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
ALL our lives are still being affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of people are grieving the loss of loved ones who have died with the condition. Many more have not had to face that horror but have been unable to leave their homes for the past month, while others have been observing social distancing. The result of all this is that some people have needed additional help in various ways since lockdown was introduced. In this week’s War Cry, we report on some of the support that has been provided by members of The Salvation Army. It is not only Christians who are helping people at this time, but wanting to make a difference for good is an important part of many people’s Christian faith – particularly when they see others in extreme need. That was the case for a pastor in Sri Lanka who we speak with in this week’s issue. He was in Colombo last year when bombers killed 259 people at three churches and hotels across the country. One year on, he looks back on how he offered support – both spiritual and practical – to families who had been devastated by the loss of loved ones, including children. ‘It was very hard to listen to their stories, because their pain was very deep,’ he says. But, despite the difficulty of what he was doing, he continued to offer what support he could. As we go through our own tough times, let’s hope that the pastor’s story will inspire us to do what we can to help people who are facing their own hardships and troubles.
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 7470
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
While it’s much better to have your weekly copy of the War Cry in your hands, we recognise that at the moment it is hard for some people to obtain a copy. So, as an alternative while the coronavirus restrictions are in place, you can access the War Cry at salvationarmy.org.uk
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
FEATURES
Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief: Major Mal Davies
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Learning from the lifers TV documentary shows Stacey Dooley’s experiences behind bars
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Tea for view Meeting for a cuppa online
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‘He was asking why God would allow this’ The aftermath of last year’s Easter bombings
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Self-isolation support The help given by The Salvation Army to those in lockdown
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A culture of understanding Why we need to build links across the world
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
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REGULARS 12
Browsing the Bible
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Out of the Mouth of Babes
14 Puzzles 15
War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: BBC/Wild Pictures
2 • War Cry • 18 April 2020
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