War Cry 19 March 2022

TV documentary inspires aid for abandoned kids in Nigeria

WAR CRY

19 March 2022 50p

Time team Adam works with his younger self in sci-fi adventure

‘You don’t have to struggle alone with grief’

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.

TV NEWS reports of people who have lost their homes, livelihoods or loved ones through no fault of their own have the capacity to make viewers share in their sense of loss and grief. Sometimes the images shown on TV screens can also inspire people to take action.

When Leo Rocha dos Santos saw a documentary about children in Nigeria being ostracised by their communities, he decided to travel to the country to see if he could help them. As a committed Christian, Leo wanted to teach the children – and the communities they came from – about the love of Jesus.

As we report in this week’s War Cry, since seeing those pictures on his TV, Leo has helped dozens of children.

Sadly, though, scenes of people suffering heartbreak and loss continue to appear on our screens. Recently, many of us have seen the devastation that war can bring. However, since the beginning of 2020, we have also shared the sadness of those whose lives have been devastated because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘The pandemic has brought with it all sorts of losses,’ says Ghulam Fernandes in an interview in this week’s issue. Ghulam helps people who are struggling with grief, and she explains that her motivation to do so comes from her personal experiences of loss.

Ghulam also says that one important factor in helping her cope with the challenges that she has faced has been her Christian faith.

Every week, the War Cry carries stories of how having faith in Jesus has helped people to overcome problems and loss in their own lives and inspired them to help other people who are suffering.

It’s always encouraging to read how God’s love can make a positive difference to those who accept ad the War C e re ry v ’ it and to those who then experience it through u their loving actions.

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 7568

When yo

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk

CONTENTS

The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN Tel: 0845 634 0101 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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12-year-old self in Netflix drama 5

‘A tsunami of grief’

Helping people recover from loss 8

Sweet harmony

How gospel music helps people connect with God

INFO 2 • WAR CRY • 19 March 2022

No kidding

Time traveller needs help from his

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.

Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper

Your local Salvation Army centre

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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

10 Exceptional childcare

The engineer who set up an

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orphanage in Nigeria REGULARS 4

War Cry World

12 Team Talk 13 Keys of the Kingdom 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: DOANE GREGORY/NETFLIX © 2022

IF HE COULD

A young Adam meets his older self from the future

TURN BACK

TIME DOANE GREGORY/NETFLIX © 2022

Time traveller journeys to the past to find his missing wife Film preview by Emily Bright

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OARING through the skies in a spaceship known as a time jet, pilot Adam (Ryan Reynolds) is taking some serious flak for trying to escape the Earth’s atmosphere. He is being shot at by his enemies, who are flying right behind him. But, just in the nick of time, he flies into a wormhole and launches himself into the past.

In The Adam Project, which is now available on Netflix, Adam is time travelling from 2050 to his childhood home in 2022. He bumps into his 12-yearold self, who is bitter and heartbroken,

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Adam with his wife, Laura

reeling from the unexpected death of his dad, Louis (Mark Ruffalo), less than two years before. The younger Adam notices striking similarities between the mystery man and himself, and clocks that he is interacting with his older self.

Despite older Adam’s evasive answers, younger Adam (Walker Scobell) learns that the real reason older Adam has returned is to locate his wife, Laura (Zoe Saldaña), who went missing in a time travel anomaly. Together, the two Adams embark on an adventure to find her, racing against time while enemies try to silence them before they uncover the truth about Laura’s disappearance.

Along the way, Adam stumbles across an unsettling truth and goes further back in time in the hope that his dad may be able to help – which presents Adam with the unique opportunity to have conversations with Louis that he couldn’t otherwise have had.

Maybe their meeting will help Adam to deal with the decades of bitterness caused by his bereavement.

Because we are not able – in the real world – to travel back in time, many people find that they feel trapped by their past. Previous hurts and

disappointments can be hard to move on from, and it can feel as if any hopes for the future will be dashed by bad experiences that sometimes happened many years ago.

However, there is a way for us to move on from our past. We can all experience a second chance and a new beginning when we turn to God, who shows unconditional love and understanding.

Christians believe that God, our heavenly Father, treasures us all regardless of how we’ve behaved in the past. There’s nothing we can do to make him love us any more or any less.

A few thousand years ago, one Bible writer explained how much God cared about him, saying: ‘You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely’ (Psalm 139:1–4 New International Version).

Fast-forward to now and God continues to care about us. He knows every quirk of our characters, our mistakes, our flaws – yet he invites us into a lifelong relationship with him.

If we put our trust in him, we will receive his compassion, strength and peace. Life will still have its times of turbulence, but choosing a relationship with him will be one decision that we’d never go back and change.

Many people feel trapped by their past

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FORMER prime minister Tony Blair spoke to the Archbishop of Canterbury on Radio 4 about the role his Christian faith played in his political career.

In the first part of The Archbishop Interviews, a series featuring conversations with high-profile figures, Tony Blair explained that, for him, ‘the most important thing about Christian belief … is you acknowledge something greater and more important than yourself, and that then leads you to concepts around service’.

He said: ‘Being whatever big position you hold, however important or well known you are or supposed to be, that inner architecture of humility and recognition of your own insignificance is important.’

The Most Rev Justin Welby asked the former prime minister about the Iraq war, Afghanistan and the Good Friday agreement and how he dealt with guilt and criticism.

‘People would often say, over Iraq or Afghanistan or other things, that I took the wrong decision but you’ve got to do what you think is right,’ he said. ‘Whether you are right or not is another matter.’

He added that when dealing with the fact that there are people who hate him, ‘faith does help’.

Nuns team up for the beautiful game

CHINA has outlawed the streaming of religious gatherings and services outside of state-controlled churches, according to an anti-persecution charity.

Open Doors is reporting that the sharing of religious content on social media – which includes Christian, Buddhist and Islamic teaching – will be declared illegal and the sharer may be punished.

The legislation, it says, effectively means that underground churches will be driven off the internet.

Dr David Landrum, director of advocacy for Open Doors UK and Ireland, explained that the Chinese ruling party ‘has long seen religion as a potential threat’.

He said: ‘Where it can’t shut religion down, it has tried to contain it. In recent years, we have seen some state-approved churches install facial recognition technology, close and destroy churches and rewrite passages of the Bible for educational materials.’

ITALIAN nuns have set up their own national football team with the goal of sharing their faith with young people, reported The Guardian.

The paper said that this was the first national football team for nuns in the world. To build the team, 18 players, from the ages of 27 to 52, were put together from congregations across Italy.

After Pope Francis told nuns to take a more active role outside of the convent, Moreno Buccianti, an amateur footballer and founder of a national team for priests, decided to set up a side for nuns as well.

The idea gained momentum after the Vatican established its first women’s football team, which comprised lay workers within the Holy See, in 2019.

A SALVATION Army centre for ‘We have a team for priests, so it was only right that there should be one for people experiencing homelessness nuns,’ said Moreno. ‘Through football the nuns evangelise – the main aim is to in Glasgow has received £27,000 worth attract young people back to the church.’ of Ikea furniture that was used during the The nuns are a mix of nationalities, and a number are experienced football Cop26 climate summit held in the city in players. Striker Sister Annika Fabbian played for Vicenza’s female youth team, November. while Sister Emilia Jitaru was playing for a top league team in Romania and William Hunter House Lifehouse, was selected for the national side before she received an unexpected calling to which offers short-term supported become a nun. accommodation, has been given tables The Guardian quoted her and chairs for its lounge and furnishings as explaining: ‘In 1992 I was in residents’ rooms. preparing to play in a match Ikea is donating a total of 6,000 items and a priest said, “Come to to charities, community groups and third Mass, it will bring you a lot sector organisations. of fortune.” I told him I don’t John, a William Hunter House resident, believe in God. The next day, a said of the furniture donation: ‘It’s made warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk voice inside me told me to go a massive difference to day-to-day life. to the Mass, and when I met It makes the centre feel more relaxing. @TheWarCryUK the sisters and did the sign of More like a home. It has encouraged peace with one, something people to sit and share some time changed – I had never felt such together rather than in their rooms, which TheWarCryUK joy before, not even when I is good for their mental health.’ scored a goal.’

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Time doesn’t heal Next Wednesday (23 March) marks two years since the first Covid-19 lockdown was announced in the UK. Since then, millions of people have experienced some kind of grief. GHULAM FERNANDES, who helps people struggling with grief, talks about those losses, her own experiences of bereavement earlier in life, and how some age-old advice is not really helpful Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku

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OSS of freedom, loss of security, uncertainty…

The pandemic has brought with it all sorts of losses,’ says Ghulam Fernandes, who trains people struggling with grief. ‘We’ve experienced the fear of getting Covid-19, and the concerns about what will happen when people close to us get it. We’ve had loss of connection – not being able just to be with people.

‘I think we underestimate what a huge tsunami of grief is going to be experienced because of that. Some people’s businesses closed, some people lost their homes. I have a friend who ended up with long Covid, and she has lost her ability to be mobile. Grief happens whenever something has come to an end or there’s a big change in a familiar pattern

Ghulam Fernandes of behaviour. Even having to work from home was a huge change.’

Almost everyone’s life has been affected in some way by the events of the past two years, but people may not realise, says Ghulam.

‘Most people are not aware that how they are feeling may be a grief reaction.

They think, “I should be able to cope and be strong.”’

South Londoner Ghulam helps people understand and resolve their grief by using the Grief Recovery Method, devised 40 years ago by American John W. James. She explains that it teaches

Turn to page 6 f

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From page 5 people the skills they need to be able to resolve grief in their life, offering resources and actionbased structured steps that can make a difference.’

She says that acknowledging feelings of grief is a good starting point.

‘Then it’s also helpful to educate yourself on things like the symptoms of grief. There are some common reactions that come up, but we should recognise that everyone’s experience is unique.’

Other advice she offers is to confide in people who will listen without judging, analysing or criticising, and, as we come out of the pandemic, to prioritise self-care.

‘For some people, self-care might be going for walks, chatting with friends or listening to a particular kind of music,’ she says. ‘Then we should focus on managing our physiology – making sure that we are getting enough sleep and good nutrition.’

Ghulam continues: ‘In the Grief Recovery Method, we talk about some common myths. One of them is “just give it time”. But actually, it’s not time that heals, it’s what you do during that time.

People can wear themselves into the ground, trying to stay busy, in the hope that if they give it enough time, the pain will go away. But no, grief is like carrying rocks in a rucksack – until you sit down, reflect on them and deal with them, the rucksack will just get heavier and heavier.’

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hulam’s own difficult experience of grief long before the pandemic is what motivated her to become a grief recovery specialist. She wanted to stop others from having to go through the same thing.

‘I lost my mum when I was 13,’ she says. ‘Somebody said to me, “Don’t cry, you’ve got to be strong for your brothers and sisters.” So every time I started to cry – a normal, natural reaction to losing your mum – I said to myself that I mustn’t.

‘Then, when I was 30, my brother died suddenly from a massive heart attack – he had been having chest pains for a few days, and had an appointment for the GP in the afternoon. But he died that morning.

All the unresolved grief from my mum’s

6 • WAR CRY • 19 March 2022

death and his came out together for me, and I was completely overwhelmed. It shook up my world view, and I was not coping well.’

Ghulam found that her experience led her to ask questions about faith.

‘I decided to leave my job and went travelling,’ she says.

‘I was very aware of my own mortality. I wondered if there was a God, and what he was like. I became afraid of death and how I could be next. That started me on a quest to get answers.’

But as she began that journey, she experienced even more loss.

‘A year after my brother’s death, my sister had a delayed grief reaction and sadly took her own life. A year later, my father became ill and died. Then I went on to have three miscarriages. I was stuck in pain for years. I was searching for answers in New Age therapies, I explored other faiths, but in the end, the only answers I could find were in Christ, because I realised that what I was afraid of was what

would happen to me after I died.

‘I used to have a recurring nightmare where I died, and there was a big pair of scales. My good deeds and my bad deeds were going to be weighed, and I never knew, from one night to the next, which would be more. I realised that I thought getting right with God depended on what I did. But once I understood that Christianity is about what Jesus has already done on the cross and that we live from a place of already being loved, accepted and significant, it changed everything. I stopped having that nightmare.’

Ghulam’s newfound faith played a significant part in her efforts to process her grief. But she also took other practical steps, such as going to counselling and learning the tools to support herself – and the Grief Recovery Method is designed for people of all faiths and none.

‘When I did my training as a grief recovery specialist, I realised that it’s more effective because I didn’t have to keep going to a counsellor to process things. I

I was stuck in pain for years

You do not have to struggle on your own

had the knowledge, tools and processes to be able to deal with those things myself, not only in the present but also for whatever would happen in the future.’

Ghulam says she wishes she had known about such tools earlier, but that she is grateful now to be in a position where she can help others. And the message she wants to leave with people is that there is hope.

She says: ‘If you are feeling stuck and struggling, don’t think “I’ll just give it time” or “I’ll keep busy” or “I’ll drink” or “I’ll eat”. Acknowledge that there are options.

You can get help and you do not have to struggle on your own.’

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spel tru The gospel truth G

RACING Radio 2’s airwaves and soul singer Mica Paris’s album Gospel, Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir have come a long way since being founded in a Soho parish church in 2005. Their production, The Night Watchmen’s Nativity – viewing Jesus’ birth through the eyes of minimum-wage shepherds – was aired on Sky in December 2020, and the choir have made television appearances across the BBC’s religious programming.

One of the choir’s directors, Clarence Hunt, remembers the meeting that catapulted the group on to Mica’s album.

‘We met Mica at a fundraising gig in 2019. She loved us and said: “I need you on my album.” She wanted the whole choir on it but unfortunately, because of Covid, they only allowed a small group of us to record with her. But it was a privilege even to be asked to do so. It has helped the world to know our name and what we do, and we’re honoured to be on the album.’

While he is glad the choir have struck a chord within popular culture, Clarence remains focused on their fundamental purpose: to bring the Christian faith alive to audiences.

‘We have many opportunities to sing,’ he says, ‘and that’s wonderful. But to me, it’s all about capturing someone’s attention to bring them to God in some way.’

That desire was the basis of Soul Sanctuary’s inception. It was founded in 2005 by Miko Giedroyc when he realised that his children weren’t engaged in church services. So, as a long-time gospel enthusiast, he decided to bring the genre into his church’s worship sessions. A month later, Clarence joined the choir.

Now the group, including the band and sound team,

Choir director CLARENCE HUNT explains why gospel music has the ability to connect people and shape their emotions Interview by Emily Bright

Clarence Hunt 8 • WAR CRY • 19 March 2022

uthtruth comprises about 35 members. Most, including Clarence, are Christian, but there are also non-Christians in the choir.

‘Our mission was always to bring gospel music to people who don’t necessarily hear it,’ Clarence explains.

‘We sing at funerals, weddings, festivals and other events. We also help people set up their own gospel choirs in their church.

We do that through leading workshops, guiding people who would potentially be the choir director for their church.’

Their mission has also taken them to a gig at Wandsworth prison in 2019, an occasion that Clarence remembers fondly.

‘There’s something special about bringing gospel music to people who don’t otherwise have the opportunity to hear

it, watching their reaction, and seeing them engaged,’ he reflects.

‘A man came up to us afterwards and said: “I’m being released in two days and I needed to hear this.” Through lockdown, we recorded a piece of music for the prison’s radio station. And we’re going there on Easter Sunday this year.’

As pandemic restrictions have allowed, Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir have returned with live in-person performances.

Last year, they launched a regular gig called Soul at Saint James, which takes place in the courtyard of St James’s Church in Piccadilly, London, on the first Sunday of each month.

‘In 2019,’ Clarence recalls, ‘we started to take our services outside, in the courtyard of St James’s. And we noticed that people were drawn in by the music as they were walking down the street.

But as soon as there was a Bible reading or sermon, the crowd dispersed.

‘We wanted to provide Bible readings in a way that was engaging to everyone, so we decided to sing Scripture. It’s nothing new, but it’s something you don’t see that often. We put the words of the Bible to music to help people engage with them. Music is a gateway to speak

about God without offending anyone.

‘Soul at Saint James is about spreading the good news of Jesus and meeting a need for joyous, uplifting music to help people through tough times. Each month, we choose a different theme to focus on, with music, the spoken word, stories and talks.’

Clarence believes that the gospel genre resonates with people because of its power to evoke a myriad of emotions in listeners.

‘I feel like everyone thinks that gospel music is always uplifting and joyous, which it can be,’ he says. ‘But it can also be quite sombre, and I truly believe that music does mould your emotions, whether it’s a slow-paced song, which really makes you contemplate the words that are being sung, or it’s an up-tempo song that is happy, joyous and empowering.

‘Everyone can take a different aspect of our music away with them, whether it is religious or simply being uplifted with joy in tough times. The gospel genre creates a connection between God and music, and our main objective is to spread this wonderful music and God’s word to everyone we can.’

Music is a gateway to speak about God

NEIL SMITH

19 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 9

‘It takes time for

LEO ROCHA DOS SANTOS explains how he was prompted to travel to Nigeria to help children accused of witchcraft Interview by Claire Brine

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CHANNEL 4 documentary led a Brazilian-born engineer living in St Albans to begin helping children on another continent. ‘The whole thing started in 2009, when I watched a programme about witch children in Nigeria,’ says Leo Rocha dos Santos. ‘It showed families persecuting their own children and blaming them for the misfortune that occurred in their village.

‘Shocked by what I saw, I decided to go to Nigeria in 2010 with a group of Christians to assess the situation and see what we could do to help. Our idea was to set up an educational project, but on that trip I ended up rescuing children who had been branded as witches, renting a house for them to live in and paying some women to look after them.’

On his return to the UK, Leo set up Way to the Nations, a Christian organisation that provides children ostracised by their communities with

10 • WAR CRY • 19 March 2022

a safe place to live. At the Factory of Hope orphanage in the town of Eket, the young people receive food, healthcare, education and love.

‘Since we opened, we have rescued more than 60 children,’ says Leo. ‘Our youngest child at the moment is five years old, and he came to live with us aged two. Our oldest is 21 and studying at university.’

Leo explains that when new children arrive at the Factory of Hope, they have a great deal of trauma to process. He remembers the first boy he rescued, an eight-year-old called Ezekias, who had been beaten until his arm was broken.

‘Sometimes parents have even killed their own children because they think they are witches,’ Leo says. ‘Often they cite their child’s disobedience as evidence. If something bad happens in the family –

Leo (bottom right) and children from the Factory of Hope

such as a job loss or death – the parents think it’s the child’s fault. It’s at that point that a corrupt pastor might say to them: “If you can pay me so much money, I will get rid of the witch spirit in your child.”

‘In some cases, the exorcism is very violent. And the average cost is just over £100. Sometimes, if families cannot afford the fee, they take their child far away from home and abandon them, just to get rid of the problem. They fear that if they don’t get rid of the child, even bigger problems will fall on the family.’

Despite the opposition that Leo faces from some of the townspeople, he remains committed to rescuing innocent children accused of witchcraft. He says that once they are safe inside the orphanage, they are free to start a new life.

‘At first, some of the children are

We have rescued more than 60 children

children to trust us’

Leo Rocha dos Santos

The children prepare for a day at school

sceptical when we try to help them.

They think: “If my family didn’t love me, why would these strangers?” It takes time for them to trust us. But we speak to them about Jesus, telling them that he loves them and cares for them.

We take the children to church. It’s a church that I have visited, so I know that the Christian teaching is good.

‘We also try to help the children start dreaming about their future. What do they want to be when they grow up? One of our kids, Samuel, is so bright that he has become the orator for his class at school. He’s got such confidence now – it’s amazing.’

As well as rescuing children from harmful situations, Way to the Nations aims to educate people about the Christian faith, teaching them that witchcraft is in no way linked to the good news of Jesus.

‘It’s not easy, because there are so many people in the country who say that they know someone who is a witch,’ Leo says. ‘But sometimes people do listen to us.

Over the past 12 years, we have been able to reconcile 10 children from the orphanage with their families, because their relatives have changed the way they think. Getting people to see things differently is always the hardest part of our job.’

As Leo looks to the future, he hopes to expand the work of Way to the Nations by building an education centre in Eket, providing training for young people in skills such as carpentry, mechanics and IT. He cites his faith as the inspiration that keeps him going.

‘Some people say I’m a hero for what I do, but the real hero is Jesus,’ he says. ‘He’s the one who has put faith in me.

I’m just an ordinary man who gathered together some ordinary people to save lives. It proves that anyone can do something positive to make the world a little bit better.’

19 March 2022 • 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’.

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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.

talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK Will we keep our lockdown promises?

Sarah Olowofoyeku gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

MOST people thought lockdown would last a few weeks tops. But here we are only just emerging from Covid-19 restrictions and marking two years since the country first went into lockdown.

Looking back on those early days now, it seems as though we lived through the unimaginable. We’d been thrown head first into the unknown. We were separated from family and friends. Loo roll and baking ingredients were suddenly in short supply. Front rooms and bedrooms became The crisis classrooms and offices. We barely saw another soul when we on our daily walks. It was surreal. highlighted went Keyworkers showing up to their jobs to care and provide inequality for people, while no one really understood the virus, was a service and a sacrifice we were all so grateful for.

Nature brought comfort to many of us. As spring bloomed beautifully, we enjoyed good weather and embraced our local parks, coasts and gardens. We promised ourselves that we wouldn’t take such landscapes or precious open spaces for granted, and we’d take care of our world.

The crisis also highlighted inequality. Poor and cramped living conditions or domestic violence made lockdown dangerous for some. Certain groups were at greater risk from the virus than others, and racism was still killing people. We promised ourselves that things would change.

Two years on from the start of the pandemic for us, I don’t know if we have kept those promises. We are still hurtling towards the devastating impacts of climate change, people continue to face racial discrimination, and the increase in the cost of living is making survival difficult for the most vulnerable people.

As we mark the second anniversary of the first lockdown and are experiencing life with no restrictions, I wonder if it’s worth making a fresh commitment to doing all we said we’d do. My faith tells me that it’s how God wants us to live – caring for the planet and for others.

It’s amazing that we can be with friends and family again, go on holidays and return to life as we knew it. But it’s important that we don’t miss the opportunity to make lasting changes to that life, in light of what we’ve lived through – to show gratitude, to speak out against injustice and to be more compassionate and kind.

Please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me for ever.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

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War Cry 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

Basic reading about Christianity Information about The Salvation Army

Looking for help?

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 • 19 March 2022

Q

QUICK QUIZ 1

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Who wrote This is Going to Hurt, a book about his life as a junior doctor, which has been turned into a TV series?

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4

5

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What does the German phrase ‘gute nacht’ mean?

Which American country singer is the godmother of pop star Miley Cyrus?

Who is the captain of the Wales rugby union team?

What is the capital of the Czech Republic?

ANSWERS

1. Adam Kay. 2. Gorillaz. 3. Good night.

4. Dolly Parton. 5. Dan Biggar. 6. Prague.

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Which virtual band had a No 1 hit in 2005 with the song ‘Dare’?

In this occasional series, Nigel Bovey unlocks the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, which Jesus speaks to his disciples about in Matthew’s Gospel

The debt-free Kingdom I

N a story about two servants, Jesus uses the everyday experience of debt to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom, he tells his listeners, is like a king who settles an account with one of his servants.

The man owes the king an enormous amount of money – ‘10,000 bags of gold’ (Matthew 18:24 New International Version) or literally 10,000 ‘talents’. A talent was worth 6,000 denarii, which was the currency of that day. Later on in Matthew’s Gospel we discover that a labourer earned a denarius a day (Matthew 20:2). Therefore, the servant owes the king 60 million days’ wages. (Quite how a lowly servant could run up such a debt is not stated; Jesus is exaggerating to make his point.) If the servant worked every day except the Sabbath, it would take him 191,540 years to clear his debt.

Initially, the king orders that the servant and his family are sold to pay the debt. The servant, however, throws himself on the king’s mercy.

Even though the servant has no means to ‘pay back everything’ (Matthew 18:26), the king takes pity on him and cancels the debt. Freed, the servant has his life back.

He then meets a fellow servant who owes him just 100 denarii.

The second servant doesn’t have the money. So, the debt-free servant throttles him, refuses his plea for more time to pay and has the man thrown into prison.

The king hears about it. He asks the first servant: ‘Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’

(Matthew 18:33). Because the servant did not treat the second servant the way the king had treated him, the king now treats him the way he had treated his fellow servant. Instead of mercy, he instigates justice, throwing the servant into prison.

When other people wrong us, we can choose justice – righting the balance by making them pay – or mercy. A key to the Kingdom is to treat people how we would like God to treat us. If we do not know God’s forgiveness and don’t forgive others, the Kingdom of Heaven will be closed to us.

We can choose justice or mercy

19 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 13

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

ACROSS 1. Animate (7) 5. Hazy (5) 7. Doubtful (7) 8. Respond (5) 10. Design (4) 11. Disparage (8) 13. Reverberated (6) 14. Photographic instrument (6) 17. Deliberate damage (8) 19. Assistant (4) 21. Impel (5) 22. Ailment (7) 23. Remuneration (5) 24. Expelled (7) DOWN 2. Day of rest (7) 3. Hero (4) 4. Christian festival (6) 5. Ludicrous (8) 6. Colossus (5) 7. Despondent (9) 9. Youngsters (9) 12. Agitated (8)

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

9 6

9 5 8 8

7 4 7 5 8 6 4 15.

16.

18.

20.

Obvious (7) Kindle (6) Existence (5) Hint (4)

3 2

6

2

5

4 1 9

5 1 9 8 1

WORDSEARCH

1 5 9 7 6 3 8 4 2 2 6 backwards 8 9 5and4diagonally 3 7 1 Look up, down, forwards, on the grid to find these words associated with gardening 7 3 4 2 8 1 5 9 6 X K C H V C V9L C 4 Y1M S8 S 7X H5X O 2 Z6 3 V T T Q A O V A A AWC A I M L H I C Z B X Q L Z3H 7 I I 2V N1 O 9U E6Z 4 V Y5 8 R S F P I D F5N H Z C1 7 8 M6N B4 C 3R D2F 9 BHQOP F CHZU T NQADCNQ 1 G3A T5 E 4V A7O 6 J D A G P R O8P A E F2 9 V D Y P O A E6L L 2 R5K H3 P 1I I9S N 7 Z8 4 T Z A P QM J S I A D Z A T B U Z H 1 Y3 5 R Q Y S T E Q4Z 9 I A7I Y6 A 2L M8O Q

M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1.

2.

3.

4.

Careless writing Farming machinery Small boat Stay in the same place 5. Danger 6. Droning insect

MH D I MN J U QD R I KA X I F A

ANSWERS 1 2 7 9 3 5 8 6 4 8 6 4

5 6 3 4 7 8 1 2 9

9 8 4 1 2 6 3 5 7

7 9 2 8 1 4 5 3 6

6 5 8 7 9 3 4 1 2

3 4 1 5 6 2 7 9 8

8 3 5 2 4 9 6 7 1

4 7 9 6 5 1 2 8 3

2 1 6 3 8 7 9 4 5

1 5

4 1 9

HONEYCOMB 1. Scrawl. 2. Plough. 3. Dinghy.

4. Remain. 5. Hazard. 6. Cicada.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Inspire. 5. Foggy. 7. Dubious.

8. React. 10. Plan. 11. Belittle. 13. Echoed.

14. Camera. 17. Sabotage. 19. Aide. 21. Drive.

22. Illness. 23. Wages. 24. Ejected.

DOWN: 2. Sabbath. 3. Idol. 4. Easter. 5. Farcical.

6. Giant. 7. Depressed. 9. Teenagers. 12. Restless.

15. Evident. 16. Ignite. 18. Being. 20. Clue.

14 • WAR CRY • 19 March 2022

2 1 6 3

Y L O N L L O O U

S Z R O F C Y E D

Z T G J S E H G V

V X N E L GNMU K U QAD FW I ENC T D A N I CMA T T E R I B V L R H WM R E R C UOECAC I REDE C G K R Q D ZWQ F D J RWT N K Z J L S O U S Q N U WM S O M F J NWS Y O J RMG B

ANNUAL BIENNIAL CLOCHE COLD FRAME CORDON CULTIVAR DEADHEAD DECIDUOUS ERICACEOUS

E L GU BM T B HQ P A QV OC AM

FERTILISER FOLIAGE GERMINATION HALF-HARDY MAINCROP MULCH ORGANIC MATTER PERENNIAL PROPAGATE

8 9

Blueberry and yoghurt American-style pancakes Ingredients 50g fine cornmeal 50g tapioca flour ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1tsp bicarbonate of soda 200g low-fat natural yoghurt 2 eggs 150g blueberries, plus extra, to serve Sunflower oil Butter, to serve Maple syrup or honey, to serve

Method In a bowl, mix the cornmeal, tapioca flour, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda together.

Add the yoghurt and break in the eggs. Whisk until smooth, then fold in 150g blueberries.

Heat a little oil in a large non-stick pan. Drop a few large spoonfuls of the thick batter into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Turn the pancakes over and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep hot in a folded napkin on a plate.

Oil the pan again and repeat the steps to cook more pancakes until all the mixture is used up, lowering the heat slightly as needed.

Stack the pancakes on plates and top with a little butter, extra blueberries and a drizzle of maple syrup or honey, to serve.

MAKES

12

Blueberry and oat muffins Ingredients 250g wholemeal flour 200g oats 4tsp baking powder 2tsp bicarbonate of soda Salt 450ml natural yoghurt 180ml vegetable oil 2tsp vanilla extract 2 eggs 100g light muscovado sugar 350g blueberries

Method Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.

Line 18 holes of 2 muffin tins with paper cases.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt.

Add the yoghurt, oil and vanilla to a second, smaller bowl, then crack in the eggs. Pour in the sugar and mix together until smooth. Add the mixture to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir together until just combined.

Add the blueberries and mix briefly, then divide between the muffin tins.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until the tops are firm when pressed. Lift out of the tins and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serve while still warm, or leave to cool completely.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the British Summer Fruits website lovefreshberries.co.uk

MAKES

18

19 March 2022 • WAR CRY • 15

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble Psalm 46:1 (New International Version)

WAR CRY