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 7501
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 • 21 November 2020
EDITOR From From the editor’s desk
AS in many other fields, ‘tough’ is a word that has been used good So say scientists quoted on the toSINGING describeisthis yearfor in you. athletics. Events big and small have been BBC Future website.or The experts singing can boost cancelled, rearranged have had tosaid takethat place in empty stadiums. our sense of social connection. Butmoods some and athletes have tried to find positives in it by winning Perhaps it is with in mind thatgood people haveOne been those races that havethese takenbenefits place and clocking times. joining online choirs during lockdown. In this week’s issue, the such competitor is Daniel Rowden, who became British champion Warwent Cry’son Sarah Olowofoyeku joins a virtual rehearsal the London and to run the joint ninth-fastest time ever by of a Briton. He International Gospel Choir to discover for herself the pleasures tells the War Cry this week that the season has been ‘positive upon people have of so singing alone, together with others. positive’. And found he says having beenyet through some tough times in Meanwhile Austen Hardwick has found similar value in running. the past few years. This week’s War Cry includes interview with by theamarathon Daniel’s progress in also the sport hadan been hampered painful runner who found that his sport helped him to regain life events after medical condition. He had been hoping to compete at his major he suffered strokes while hishe early forties. last year, but three his doctor told himinthat needed surgery. He had to it was not only running that helped Austen’s recovery. put However, his track career on ice. His Christian faithhard played a vital ‘running part in him positive It was, he says, because wastaking a big apart of my approach to all that he faced. identity, how I saw success and how I felt validated in the world’. ‘Whenhad I was in hospital,’ Austen says, ‘I asked God take‘I what Daniel to ‘work through’ his discouragement. He to says: came I was going through and to transform me through it.’ to understand that my validation as a human comes from God.’ Now God take any situation or anything thatChristians he is backbelieve on thethat track, hiscan Christian faith gives him perspective that they do or face and use it to make a positive impact in others’ to handle disappointments and successes. lives or their own. That been that the experience ofencouraging painter Oliver As this week’s War Cryhas shows, same faith is Pengilley. people in various arenas – whether they are romantic novelist Toni Oliver had developed successful as an experiences artist with some Shiloh, who sees parallelsabetween hercareer characters’ and of his work selling for significant sums of money. But, he tells or Jesus’ love enabling people to overcome their everydayasstruggles, the War Cry thispractitioner week, he grew frustrated. advanced nurse Karen Cloran, who says that ‘although ‘I didn’t see the meaning of it,’ he says. Now difficult he travels to he God is not going to stop me from going through times, churches all over thepeace world and to paint pictures worship gives me hope, inner a desire to beduring the best I can be’. sessions his faith-based artworkpeople has helped other in Faith hasand a track record of helping in good andpeople bad times. their know own faith They that,journey. whatever happens, God will be with them from is an amazing truth that God can take any skill a person has startIt to finish. or any situation they are facing and can transform it into something that can change their lives and the lives of the people around them.
Contents
What is The Salvation Army?
FEATURES 3
A cat not just for Christmas Furry friend’s film return
5
Nuns’ classical No 1 Peaceful album strikes a chord
6
Natural progression Conservation project transforms wasteland
8
British 800m champion Daniel Rowden ‘I didn’t give my talents to me’
10 Seizing the days How Toni used National Novel Writing Month
REGULARS
12
Team Talk
13
Faces of Faith
14 Puzzles 15
War Cry Kitchen
6
10
Front-page picture: PA
15