theological reasons, cannot accept my role as a priest or as a bishop. But I see my role as bishop as a wonderful opportunity to

represent a vibrant world city, to reach out to communities of all backgrounds and represent those of faith and no faith equally.

I feel blessed to play a role in a modern church which welcomes people from all walks of life – women and men, young and old, black

There is a public figure speaking up for those who are marginalised, voiceless and angry and white. Much has changed since 1994, particularly in London – the percentage of new priests that are women is now 50 per cent, compared with 27 per cent in 2013 and 14 per cent in 2014, which is wonderful.

Do you think that there is sexism in the Church? If so, how do you think we can change this culture and these attitudes?

I have always felt welcome in the Church of England, but realise others might not feel so. I

16 March 2019 • WAR cry • INTERVIEW 7

work PA

hope that having a former nurse as the Bishop of London might show the next generation that there are opportunities out there, regardless of gender, class or ethnicity, and that there is a public figure speaking up for those who are marginalised, voiceless and angry.

What other progress do you think has been made in the last 25 years, and what can we look forward to in the next 25 years?

Millions of people are engaging with today’s Church in so many ways, whether that is going to services on a Sunday, during the week when at work, getting involved in social projects like food banks or homeless shelters run by churches, or maybe because their children go to a church school. These are all touchpoints for the Church, and we should celebrate them. Our churches are constantly evolving, looking at creative ways to engage with people, and that’s inspiring to see.

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The first female bishop the Right Rev Libby Lane sings at a service of celebration marking the 25th anniversary of women’s ordination

8 INTERVIEW • WAR cry • 16 March 2019

‘Forget the Down’s and look at Ahead of World Down’s Syndrome Day this Thursday (21 March) SARAH COSTERTON tells Emily Bright about the joys and challenges of bringing up a child with Down’s syndrome

B

ETH made her acting debut in Call The Midwife, and now the six-year-old is gearing up for her next gig in Grease. ‘I’m not sure she’s quite ready for the part of Sandy yet,’ jokes her mother Sarah Costerton. Just like most girls her age, Beth loves singing and dancing. Her favourite hobbies include trampolining, scooting, drawing and performing at her Stagecoach drama club. One thing that makes Beth different from her peers is that she happens to have Down’s syndrome.

Down’s syndrome is caused by an extra chromosome, and results in some level of learning disability. About 750 babies are born with Down’s syndrome in the UK each year. They are more prone to some common medical conditions but like the rest of society they are benefiting from medical advancement and living longer and healthier lives. But Beth represents so much more than a medical diagnosis and where some may see challenges, the Costertons see opportunities.

She was surrounded by nuns and then this donkey came in Drama came calling last year when Beth featured in Call the Midwife’s Christmas special as a character called Mandy. For the role, she took part in two weeks of filming at a National Trust property in May. Sarah wonders what Beth must have made of it all, wrapped up warm in the spring heatwave, surrounded by Christmas trees. ‘I don’t think Beth had a clue what was happening,’ she says. ‘But she enjoyed chatting to the “nuns”.

We’d never seen nuns like that and she was just surrounded by them and then this donkey came

16 March 2019 • WAR cry • INTERVIEW 9

Neal Street Productions/BBC

in. But she took it all in her stride.’

Sarah adds that the crew for the programme, which can still be seen on BBC iPlayer, were great in supporting the children during ‘overwhelming and tiring’ six-hour filming shifts. ‘Beth was flagging a bit so I gave her a packet of Hula Hoops. But then they’re like “Right!

We need Beth”, but I said “I cannot take away the Hula Hoops!” So someone put them in a bowl, and Beth sat happily eating her crisps.’

But it’s not only Beth who is embracing new experiences. All her family has got in on the act, learning a sign language called Makaton.

Although Beth can talk and hear, sign language helps to reinforce her memory of vocabulary and allows her to communicate more clearly. Beth’s sister Hannah went one step further, featuring on sign language DVD series Singing Hands last year where she performed to the Robbie Williams track ‘I Love My Life’.

Singing Hands was conceived in 1999

SARAH COSTER TON

syndrome Beth’

Beth enjoys an active lifestyle

after founders Suzanne Miell-Ingram and Tracy Upton gave birth to children with disabilities and they realised there was a lack of sign language DVDs. Since then, the company has

provided toddler signing sessions and professional workshops alongside countless DVDs and resources.

Another source of support Beth’s family receives comes from a group called Get On Downs, which is run for parents of children with Down’s syndrome. The group provides a place for them to meet, share their experiences and offer advice. Sarah says that everyone can learn a lot from such support groups. ‘It doesn’t matter where you live, what your job is or how you look. If you’ve got a child with Down’s syndrome, that’s it, you’re welcome.

Nothing else matters.

You go in on a level of friendship that would take much longer to develop somewhere else.’

Beth was also welcomed and accepted in Sarah’s

Beth and other cast members in the ‘Call the Midwife’ Christmas special

Turn to page 10

➥

10 INTERVIEW • WAR cry • 16 March 2019

From page 9 Salvation Army church in Sutton, where the family has worshipped for ten years.

But Sarah dreaded pity prayers from the congregation after initially receiving the diagnosis. ‘It was a real pride thing, I just didn’t want to be on someone’s prayer list,’ she says. ‘But actually they invested in us and that really challenged me. I felt quite humbled by it, that they were actually taking the time to pray.’

eth is now an active participant at the B church and loves singing the worship songs. ‘She’s part of the scene, almost

like the church mascot,’ Sarah jokes.

‘People love seeing how she’s developed.’

Sarah’s faith was a strong support for her after a 12 week pre-natal scan revealed that Beth’s odds of having Down’s syndrome were one in two, the highest chance possible. ‘I can honestly say that I didn’t feel fearful,’ she explains.

‘I was upset. It wasn’t what we wanted.

But she was our child and we were going to love her and make sure she reached her potential.’

She and her husband David were determined to continue the pregnancy.

‘I really felt there wasn’t an option, we didn’t even discuss not having Beth. That came down to our Christian faith and our belief that God knew us before we were born, so he knew Beth. This was the baby we’d been given and we would do what we needed to do,’ she says, adding that her faith granted her serenity. ‘I always felt

we’d be OK. I had complete peace about it – probably because it was one of the few things in my life which was totally out of my hands.’

Although Sarah had no doubts about her decision to continue the pregnancy, she remained apprehensive about people’s reactions to the diagnosis. ‘We didn’t want other people’s anxieties, we didn’t want pity. We didn’t feel sorry for ourselves; we’d already had one child and we were going to have Beth and it was going to be great.’ She braced herself for the blunt responses, and thinks that she’s now heard it all. ‘One day someone asked “Didn’t you get tested?” implying that I would have done something about it if I had known – and Beth was standing there with me.’

She explains that there are common misconceptions about Down’s syndrome too. ‘Some people get a bit caught up about the severity of Down’s syndrome,

We didn’t even discuss not having Beth or people say “Oh Beth’s got it a bit mild”.

You don’t really have it that way. You either have it or you don’t, but it affects people in different ways.’

Because of the misconceptions she has encountered, Sarah is always keen for people to engage with her on the subject.

‘People do sometimes say something which perhaps isn’t politically correct.

But I’d rather people spoke to us and said something that wasn’t quite right, than be frightened of saying anything.’

What shocked her most was the response of medical professionals.

‘When the consultant was speaking to us after the initial test, he said that he wanted to check that we were continuing, because that’s not what anyone else does,’ says Sarah. ‘So we wondered: is it bad that we’re the only ones that are continuing?’ She adds that none of the members of her Down’s syndrome community had a positive experience of the diagnosis either. Instead of focusing on what children with Down’s syndrome could achieve or how much joy and love they would bring, experts seemed to focus on telling parents worst case scenarios instead.

Sarah found official NHS information on Down’s syndrome particularly insensitive. ‘If you go on NHS choices website, the first thing it does is to list a load of facial characteristics which

don’t have any bearing, like a flat head and small ears, and it’s really quite insulting in the language it uses,’ she asserts.

She also believes that the heavy emphasis on non-invasive prenatal tests (NIPT) and the negative side effects of Down’s syndrome present an

16 March 2019 • WAR cry • INTERVIEW 11 Neal Street Productions/BBC

Beth takes centre stage on the ‘Call the Midwife’ set

unnecessarily bleak picture for parents.

In March 2017, the Nuffield Council published a report on NIPT which urged the authorities to provide more impartial information about Down’s syndrome.

Sarah says that this has not been acted on and that negative stigma persists. In the UK, more than 90 per cent of foetuses with Down’s syndrome are terminated.

‘Those with Down’s syndrome are just not being born and that really saddens us,’ she remarks.

As a result Sarah has become an active campaigner. She has been pushing for a nationwide Down’s syndrome charter to provide a uniform standard of maternity care that will modernise peoples’ attitudes, hosting a couple of lectures at St George’s medical school, and providing training for midwives. She is also backing the Don’t Screen Us Out campaign, which sets out to ensure everyone thinks differently about Down’s syndrome, especially when news of a diagnosis is given to new parents.

They want to delay a new screening test until those issues are addressed and the rights of those with Down’s syndrome are respected.

But Sarah emphasises that she is motivated by providing an informed choice, not dictating terms. ‘I’m not going

Just assume that those with Down’s syndrome can do things. Have high expectations

to judge somebody else for the decisions they make, but I want to make sure that they know what their choices are,’ explains Sarah.

Her own personal experience is that the associated conditions of Down’s syndrome are fixable and shouldn’t put parents off continuing with the pregnancy.

When Beth was born at 32 weeks, her bowel and stomach weren’t connected and she weighed less than four pounds.

Beth also required full open heart surgery and was hospitalised for eight days. But now she takes no medication and sees the heart specialist for a check-up only once every two years.

Sarah emphasises that Beth has a full life, and after physio, speech and language therapy and occupational therapy, she is an active participant in a mainstream school. ‘She just loves school, school love her, she gets the uniform on every morning and is really happy to go in.

She makes the most of everything she’s got there,’ enthuses Sarah.

‘You need to forget the Down’s syndrome and look at Beth. She’s an individual, she’s got her strengths and

weaknesses and she’s totally individual.’

Sarah says that the Down’s syndrome community wants people to see and appreciate their children for who they are, rather than just labelling them as a condition.

‘We certainly don’t have any regrets about having Beth. She will have a better and more fulfilled life than people with the condition who were born even 20 years ago. And it’s improving all the time, which is really encouraging.’

This week marks World Down’s Syndrome Day (Thursday 21 March).

The campaign seeks to tackle negative attitudes, push for equal opportunities for those with Down’s syndrome, and engage with key stakeholders in sectors such as the media, health and education. And Sarah knows the message she wants to get across: ‘Just assume that those with Down’s syndrome can do things. Have high expectations.’

12 INNER LIFE • War Cry • 16 March 2019

Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for James, who is disabled and in pain; for Tracey, whose father has passed away; for Denise, who has cancer; and for Ninan, who is in prison and concerned for his family.

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

2 Samuel OVERING the years 1010–970BC, C the exploits of Israel’s second king – the giant-killing David – fill the second

book of Samuel.

After Saul’s death, David is anointed king of Judah, an area to the west of the Dead Sea that included Jerusalem (chapters 1 and 2).

Meanwhile, Saul’s former commander-inchief, Abner, installs Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth as king in the northern area that included the west bank of the Sea of Galilee and the east bank of the Dead Sea, known as Israel.

After a war for supremacy ends with the murder of Ish-Bosheth, David is made King of Israel and takes Jerusalem (chapters 3 to 5). Through further military victories, he strengthens his standing in the region.

It is while at war with the Ammonites (in modern-day Jordan), that David gets Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah – one of his soldiers – pregnant. David conspires to make it look as though Uriah is the father but when his plan fails, David orders his general to expose Uriah to the fiercest fighting. Uriah

Key verse Key verse: ‘Your house and your kingdom shall endure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever’ (2 Samuel 7:16 New International Version)

is duly killed and David marries Bathsheba (chapter 11).

The prophet Nathan confronts David.

Although David repents, the child of the adultery dies but a second child, Solomon, is born (chapter 12).

The sins of the father are visited upon his sons. Oldest son Amnon rapes his halfsister Tamar. David’s son Absalom then

Family unity is short-lived has Amnon killed in revenge before fleeing the kingdom. Eventually Absalom returns to Jerusalem and is reconciled with David (chapter 13 and 14).

Family unity is short-lived. Absalom plots to establish himself as King of Hebron.

When David hears that he is gaining support, he flees Jerusalem. Absalom and his army pursue David east of the River Jordan. In the ensuing battle, Absalom is killed. David is heartbroken (chapters 15 to 18).

Established again in Jerusalem, David rules over a fractious kingdom. Sheba leads the army of Israel in revolt against David, only to be put down (chapter 20). There is further war with the Philistines (chapter 21) and Israel is hit by a plague (chapter 24). The book ends with David building an altar for a sacrifice, averting a second plague (24:25).

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j Q&A

16 March 2019 • WAR cry • EXPRESSIONS 13

FACES OF FAITH ABBY HARRIS, a recent university graduate from London, on youth work, classical music and making pizzas

What’s your typical day?

My day varies, depending on the day of the week. I work at Pizza Hut on Fridays and in two separate churches the rest of the week.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to do music, to perform and to sing. When I was younger, I loved being part of a choir and playing the flute.

I’ve just finished my university degree in classical music.

I want to work with youth and offer support to young people who don’t have any. Part of this is based on my personal journey – if I had a youth centre to go to when I was younger, it would have made a difference.

What was the last film you saw?

How did you become a Christian?

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part One. I like the character of Alice Cullen (played by Ashley Greene, pictured) because she uses her gifts to help others.

I first became a Christian when I was ten years old. I realised that I needed God and I needed forgiveness. But as I got older, I drifted out of faith and kept God at a distance. Then at the end of my first year at university when I was about 19, I felt pulled back to God.

What advice would you give your teenage self?

Learn to listen more to other people and take a step back. When I was a teenager, I wanted to become an adult.

But now that I’m an adult, I know that I should have enjoyed myself more – why did I worry so much?

CBAD a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk Twitter: @TheWarCryUK Facebook.com/TheWarCryUK

B www.salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

What’s good about being a Christian?

I have a sense of peace that comes from God, even in times of trials and tribulations.

How does faith influence your life?

My faith has completely shaped and formed my future. I wouldn’t have wanted to do social work if it wasn’t for my faith. I would have probably wanted it to be all about me.

Now I use my gifts for the glory of God.

What do you pray about?

I pray for wisdom, rest and understanding.

Who is your favourite Bible character?

David, because God completely changed him, and that’s what happened with me. Also David is credited with writing many of the Psalms, the songs in the Bible, and I love lyrics.

14 PUZZLES • War Cry • 16 March 2019

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS

DOWN

1. Sheen (5) 5. Edible seaweed (5) 8. Fanaticism (5) 9. The same thing again (5) 10. Beau (5) 11. Delay (5) 12. Urban area (4) 15. Divine (6) 17. Loot (5) 18. Ashen (6) 20. Kick hard (4) 25. Speed of music (5) 26. Irk (5) 27. Suddenly move forward (5) 28. Horned mammal (5) 29. Name of a sculptor (5) 30. Requirements (5)

1. Gizmo (6) 2. Fugitive (6) 3. Struck (5) 4. Accustom (5) 5. 25 March celebration (4, 3) 6. Deceptive appearance (6) 7. Complemented poetically (6) 13. Rita, singer (3) 14. Fishing equipment (3) 15. Pig’s home (3) 16. Self-esteem (3) 17. Marsh bird (7) 18. Spice (6) 19. Myth (6) 21. Dutch dynasty (6) 22. Driers (6) 23. Range (5) 24. Form of punctuation (5)

by CHRIS HORNE

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

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QUICK QUIZ

1 5 2 4 3 6 7 8 9 1. In the international radiotelephony alphabet, what word indicates the letter ‘U’? 9 7 6 5 1 8 3 4 2 2. Which novelist, who died8last3month, 4 7 wrote 9 2the1 5 6 prizewinning books Small Island and The Long Song?

7 4 5 8 2 1 6 9 3 3. Who played ageing Broadway star Margo Channing in the 1950 film All About Eve? 6 1 3 9 5 7 8 2 4 4. Which musician was the father 2 8 of 9 singer 6 4Norah 3 5Jones?

7 1 5. What Latin term means ‘in the place of a parent’?

4 9 8 1 6 5 2 3 7 6. The island of Kos is part of what country?

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SUDOKU SOLUTION

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PUZZLE ANSWERS

WORDSEARCH Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these words associated with Spring

BABY ANIMAL BLOSSOM BULB DAFFODIL EASTER EQUINOX GARDEN GROWTH NEWBORN

PICNIC RABBIT RAIN

RAINBOW REJUVENATE RESURRECTION ROBIN SUNSHINE VIBRANT

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

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QUICK QUIZ 1. Uniform. 2. Andrea Levy.

3. Bette Davis. 4. Ravi Shankar.

5. In loco parentis. 6. Greece.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Gloss. 5 Laver. 8 Mania.

9 Ditto. 10 Dandy. 11 Tarry. 12 Town.

15 Sacred. 17 Booty. 18 Pallid. 20 Boot.

25 Tempo. 26 Peeve. 27 Lunge. 28 Rhino.

29 Rodin. 30 Needs.

DOWN: 1 Gadget. 2 Outlaw. 3 Smote.

4 Inure. 5 Lady Day. 6 Veneer. 7 Rhymed.

13 Ora. 14 Rod. 15 Sty 16 Ego. 17 Bittern.

18 Pepper. 19 Legend. 21 Orange.

22 Towels. 23 Ambit. 24 Colon.

16 March 2019 • WAR cry • WHAT’S COOKING? 15

Kitchen MONEY-WISE MEALS

Potato

rosti and beetroot

1 large potato, peeled, grated and dried Salt and pepper 3tbsp sunflower oil 1 small onion, diced Pinch thyme 100g leek, diced

2 medium precooked beetroots, peeled and diced 200g sweetcorn, drained and rinsed 1tsp garlic granules

Serves

1tsp ground ginger

2 Homemade 2tbsp milk powder 350ml water 50g unsalted butter, melted Pinch salt 50g sugar 1 egg 400g self-raising flour 1 lemon, zest 100g dark chocolate bar, broken into small pieces 20ml vegetable oil White chocolate shavings, to garnish

3tbsp water

biscuits

Lightly dust the potatoes with salt and pepper and then mix well.

Divide them into 4 mounds and set aside.

Heat 2tbsp oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions with the thyme for 2 minutes. Add in the leek and continue stirring for 3 minutes. Stir in the beetroot, sweetcorn, garlic, ginger and salt to taste. Mix well. Add in 3tbsp water and then stir continuously for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Cover and set aside.

To make the rostis, heat the remaining 1tbsp oil in a clean saucepan, evenly coating the surface. Gently place a potato mound in the pan and flatten it. Fry each side for 2 minutes.

Repeat with the remaining mounds. Serve the beetroot dish with the rostis.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from Hortense Julienne Nguepnang-Ntepndie’s book of affordable recipes ‘The Bank Cook’. For more information visit hortensejulienne.com

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

Mix the milk powder and 50ml water in a large bowl. Add in the butter, salt, sugar and egg and beat together until the sugar has dissolved. Gradually sieve in the flour. Mix in the lemon zest and knead the batter into a soft ball of dough. Wrap it in cling film and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on a surface dusted with flour. Slice into strips, and then twist each strip to make a helix shape. Place them onto an oven tray and bake in the oven for 17 minutes.

To prepare the chocolate sauce, place the chocolate pieces into a heatproof bowl.

Mix in the oil. Put the remaining water in a pan and bring to the boil, then place the bowl containing the chocolate into the pan.

Gently stir the chocolate until all of it has melted.

Once the biscuits are ready, remove

Makes

12

them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Dip a third of them into the chocolate sauce and dust with the white chocolate shavings. Drizzle chocolate over another third of the biscuits. Leave the remaining biscuits plain.