War Cry 24 February 2024

Ukrainian musicians find support in Scotland

WAR CRY

24 February 2024 50p/60c

The sky’s the limit Sports presenter Simon Thomas on coming through bereavement and addiction

Stacey Solomon is sorting out some decluttering

What is The Salvation Army?

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.

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 7667

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

From the editor’s desk FANS of a good declutter will be delighted that Stacey Solomon is back on BBC1 with a new series of Sort Your Life Out. In the programme Stacey and her team assist people whose homes are overrun with stuff by helping them to decide what they need and what they can do away with. By the end of each episode, a complete decluttering has been carried out and – as we note in this week’s War Cry – the people whose lives were in turmoil because of the excess items they were hoarding can look forward to a more ordered future.

It’s great that the programme can improve people’s situations in that way. But some people in the world face challenges that require more than just a sort-through of their belongings.

This week we speak with Mariia Bahach, whose life was turned upside down when Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago. She tells us how the outbreak of war meant that she had to leave her family home in Kharkiv.

Now the musician, with the help of The Salvation Army, is living in Glasgow and studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In the feature, Mariia describes how she made the journey from Ukraine to Scotland and how the war is still affecting her family as they are forced to live outside their homeland.

It was a different kind of family trauma that rocked Simon Thomas’s world in 2017. In an interview in this issue, the TV presenter describes how, for a time, his life fell apart after his wife died of leukaemia.

However, Simon also explains how he was helped by his Christian faith.

‘When our struggles are at their most intense, God always walks with us through them,’ he says.

That has also been the experience of many other Christians. They have discovered that it doesn’t matter how much of a mess life has become, or what has caused it to be like that, God is always able to help.

When you’ve read the War Cry, why not pass it on ➔ ➔ ➔

Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 1 Champion Park London SE5 8FJ Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Lyndon Buckingham Territorial leaders: Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main Editor-in-Chief: Major Julian Watchorn 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

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FEATURES

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Minimal TV Stacey Solomon is decluttering

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INFO 15 Your local Salvation Army centre

CONTENTS people’s homes 6

A noted success How Ukrainian musicians found a place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

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‘Life today is not plan B’ Simon Thomas on life after bereavement

13 One day more Why 2024 is a leap year REGULARS

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Team Talk and War Cry World

12 Hands Together, Eyes Closed 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: SKY

BBC/OPTOMEN TELEVISION/NEIL KENT

Stacey Solomon dispenses wisdom on how to declutter

Get it sorted Stacey Solomon is back to help more people figure out what they want to keep hold of TV feature by Sarah Olowofoyeku

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HEY have one goal – to make lives better. In Sort Your Life Out, which returned to BBC1 this week, Stacey Solomon and her team meet families and individuals whose homes are filled with stuff and help them to declutter.

In the first episode of the new series on Tuesday (20 February), they entered a house that had been designed to include lots of space, but almost every area and surface was covered with toys, paperwork or boxes. After checking out all the rooms of the house, they met its inhabitants: single dad Craig and his two daughters.

After the death of the fourth member of the family, wife and mother Lois, four years ago, it had been tough for Craig to manage raising his daughters alone and keeping things tidy. Everything was in disarray, and

he knew that he needed help.

When Stacey and her team meet people whose houses are cluttered, they often find the impact is not just physical. Even the idea of decluttering can be overwhelming. The more things people have to get rid of, the harder it is to start the process.

And that is where the team’s assistance comes in. Together, they remove every single item from the house. It is then taken to a big warehouse and laid out for the families to sort through, enabling them to see everything that they have and gain a clearer perspective on what they might want to keep and what should be donated, sold or recycled.

Stacey needed Craig’s family to get rid of more than half their stuff. With 97 teddies and dolls, 121 old socks, 1,239 books and 373 pieces of

Some top tips play a huge role

unopened mail, it wasn’t going to be an easy task.

But people can quickly see the rewards of the process. And some top tips on DIY and a few helping hands are shown to play a huge role in people’s ability to make the necessary changes for their wellbeing.

Tips that can help people to improve their lives fill many of the pages in the Bible.

One of its chapters advises that there is ‘a time to keep and a time to throw away’ (Ecclesiastes 3:6 New International Version).

Those words are part of a longer passage that says that there is a time for everything in life – both the good and bad. It offers us a healthy and comforting perspective as we go through difficult experiences.

Such wisdom has come in handy to countless people over the years. It is advice that is inspired by a God who loves us all and who wants to help us, however much of a mess our lives may seem.

24 February 2024 • WAR CRY • 3

Team talk TEAM WA

talk ‘ TALK’ j Wise words

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters THE King is receiving treatment for cancer, so it’s no wonder that articles talking about the illness keep popping up in the media.

‘Cancer is at the forefront of everybody’s minds,’ wrote Deborah Ross in The Times. ‘Is now the time to ask what’s best to say to someone who has also been diagnosed?’

After explaining that she lost her mother and sister to cancer, Deborah set out some helpful hints on ‘certain things you should probably not say’ to someone facing the illness. The first phrase to avoid was: ‘If there is anything you need...?’

Deborah explained that the gesture was ‘too vague to be meaningful’, whereas making a specific offer to ‘pick up the kids on Tuesdays’ was much more helpful. Another sentence to avoid was: ‘Hi, I was just passing’, because – as Deborah pointed out – perhaps the cancer patient doesn’t have the energy to deal with visitors. Far better to make a lasagne and leave it on their doorstep, she said, along with a text to let them know it’s there.

Having lost my dad to cancer, I found myself nodding along to Deborah’s article.

Being tactful with our words is hugely important – but not just in cases of longterm illness. What we say (or refrain from saying) matters in all kinds of scenarios, such as when our friends are facing divorce, bereavement, financial worries or concerns about their children.

In difficult times, finding the ‘right’ thing to say can itself be difficult.

We may worry about putting our foot in it. That’s why it’s vital to give some thought to what we say, before we open our mouth to speak.

It’s always worth asking ourselves: is what I’m about to say kind, necessary, helpful? Does it show that I’ve been listening?

The suggestion that we use our words carefully is backed up in the Bible, where the early Church leader Paul writes: ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs’ (Ephesians 4:29 New International Version).

Though our words may be spoken quickly, there’s no question that their impact can last a lifetime. That’s a thought to keep at the forefront of our minds.

It’s vital to give thought to what we say

Team talk 4 • WAR CRY • 24 February 2024

A modern slavery survivor helped by The Salvation Army

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CHRISTIAN modern slavery charity Medaille Trust has joined The Salvation Army’s Beyond programme, an international support system for survivors of modern slavery.

Operating in 134 countries, Beyond helps survivors return to their home country and reintegrate safely, as well as providing support to their family members.

Since February 2023, it has worked alongside more than 50 organisations across the globe, received referrals from more than 30 nationalities and supported more than 80 survivors.

The Salvation Army tackles modern slavery by running a variety of projects overseas and in the UK, including England and Wales, where it holds the government contract to support survivors.

Do you have a story to share? a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk @TheWarCryUK TheWarCryUK

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Actress happy to say she is a Christian

CAREY MULLIGAN told The Times about the role that Christianity plays in her life.

The actress, who stars in the film Saltburn and won a Bafta for her role as Jenny Mellor in An Education, cleared up the interviewer’s speculation that she might be a ‘vessel of super-super-Christianity’.

‘I don’t think I would describe myself as supersuper-Christian. But I was definitely brought up going to church and I still go to church,’ she said. ‘I’m very happy to say that I’m a Christian.’

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Star navigates career with faith CBEEBIES presenter and 2021 Strictly Come Dancing semi-finalist Rhys Stephenson spoke on a podcast about navigating his television career as a Christian.

On Stay Curious, a podcast by Alpha – a course which helps people explore Christianity – Rhys described three qualities he tries to adopt when living out his faith.

‘It’s integrity, it’s enthusiasm with which you speak about God, and it’s learning to take certain things lightly and not taking yourself too seriously,’ he said.

Revealing that he used to feel nervous when people would talk to him about faith at work, he said: ‘I had to take that pressure off, and just enjoy talking about it in the same way that people would enjoy talking about football or a passion.’

Rhys also reflected on the moment on Strictly when he was able to show viewers his beliefs in a prerecorded video segment. In it, he spoke honestly about his faith, visited his old church in Romford and spoke with his vicar.

‘The response I got after that week was incredible,’ he went on to say. ‘The amount of people that said thank you for talking about your faith, and doing it like a normal person.’

Rough sleeping rise in capital SHARPLY rising homelessness numbers should be an urgent concern in the upcoming general election, The Salvation Army has said.

Up to 4,389 individuals were recorded as sleeping rough by outreach teams in London from October to December 2023 in a report by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network. This marks a 23 per cent increase on the same period the previous year.

First-time rough sleepers, an estimated 2,283 people over the past year, now account for 52 per cent of the total rough sleepers.

The Salvation Army wants legislative change to ensure that people who are forced on to the streets are made a priority by local authorities and are offered temporary then longer-term accommodation. It believes that mental health and addiction support should be included in local homelessness strategies.

The church and charity is also keen to see the UK government boost homelessness funding in line with inflation and provide a sustained investment in social housing.

24 February 2024 • WAR CRY • 5

Safe and sound Two years ago, on 24 February, Russia attacked Ukraine, triggering a war that led millions of people to flee the country – among them music student Mariia Bahach, who became one of the many people to have been welcomed to a Salvation Army centre for Ukrainian refugees.

With a place to live and surrounded by support, she is again able to pursue her love of playing the violin Feature by Philip Halcrow

PHILIP HALCROW

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IOLIN student Mariia Bahach was so lost in music that she was not ready for what was about to happen. ‘It was a big shock for me,’ she says. ‘The day before, I didn’t notice the news, because I was just going to college and practising a lot. As usual I finished my practice late at night, then I took the bus home. And then, when it happened, I just didn’t believe that it had started. I still wanted to go to my teacher. I wanted to do some lessons. I was so shocked.’

Mariia is no longer in Ukraine. After Russia invaded on 24 February two years ago, she uprooted herself from her country and made a series of journeys, which took her to Glasgow and enabled her to keep making music – thanks to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she is studying, and to The Salvation Army, which is providing her and tens of other refugees with a place to live.

‘Music is a very important part of my life,’ says Mariia – an assessment that seems to be reflected even in her description of her home city.

‘I’m from Kharkiv,’ she says, ‘which is a big city with lots of halls for concerts and a beautiful conservatoire.’

In Kharkiv, Mariia was at music college. ‘I got a junior bachelor there,’ she says.

Music is a very important part of my life

Mariia Bahach

6 • WAR CRY • 24 February 2024

MOIRA TAYLOR

One thing we do here is get people together

Mariia playing at the Barrack Street centre

JA DE ON RS DE AN

Then war interrupted.

‘At first my family thought we would stay,’ she says. ‘But, because Kharkiv is near Russia, there was a lot of fire. It had become so dangerous. So we went with others to the train station. It was full of people. We took a train out of there and then went through Romania to Turkey.

‘My aunt lives in Turkey, so I stayed with her for about six months, and I tried to decide what I could do. It was confusing. I could not continue my studies at the music college. I thought I needed a community where I could continue being a musician.

So I tried to find a good place to study. I applied to Germany, to New Zealand and to Scotland – which accepted me.

‘Now I am with my sister in Scotland, and the rest of my family are in Lithuania.

I’m very grateful that they’re safe.’

After arriving in Scotland, at first Mariia was given accommodation on one of two cruise ships set up to house refugees.

Some from the ship went on to live with host families. Mariia was among those who took accommodation at a centre for refugees being run by The Salvation Army.

Karen Good The old university building in Barrack Street, Glasgow, had been taken on by The Salvation Army at the request of South Lanarkshire Council, which was working to resettle refugees.

Karen Good, contract manager at Barrack Street, explains: ‘We provide 150 rooms for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. The majority are working or studying and some even still have employment in Ukraine but are

working from here. As well as providing accommodation, we identify what their aspirations are and try to find out whether they want to go to university, whether they want to stay or move on, and whether we can assist with completing applications for housing.’

Karen says that her team do more than just manage the site and help with practicalities.

She says: ‘We’re a Christian organisation, and The Salvation Army’s ethos is to go above and beyond. So the centre is like a community. The Ukrainians value community, and one thing we do here is get people together.

‘We also deal with trauma. Just because somebody feels settled and safe, it doesn’t mean that they’ve not still got a lot of trauma. So the team work really hard with that, having one-to-ones with people and making sure that support is in place for them. We have a chaplaincy team that works closely with us.

‘Generally we try to do things that can

Turn to page 8 f

24 February 2024 • WAR CRY • 7

PHILIP HALCROW

From page 7 perk people up a wee bit. We’ve got a lot of things happening here. We have music lessons and language lessons – we’ll do some English, but then we’ll also have somebody who’s teaching us Ukrainian and Russian.

‘Similarly we have activities where people can get a taste of home – they’ll bake food for us and we’ll do the same for them.

‘We mark dates in the calendar so that the Ukrainians can understand more about life here and we can learn more about their culture. Just because they’re here, it doesn’t mean they need to forget about their culture. The aim is that they’re going to return home when it is safe to do so.’

Always wanting to nurture and encourage expressions of culture, when the team learnt that Mariia was a musician they asked if they could hear her play.

‘Mariia had come down from her room and we got talking. She explained that she played the violin and was studying at the Royal Conservatoire. We wondered if she would mind playing for us. She played for us and in front of other residents. And she loved it.’

Mariia invited her fellow music student, pianist Anna-Mariia Hryoriak, to accompany her at a staff meeting in Glasgow and a lunchtime concert at a Salvation Army headquarters in London.

Anna-Mariia was also at music college in Ukraine when war broke out. Her home city of Chernivtsi is close to Romania and so – as she describes it – ‘is a more safe place in Ukraine’. In fact, some members of her family who were living in Kyiv or other regions of the country travelled to her home for safety.

Nevertheless, she says that when war broke out and the sirens sounded around the city, ‘it was really scary’. The invasion changed her plans.

‘Before the war, I wanted to study in Kyiv or Odessa,’ she says, ‘but when the war started, my parents said they would be nervous about me if I studied there, because all the time it is bombed. So we decided that I should study in another country.’

Anna-Mariia and Mariia after giving a lunchtime concert at The Salvation Army’s UK and Ireland headquarters in London

Having travelled to Scotland, AnnaMariia lives with a host family and studies at the Royal Conservatoire, where she linked up with Mariia.

Both were keen to play when invited by The Salvation Army.

‘Mariia is so musically orientated,’ says Karen.

‘We have tried to support her in that.

‘For instance, our building is very large, but there were not a lot of places where she could go to practise her violin. She was having to stay late at night at the university to practise there.

‘We have another building across the

You can use music to support other people

8 • WAR CRY • 24 February 2024

road, so we said she could go there, where she doesn’t have to play quietly.’

Mariia says that music has helped her over the past couple of years.

‘I just need music,’ she says. ‘It’s necessary to be in this community to have the opportunity to continue my education, my skills. I love music because it opens your soul – and you can use it to support other people and support yourself.

‘I hope in the future that I will be a composer as well as a violinist.’

But, looking ahead, Mariia has an even greater desire.

‘The first hope for us all is the security of our families and for peace in Ukraine,’ she says.

‘I’ve let go of shame and guilt’ TV presenter SIMON THOMAS reflects on how his faith has helped him through bereavement, addiction and suicidal thoughts Interview by Nigel Bovey

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O see Simon Thomas one-two with Paul Merson on Sky’s Soccer Saturday is to witness someone at the top of their game. Knowledgeable, comfortable and ready to mix it with ex-players, he comes across as the consummately professional presenter. Away from the screen, however, he has known anxiety, depression and tragedy.

In November 2017, just four days after she received her diagnosis, his wife, Gemma, died of leukaemia. She was 40 years of age, leaving him with their 8-year-old son, Ethan.

In his grief, Simon turned to drink and to God for comfort.

‘After we married, everything was great,’ he says. ‘I had a job I enjoyed. We had a lovely house. Family life was fine. Then, out of nowhere, I started experiencing anxiety. I’d get panic attacks just before going live on air.

It became so exhausting. With the blessing of my employers, I stepped back from my work.

‘At the same time, Gemma started complaining about headaches and began to feel very tired a lot of the time. Because she’d

struggled with insomnia since Ethan was born, we felt that her condition was a reaction to mine.

‘Her health went rapidly downhill. In one week, we saw our GP three times, but they never offered Gemma a blood test.

Not convinced that our doctor was taking Gemma seriously, we went to a hospital. In the early hours of the Tuesday morning, she was diagnosed with blood cancer. Those two words shattered us. It was like a bomb had gone off in our lives.

‘The next day, she was transferred to a specialist hospital, where she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.

‘Initially, Gemma responded to the treatment, but on the Friday morning her condition rapidly deteriorated. The doctors told me that she wouldn’t last the day.’

Simon, already suffering the anguish of mental illness, had to get his head around telling Gemma’s mum, their wider family and their friends. He also had to find the strength to take Ethan to see his mum for the last time.

With his wife dying before his eyes, Simon prayed, ‘genuinely believing’ that God would heal Gemma. How did he feel when he didn’t?

‘I was very angry. I’d prayed: “Please God, don’t leave my boy without a mum.” There were many

Turn to page 10

Simon Thomas

24 February 2024 • WAR CRY • 9

From page 9 mornings when I’d walk down to the bottom of the garden and shout “Why? Why, God, haven’t you answered my prayer?” It took a long time to realise that I’d never get an answer. It was a process of letting go. It became less “Why, God, did you let Gemma die?” and more “Where are you, God, in all this?”’

In her final moments, Gemma made Simon promise two things: that he would never give up on God and that he would never hit the bottle. As well intentioned as Simon was at his wife’s bedside, with a lonely Christmas rapidly approaching, he readily admits he ‘failed spectacularly’ at resisting alcohol.

‘When you go through something very painful – the loss of a loved one, a relationship breakdown, losing a job – and you have to go through it before you can get to the other side and start rebuilding, you have to sit in the pain. It’s only when you feel the pain that God’s healing can begin.

‘I couldn’t sit in the pain. I couldn’t deal with the loneliness. I’d given up drinking back in the August, but I broke my promise and started drinking again.

‘Over the weeks, a close friend gently challenged me: “With alcohol in your system, can you be the best version of yourself? The best dad? The best at what you do work-wise?” In every instance, I answered “no”. I knew that in order for me to be the best version of me – to be the person God truly wants me to be – the drink had to go. So it did.

‘Regarding the broken promise to Gemma, I learnt to let go of shame and guilt because I realised that God is in the business of forgiveness, not of constantly

I realised God is in the business of forgiveness

reminding us where we’ve tripped up.’

Recovery, though, was neither swift nor straightforward. At his lowest point, struggling to deal with his grief and that of his young son, Simon contemplated ending it all.

‘Just after the funeral, a week away from Christmas, the true gravity of losing Gemma hit me. Everyone around us had their decorations up, was buying presents, going to parties, looking forward to spending time with their families. And there was us.

‘I woke up one morning and felt absolutely dreadful. Darkness had closed in so much that I felt claustrophobic. There didn’t seem like there was a way out. As dawn broke, I walked out to the bottom of our garden in my dressing gown and stood by the River Thames. It was misty and damp. It matched my mood – gloomy.

Simon, Gemma and Ethan 10 • WAR CRY • 24 February 2024

SKY

Simon took over as host of ‘Soccer Saturday’ this season

‘I leant against a tree and stared into the river. The darkness felt oppressive. I could barely breathe. For a brief moment, I thought: I can’t do this. I can’t cope with the pain. I can’t deal with the myriad of questions that are constantly tormenting me. I haven’t the first idea about how I’m going to navigate Ethan through this. I don’t know what I’m going to do about my career.

‘The questions were relentless. I just wanted to quit. I just wanted to roll into the water.

‘Two things stopped me. In my mind, I saw Ethan’s face and realised that I couldn’t end it all. Then, as I sat there, I sensed this figure of a man crouched on the riverbank very close to me. He was weeping. My eye caught his. I looked

away. When I looked back he had gone, but I felt a surge of strength. I could carry on.

‘I firmly believe that in that moment it was Jesus reminding me that he understands what I am going through – that he was going to walk with me through this. It was as though he was saying: “I understand your pain. I understand why you’re angry but get back on your feet and get back to the house.”’

Life did not immediately become rosy, but the visitation was ‘a powerful reminder that, when our struggles are at their most intense, God always walks with us through them’.

Simon says: ‘Looking back over the past six years, I can see God’s presence threaded into so many aspects of my life.

I don’t know why suffering happens, but I

My life today is not plan B

do know that God is the God of love and, as I saw in those tears of the figure on the riverbank, I know that when people suffer, God’s heart is broken.

‘We won’t always find an answer to why things happen but in amongst our struggles and sufferings – even those moments when we feel life is not worth living – God walks with us, and he offers us hope.’

Simon has not only experienced hope but has also discovered new love and happiness. In 2021 he married Derrina, and they have a one-year-old daughter, Talitha. At work, he was promoted to anchor the primetime Saturday afternoon footy show.

‘My life today is not plan B,’ reflects Simon. ‘I’m convinced that God does not deal in second bests but in second chances.’

24 February 2024 • 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, 1 Champion Park, Lon­don SE5 8FJ. 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.

Hands together, eyes closed Andrew Stone looks at the Lord’s Prayer

Forgive us our trespasses THERE was a tangle of barbed wire at the top of the high wall. The sign attached to the brickwork said: ‘Private property. No trespassing. Violators will be prosecuted without further notice.’

The message was clear. Outsiders were not welcome, and if they strayed into the forbidden area, there would be serious consequences.

Similar rules can sometimes be applied in life more generally. If we do something we are not meant to, we have to be ready to face the consequences. If our actions are criminal, it could well mean we face legal prosecution and perhaps even imprisonment.

But there are other harmful things we do which are not lawbreaking: we gossip, we act selfishly, we hurt another person’s feelings. We may not find ourselves in court for those actions, but there still could be difficult situations to face as a result of them.

We could lose a friendship or find that someone takes revenge and treats us badly. Sometimes we may feel that we deserve our punishment, particularly if we can see how we have hurt someone and are sorry for what we have done Our Father, which art in Heaven, wrong.

Hallowed be thy name, In the Lord’s Prayer, when we pray Thy Kingdom come, ‘Forgive us our trespasses’ we are Thy will be done, in earth as it is asking God to forgive us for all the in Heaven. times we have strayed into doing Give us this day our daily bread; wrong things, whatever they are. The And forgive us our trespasses, great news is that God will forgive us As we forgive them that without imposing any penalty on us. trespass against us; The Bible writer John says: ‘If we And lead us not into temptation, confess our sins, he is faithful and just But deliver us from evil. and will forgive us’ (1 John 1:9 New For thine is the Kingdom, International Version). And along with the power, and the glory, God’s forgiveness comes a new start.

For ever and ever.

Because of his love for us, we Amen might even imagine a sign that says: ‘Trespassers will be pardoned.’

We may deserve our punishment

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 1 Champion Park London SE5 8FJ

Looking for help?

Name

Address

Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International

Or email your name and postal address to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk 12 • WAR CRY • 24 February 2024

Leap forward QUICK QUIZ 1 2 3 4 5 6

In what year was the Beveridge report, which helped to establish the NHS, published?

Who stars as cooking show host Elizabeth Zott in the TV series Lessons in Chemistry?

Who wrote the Booker prizewinning novel Prophet Song?

What substance has the chemical formula H2O? Who had a No 1 hit in 1978 with the song ‘Wuthering Heights’?

Who last month became the youngest finalist of the PDC World Darts Championship?

ANSWERS

Extra day in February offers opportunities Feature by Emily Bright

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HIS year looks distinctive in many ways, with the upcoming Olympics, UK, US and European elections and – next Thursday (29 February) – an extra day, as 2024 is a leap year.

Our calendars change because it takes the Earth 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 56 seconds to orbit the sun. If these additional hours weren’t accounted for, the summer seasons would drift into the winter months and vice versa.

Thankfully, the Gregorian calendar that we use today – named after Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in the 16th century – adds an extra day in February every four years unless the year is divisible by 400 (as in the year 2000). The date change anchors the seasons to a regular timetable.

For many people, the day opens up positive opportunities – whether for an estimated five million people to celebrate their true birthday, traditionally minded women to propose to their boyfriends in a time-honoured custom, or for the scientifically curious to appreciate the quirks of the universe.

Whatever opportunities we may seize during the extra day in February, there’s also plenty of scope to embark on new adventures all year round – not simply as a new year’s resolution or as a quadrennial event.

While experiences such as navigating relationships, starting hobbies or enjoying holidays may offer some fulfilment, there is always the opportunity to explore something even greater. Regardless of the year or season, we can begin to experience something that will last beyond our lifetimes and will be a greater cause for celebration than we could have imagined.

The Bible tells how during his days on Earth, Jesus revealed that we can all experience a life-changing relationship with God, our loving and allpowerful heavenly Father. He encouraged people who wanted to find faith in God: ‘Just ask and it will be given to you; seek after it and you will find’ (Matthew 7:7 The Voice).

That same opportunity to seek out faith is available to us all. Let’s not miss out on it. Today is as good as any to discover the truth about Jesus for ourselves.

The date change anchors the seasons

24 February 2024 • WAR CRY • 13

1. 1942. 2. Brie Larson. 3. Paul Lynch. 4. Water.

5. Kate Bush. 6. Luke Littler.

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Strange (7) 5. Entrails (5) 7. Soft leather (7) 8. Eat away (5) 10. Space (4) 11. Perturbed (8) 13. Insecure (6) 14. Harm (6) 17. Registered (8) 19. Avoid (4) 21. Armistice (5) 22. Academy (7) 23. Luscious (5) 24. Merciful (7) DOWN 2. Fervent (7) 3. House cover (4) 4. Flag (6) 5. Extra work (8) 6. Buoy (5) 7. Fat (9) 9. Fortitude (9) 12. Wealthy (8) 15. Attain (7)

SUDOKU

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

4 7 2

2 5 9 8 6 5

4 4 9

3 7 9 6 4 8 9 4 7 3 6 5 8 3 9 5 8 3 9 16. Writing instrument (6) 18. Awaken (5) 20. Energy and style (4)

W RDSEARCH

4 7 1 2 8 3 9 6 5 3 2 6 4 5 9 8 7 1 Look up, down, 5 forwards, 8 9 6backwards 1 7 and 2 4 3 diagonally on the grid to find these podcasts 6 1 5 8 3 2 4 9 7 6 W 4H Z5U 1 F Q S F S E B 7Q A3 S 2 P T9Q H Q S8 K YWC S E H F L B I F C C J N R P R T 8 9 4 5 7 1 3 2 6 GM T Z C Y Z U N R HWZ P F Q G Q L N O O X X S Z A 9L Z6D 3 S R7N Q 2 K 5C Z1 A 8I E4 V T H D I Q Z L Q B R Q V Z H Q T Z C G 9 F 6M F7M 5Z A2 N H Q K D N R 1Y R4 K 8 O E3R Q N E Z T D B V 2S L5 C W 7 G1M F4 O 8F D6 I 3I S9

M O HONEYC B

Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number

1. Holiday on a ship 2. Strong stretchy cord 3. Breed of dog 4. Floor 5. Shakespearean lover 6. Takes without permission

R T Y K N Q R C V I Y Q Y I O Q F S I W L O T MA H U O H R A U G C T J I F V E F D Y T L K O R B B D D S S B R U R F N K A T D S P H E Q N N K S Z A G U Q H E Q Y P D I Q S D RMU E MK L Y L O K H E P O H T E N A L P SWN U L Q I Z N T N O A Z R Q A Q Z D Q S M YWA ZWN I E D A E E S M S R E H C R A E H T H Q X S C J U S T O N E T H I N G E F MD Q U J A H C E ZW V Q Z V F Q O K L U J E Z T S A C D O P N I A R R E T L L A E H T S T K D H U N E M F F O H K Y T X F C G

ANSWERS 4 3 5 6 7 8 9 1 2

7 2 8 1 3 9 6 4 5

1 6 9 5 2 4 3 8 7

2 4 6 8 9 5 7 3 1

8 5 1 3 6 7 2 9 4

3 9 7 2 4 1 5 6 8 8

8 3 9

9 8 2 4 5 3 1 7 6

6 7 4 9 1 2 8 5 3

5 1 3 7 8 6 4 2 9

5 3 9

HONEYCOMB 1. Cruise. 2. Bungee. 3. Poodle.

4. Ground. 5. Juliet. 6. Steals.

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Bizarre. 5. Offal. 7. Chamois.

8. Erode. 10. Room. 11. Agitated. 13. Unsafe.

14. Impair. 17. Enrolled. 19. Shun. 21. Truce.

22. College. 23. Sweet. 24. Lenient.

DOWN: 2. Zealous. 3. Roof. 4. Ensign.

5. Overtime. 6. Float. 7. Corpulent.

9. Endurance. 12. Affluent. 15. Achieve.

16. Pencil. 18. Rouse. 20. Elan.

14 • WAR CRY • 24 February 2024

DESERT ISLAND DISCS FOOTBALL WEEKLY FULLY SCORED IN OUR TIME JUST ONE THING OFF MENU PLANET HOPE

SUNDAY WORSHIP TED TALKS DAILY THE ALL TERRAIN PODCAST THE ARCHERS THE NEWS AGENTS THE TODAY PODCAST WOMAN’S HOUR

SERVES 1

Baked beans and cheese toastie INGREDIENTS

METHOD

200g can reducedsalt and reducedsugar baked beans

Cook the beans on the hob according to the can instructions. Make sure the sauce is thick.

2 slices wholemeal bread 10g reduced-fat spread 30g reduced-fat cheddar cheese, grated

SERVES 2

Meanwhile, lightly toast the bread and add a thin layer of spread to each slice. Top the bread with the cheese, then place under a preheated grill until the cheese starts to melt.

Remove from the grill and spoon the beans on to a slice of toast, then cover with the other slice and serve immediately.

Quick pasta with tuna and sweetcorn INGREDIENTS

METHOD

120g wholewheat pasta shapes

Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

1tsp olive oil

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat, stirring continuously. When the onion starts to brown, add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes.

1 medium onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped ½ green pepper, sliced ½ red pepper, sliced 400g can chopped tomatoes 1tsp mixed herbs 200g can sweetcorn, drained 160g can tuna in spring water, drained 1tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated Basil leaves

Add the peppers, tomatoes and mixed herbs and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer without a lid for about 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce.

Mix in the sweetcorn. Just before serving, add the tuna and stir in gently to keep the fish in chunks, then place in bowls and sprinkle with the Parmesan and some torn basil leaves to serve.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the World Cancer Research Fund website wcrf-uk.org 24 February 2024 • WAR CRY • 15

We love because God first loved us 1 John 4:19

WAR CRY