War Cry 24 October 2020

Hospital chaplain’s care during coronavirus pandemic

24 October 2020 20p/25c

Watching his steps JJ Chalmers on why he’s taking to the Strictly dancefloor

‘Black History Month doesn’t go far enough’

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 7497

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 • 24 October 2020

EDITOR From desk From the editor’s desk SINGING is good for you. So say scientists quoted on the BBCmillions Future of website.

The boost FOR viewers, theexperts sparklesaid has that beensinging broughtcan back to our moods andtelevision sense ofwith social Saturday night theconnection. return of Strictly Come Dancing.

Perhaps it is with these in mind people have been Twelve new celebrities havebenefits been paired withthat professional dance joining online choirs In this week’s issue, the partners as they hopeduring to winlockdown. the glitterball trophy.

War Cry’sthem SarahisOlowofoyeku a virtual rehearsal of theWar London Among broadcaster joins JJ Chalmers.

In this week’s International Gospel to discover for herself the pleasures Cry he talks about hisChoir excitement at being on the show.

He also people have found of singing alone, yet together others. tells us about his days as a Royal Marine and howwith a bomb blast in Meanwhile Hardwick has found similarcare. value in running.

Afghanistan leftAusten him needing life-saving medical This week’s War Cry alsoI includes interview with the marathon ‘I remember that when woke up an from my surgery, I was in a runner who he found that his sport helped him affected to regainhim his more life after dark place,’ says, recalling how the blast than he suffered three in in hishis early forties.by his Christian just physically.

Butstrokes he waswhile helped recovery it wasofnot only around runninghim. that He helped Austen’s faithHowever, and the faith people describes therecovery. military His Christian faithon played a vital in him takingofastrength positive and chaplain who was the ward aspart ‘a huge source approach thatmy hefamily’. faced. comfort to to mealland ‘When I was in long hospital,’ says, ‘I askedand Godsupport to taketo what Chaplains have been Austen a source of comfort I was going me– through people in thethrough military and to ontransform civvy street includingit.’those who Christians believe thatweek’s God can takewe any situation work in hospitals.

In this issue, speak with or theanything Rev Mia that they do has or face and at useGuy’s it to make positive impact in others’ Hilborn, who worked and StaThomas’ NHS Foundation lives or their been painter Oliver for almost 20 own. years.That Thishas year, Miathe hasexperience faced newof challenges as a Pengilley. result of the coronavirus pandemic. had developed a successful career assacrifices’ an artist with InOliver her interview she speaks of the ‘individual she some saw of his work significant money.

But, as tells hospital staffselling make for as they treatedsums thoseofwith the virus.

Ashe the the WarofCry this week, grew frustrated. number people being he admitted to hospitals increases again, Mia ‘I didn’t see the meaning of it,’Covid-19, he says. Now he not travels to room offers the timely insight that ‘with there’s much tochurches relax’. all over the world to paint pictures during worship sessions and his artwork has helped people in Many people arefaith-based feeling increasingly anxious asother the pandemic’s their own faith journey. second wave impacts the country. So it is good to know that people It is are an amazing that Godincan take areas any skill a person has of faith working truth as chaplains various of life and will be or any situation they are facing can transform it into needed. something able to offer the reassurance andand comfort so desperately that can change their lives and the lives of the people around them.

Contents

What is The Salvation Army?

FEATURES 3

More than the military two-step

Former Marine takes on Strictly

6

Learning something old

Why Black History Month matters

9

‘I’m working with people at the

crossroads of life’

The experiences of a hospital chaplain

REGULARS 12

Team Talk

13

Keys to the Kingdom

14 Puzzles 15

6

War Cry Kitchen

9

Front-page picture: BBC/RAY BURMISTON

15

Interview BBC/RAY BURMISTON

JJ troops the light fantastic JJ Chalmers tells Emily Bright about his journey from Royal Marine Commando to Strictly Come Dancing contestant

W

HEN the Strictly Come Dancing theme strikes up, presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman step into action. On cue, each celebrity and their professional dance partner descend the light-decked stairs, their hearts racing and their glamorous outfits sparkling in the spotlight. Millions of viewers who watched the launch show last week are eagerly waiting to see the dancers take to the floor tonight (Saturday 24 October).

Last week’s show introduced the 12 celebrities for this series, including sports broadcaster JJ Chalmers. As an Invictus Games gold medallist and former Royal Marine, he is no stranger to competition. In fact, he relishes the challenge.

‘It’s completely out of my comfort zone, but that’s the reason I get out of bed in the morning – to push myself,’ he tells me.

‘It’s a once in a lifetime adventure and an opportunity to learn from the best in the business, and that appeals to me.

‘At the moment, my head is in the steps and far from feeling the rhythm and dancing, but I’m sure I’ll get there.’

JJ’s determination runs deep and stems from his days as a Royal Marine commando. ‘In the military, I had a clear mission and a clear focus,’ he says. ‘Being a Marine was a challenge, adventure and career all in one, where you go to work with your best friends.’

JJ was never more reliant on his best friends than one day during a sixmonth summer tour of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in 2011.

‘About two months into the tour, and as the fighting season began to ramp up, my company found itself tasked with searching and securing a bombmaking factory,’ he recalls.

‘A bomb blast went off and it tore me to pieces. It pretty much ripped my arms off, crushed my face and broke my neck.

My legs were full of holes, which in turn were full of infection. With that level of infection and damage, your life hangs in the balance JJ has gone from for a long time. But my life was khaki to sequins

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24 October 2020 • War Cry • 3

From page 3 saved right there and then, and I was helicoptered to hospital.’

A long road to recovery lay ahead.

JJ explains: ‘For a while, I was just a head in a bed. I couldn’t feed myself, I couldn’t get out of bed, I couldn’t put my clothes on. I was completely dependent on others. And I was entering a fairly grim world.’

JJ was bolstered by a show of support from the church community in which he grew up. ‘My old man was a minister, and I started going to church soon after I was born,’ he says. ‘Throughout the years there were always people there that we could count on.

‘Letters also arrived from all over the world, mainly through the church community. I realised that people were rooting for me, and that gave me a reason to get up every morning. I wanted to prove to them that their hopes, prayers and good wishes were worth it.’

Christians working in the hospital also sustained him in his toughest times. ‘I remember that when I woke

up from my surgery, I was in a dark place,’ he says. ‘And this nurse put her arm around me and said: “I’m praying for you.” She took time out of her day, invested her heart in me and was there in my darkest moment. I couldn’t help but get better, and her faith had an important influence on my life.

‘The military chaplain who was on the ward was also a huge source of strength and comfort to me and my family.’

In 2014, after many months of rehabilitation, JJ participated in the Invictus Games, which was established for injured military veterans by Prince Harry.

JJ explains its significance to such veterans: ‘First and foremost it is a recovery tool. It is about fixing us physically, fixing us mentally and giving us something to push and strive towards. It also gives us the strength and confidence to find a new purpose.’

He captained Great Britain’s road cycling team and won one gold and two bronze medals in his events, which

I was able to hold my head up high

4 • War Cry • 24 October 2020

‘meant everything’.

He says: ‘As I stood there on the podium alongside two of my best friends, I looked up to where my wife was standing, and I was able to hold my head up high.’

His success at the Invictus Games catapulted him into a career in sports broadcasting. JJ says: ‘I got whisked away into a BBC studio for an interview with Jonathan Edwards, who was a sporting hero of mine.

‘He was spinning the plates of writing scripts, watching videos, talking to us, all during a live broadcast.

I remember thinking that was what I wanted to try to do. So I asked him how to go about that. He introduced me to the right people, and I’ve been extremely lucky that people have given me opportunities.’

One of JJ’s biggest breaks was joining Channel 4’s presenting team for the Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

‘That was wild,’ he remembers. ‘It was about showcasing people who have faced adversity. By telling these amazing stories, I hoped to show that, with hard work and the correct support, anything is possible.’

He has also covered the Invictus Games, Commonwealth Games and the London Marathon, and counts Olympians Chris Hoy and Colin Jackson among his colleagues. ‘I’m so grateful to work with people that I

Interview

PA

JJ meets Prince Harry for the BBC coverage of the Invictus Games, and (right) at his marriage to Kornelia in 2015

admire, and I want to use my platform as a TV presenter to spread a bit of joy in the world.’

JJ reflects on what led him to become the man he is today.

‘People ask me where I developed my character. The Marines taught me how to harness hardship to make me better, stronger and achieve posttraumatic growth. But the reality is that it all began in Palmerston Place Church in Edinburgh. I grew up with an understanding of being able to support people and then be supported in return.’

JJ adds that the sense of community that churches foster has had a big impact on him. He muses: ‘I’ve realised that churches aren’t buildings, they’re people. Any time I’ve explored my faith, I’ve been struck by the communities that are nurtured within it, and how much good they can do. That’s why I’m proud to be part

of the faith. While I wouldn’t call myself devout, I know the incredible good that has come in my life as a result of having faith.’

As he embarks on his new Strictly chapter, it’s clear that JJ is savouring every moment of the experience. ‘It’s mad,’ he says. ‘I’ve been trying on sequins, and getting make-up and my hair done.’

When I speak to JJ ahead of the series launch, he tells me that he has already begun learning ‘basic steps’ at Elstree Studios, where the programmes are filmed. ‘I’m starting from zero so I’m hoping to learn a lot,’ he says.

JJ will be learning from professional dancer Amy Dowden, who is partnering him during his time on Strictly. He enthuses: ‘I’ve been talking about this for a long time. I can’t wait to get into training and start twinkling my toes. It’s going to be fun.’

24 October 2020 • War Cry • 5

Re-righting history In Black History Month, IFE THOMPSON, founder of community organisation Blam UK, explains to Sarah Olowofoyeku why we should think about Black history all year round Ife Thompson

S

INCE 1987, October has been Black History Month in the UK. It is a celebration for which community activist Ife Thompson is grateful.

However, she believes more can be done. ‘I always appreciated Black History Month because in school it was the only time I learnt about my blackness, but for me it doesn’t go far enough,’ she says.

‘Teaching blackness only in October allows us to think it’s okay for Black history to be “othered” and that it can’t be taught along with the mainstream curriculum. It’s great that our achievements are being celebrated and we’re learning about our In 2017, she founded the charity Black narratives, but even when I was in school, Learning, Achievement and Mental Health, I learnt more about Black American or Blam UK. Its aims are to champion history. I didn’t learn about African history, Black British culture and creativity; to Black British history or Africa outside improve the mental health and wellbeing of European contact. But Africa is the of peoples of African descent; to provide oldest civilisation in the world, so its a comprehensive and decolonised contribution needs to be explored.’ education and to support social inclusion As Ife got older, she did her own of the Black British community. learning.

Ife tells me more about the ‘I found out that in the UK there were organisation’s work.

Black Tudors and Black Georgians. It ‘The education system in the made me wonder why those important UK is Eurocentric, and we want to narratives were omitted from the British counterbalance that. We run projects to history curriculum. As support Black learning – we I had only learnt that want young Black people to outside of a school see positive stories about setting, I could not themselves and to feel help but feel as though normal when they go to those narratives were school.’ not as “believable” or Blam has run the Rooted “important”.’

Project, which provided free Having experienced history lessons for seventhe negative impact of not being taught to-ten-year-olds in a six-week summer her history in school, Ife wanted to do school. Children learnt about medieval something for the next generation.

Africa, Caribbean history and the Windrush ‘I didn’t want other children growing up generation. to feel the same way,’ she says. ‘I wanted Through its Grounded Project, Blam them to feel proud about being Black, I works with primary and secondary schools wanted them to see themselves in their across London to ensure the curriculum lessons and see that their stories were is more diverse and reflective of African valid.’ and African-Caribbean culture, history

I wanted Black children to see themselves in their lessons

6 • War Cry • 24 October 2020

Blam staff with two young people who graduated from the Rooted Project

and heritage.

This year, because of the pandemic, Blam went online and offered free interactive worksheets for children aged 6 to 16 years old.

Blam also hosts community outreach events, says Ife. ‘Four times a year we hold panels to talk about important issues in the Black communities and find solutions. The events allow us to grow our social capital, network and foster good community relations.’

As well as creating spaces for connection, Blam is interested in the wellbeing of Black people. Ife says: ‘We recently started free racial wellness

INTERVIEW

workshops. Each month, 30 people get access to Black psychotherapists for group sessions on the effects of racial trauma, understanding and dealing with racial microaggressions, the duality of being Black and British, and using creativity as a means of liberating oneself from the effects of racial trauma via poetry therapy.’

This Black History Month, the organisation is hosting an event on the legacy of the Black arts movement. But, says Ife, there isn’t anything particularly special about October for Blam. ‘For us, every month is Black History Month.’

She believes that it is important for adults, as well as children, to learn Black

history all year round.

‘We live in a society that has been built on White supremacy, which disproportionately affects Black communities, and with the legacy of colonisation, pseudosciences and eugenics. If we want society to move forward and be free from racism, we need

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Ife speaks at a Blam event on International Women’s Day

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From page 7

8 • War Cry • 24 October 2020

teachings, it was always about how can I give to others, support others, make things better for others? Part of being like Jesus is being able to give to others. Those biblical principles are a driving force for me. I always ask how I can give back to my community.’

Earlier this year, that drive led Ife to set up Black Protest Legal. While not practising, Ife studied to be a barrister and has been called to the bar. She used her position and connections to set up an organisation that would provide pro bono support for people at

Black Lives Matter protests.

‘In 2016, during the protests people complained that they had no legal support or legal observers, so when the protests started again this year I put out a tweet asking for lawyers to get involved, and we had a wave of support. I wanted to become a barrister so I could be a voice for my community. I definitely feel like it’s my God-given purpose.

‘In everything I do,’ says Ife, ‘I’m always praying. I ask God for direction, strength and knowledge, and he opens the right doors for me.’

PA

to teach everybody about Black history. It can dispel the negative stereotypes in the media about blackness and Africa, and champion antiracism.’

Ife says that there are many resources available for people who want to educate themselves. She mentions Youtube, Google Scholar, Free Black University, the work of writers such as Paul Gilroy, Stuart Hall, David Olusoga, Peter Fryer, Margaret Busby and Onyeka Nubia, and Blam’s podcast, Black History Bites.

‘Angela Davis said that it is not enough not to be racist; we have to be antiracist,’ says Ife, who believes that antiracism is a lifelong commitment to unlearning and acting on new learning.

She is motivated in her own antiracist work by her experiences growing up, but also her faith.

‘God is a just God,’ she says. ‘We are all created in the image of God, so we are all created equal. By pushing for antiracism, we are pushing for what God made us to be, which is equal. Also, some people are not happy that they are Black because they live in a racist society and we can’t have that. I want people to see themselves how God sees them, which is fearfully and wonderfully made.’

Learning about Black history, however, reveals the role Christianity has played in the mistreatment of Black people. I ask Ife how she reconciles this knowledge with her faith.

‘I was able to get past it because I’ve had a relationship with God and known him for myself,’ she says. ‘I know that he is a good and loving God. The actions of those who took part in slavery and colonisation are contrary to the word of God. I know that Africa is in the Bible, and Christianity was never exclusionary of Africa or of Black people. That knowledge allowed me to dissociate Christianity from the people who use it to manipulate others for their own gains. Christianity has been used to oppress, but it is not oppressive itself.’

Ife’s community work is inspired by the life of Jesus.

‘There’s a Bible verse that says it’s more blessed to give than receive. In Jesus’

Christianity has been used to oppress, but it is not oppressive itself

Ife and her team at a Blam event

Black Protest Legal helped to ensure that people had legal support at this year’s Black Lives Matter protests

INTERVIEW

In sickness and in healthcare Hospital chaplain the Rev MIA HILBORN explains to Emily Bright how she supports patients and staff in whatever situations they face

T

WO centuries ago this year, nursing pioneer and health campaigner Florence Nightingale was born. In 1860, she created the first professional nursing college in the world, the Nightingale Home and Training School for Nurses at St Thomas’ Hospital. ‘She was an extraordinary person, mega intelligent and very progressive,’ says the Rev Mia Hilborn, head of spiritual healthcare at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. ‘Florence Nightingale was particularly skilled at understanding infectious diseases and the importance of hygiene in stopping their progression. She transformed nursing.

‘She thought that being a nurse was a calling from God, the equivalent of being a priest in holy orders. She felt you must serve your patient as if you were serving a prince or king.’

Mia can relate to such a health-centred vocation. Previously a paediatric chaplain

for other London hospitals, she has worked at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust since 2001. The trust is responsible for St Thomas’ Hospital, Guy’s Hospital and Evelina London Children’s Hospital, all of which are based in the south London borough of Southwark.

Mia oversees a team of chaplains, from a range of religions and denominations, who provide spiritual support for every aspect of hospital life. ‘It gets to the heart of what it means to be a Christian,’ she says. ‘We’re working with people at the crossroads of life and others who are desperately trying to save them. My faith is tested every day.’

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust is facing one of its biggest tests in recent years. It is on the front line of the fight against coronavirus. Mia says that there were initially ‘massive numbers

The Rev Mia Hilborn of Covid-19 patients’ admitted to the hospitals.

‘The hospitals were on edge. I think every single person has been marked in some way by Covid-19. Whole departments were changed.

You had all these patients who were so sick, and a lot of people couldn’t come in, because they were shielding or sick themselves.’

St Thomas’ Hospital hit the headlines when Boris Johnson spent three nights in its intensive care unit, where he received life-saving treatment for Covid-19. In a video published on Twitter

She thought that nursing was a calling

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24 October 2020 • War Cry • 9

From page 9 after being discharged from hospital, he praised the work of NHS staff, saying: ‘It is thanks to that courage, that devotion, that duty and that love that our NHS has been unbeatable.’

When I ask Mia about what stands out for her during this pandemic, she expresses a similar sentiment: ‘The commitment of NHS staff has struck me the most. It has been quite extraordinary.

Everybody works very hard. You see people absolutely exhausted, particularly intensive care staff. They have had to deal with a lot of sadness on the wards.’

Although hospital staff are well acquainted with medical emergencies, Mia says that the pandemic has proved to be more relentless than anything they’ve experienced before.

‘We’ve dealt with major incidents in the past, like the Westminster Bridge and two London Bridge attacks, and Grenfell.

They were horrible and long-lasting in terms of impact, but the actual major incident lasted for hours, rather than days or weeks. With those incidents, your adrenaline kicks in and you work fast and hard and then you can relax afterwards.

But with Covid-19, there’s not room to relax.

‘I have so much respect for the NHS staff who didn’t go home for a very long time, because they thought it would be too dangerous for them if they had little children or if they lived with an elderly relative. There have been lots of individual sacrifices which I haven’t seen on this scale before.’

Mia supports patients and staff in whatever way she can. She offers an insight into her wide-ranging role.

‘I could be supporting a staff member who has a family member that is sick or has just died. Or someone may have phoned to say that their loved one is in

The NHS staff have been quite extraordinary

The chapel at St Thomas’

10 • War Cry • 24 October 2020

hospital, and they can’t visit. They’re frightened and worried and ask if I can go and talk to their loved one.

‘I could be supporting a mum who has got a child in hospital during Covid-19 and has to choose between staying in hospital with her sick child or looking after her other children. Or there might be a patient who was homeless before they came into hospital, and so they need help getting clothing or accommodation.

‘A patient’s close family member or friend may have died and they can’t attend the funeral, so you might be doing a separate funeral with the patient. There are also patients who are just lonely because they haven’t seen their loved ones, who might be shielding or live a long way away.’

Mia adds that the nature of her workplace means that she encounters people from all walks of life.

‘Health is a great leveller. All strata of society come to Guy’s and St Thomas’ and you get to meet them and they talk to

INTERVIEW

Mia joined the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, and (below) nursing staff at a service at St Thomas’ to mark Florence Nightingale’s bicentenary

you. I find people fascinating and I never cease to be amazed by the human beings that I’m privileged to come into contact with.’

Despite the rewarding elements of her role, Mia says that it can take an emotional and spiritual toll. ‘You face challenges that can strike at the core of your faith. You need to know your Scripture, have people around you who are wise and have time away to spend with God to think things through.

‘I have people around me who pray, support and care for me and who I can phone if there’s a problem. I also have a spiritual director who I go to see regularly.

I don’t think I could survive in the job if I didn’t have that structure of support.’

Mia’s fellow chaplains are another source of support. She says that despite their different beliefs, the difficult experiences that they go through generate a mutual empathy and understanding.

‘Sometimes you pray with parents as they watch their baby die,’ she says. ‘That is so profoundly sad and you get changed in a deep way by this little tiny scrap who has died. It is quite hard to convey how, but you know it when you experience it.

As chaplains, we may profoundly disagree on theology, but if we’ve been through the same experience, we can share our deep and spiritual sadness.’

But Mia’s greatest support comes from her relationship with God. ‘I couldn’t do the job without my faith,’ she says. ‘It’s so intense. I firmly believe that if your calling is of the Lord, then Lord will sustain you.’

24 October 2020 • War Cry • 11

EXPLORE

Prayerlink THE War Cry invites readers to send in requests for prayer, including the first names of individuals and details of their ­circumstances. Send your Prayerlink requests to warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk or to War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon­don SE1 6BN. Mark your correspondence ‘Confidential’.

j

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.

Team talk Team talk

talk ‘ ’ Time for social media distancing?

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters WHEN a group of former designers and technicians from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google say they have ‘ethical concerns’ about the companies they once worked for, people take notice. Last week, I watched The Social Dilemma, a Netflix documentary which warns social media users about some of the problems of connecting online.

While a lot of the programme content was shocking, some of it came as no surprise. Most of us know that there is a link between using social media and feeling depressed. News reports have shown that too much logging on and not enough ‘likes’ can damage young people’s self-esteem. And it’s not rocket science that continuous scrolling through news feeds can become an addiction.

Despite the negative side-effects experienced by some users of social media, the designers and technicians on the documentary were quick to point out that the platforms had a positive start. They were in the business of reconnecting families. The creator of the ‘like’ button on Facebook hoped it would enable users to encourage one another.

Alex Roetter, Twitter’s former senior vicepresident of engineering, said: ‘When I was there, I always felt like fundamentally it was a force for good.’

As I watched the programme, I considered my own experiences of social media – good and bad. At times, comparing myself to other users has caused me to feel inadequate, jealous and anxious. But this year in particular, those same platforms have been a lifeline, helping me to keep in touch with family and friends during lockdown.

Further reflection caused me to wonder if the ‘social dilemma’ posed by the documentary isn’t just about the problem with platforms, but also about a problem with people, because how we respond to the world on social media is down to no one but us. We have the choice to be the best versions of ourselves online or the worst. We can be kind or cruel. We can spend hours staring mindlessly at the screen or disconnect when we lose perspective.

With such power at our fingertips, surely there’s no stopping social media from remaining a force for good. Like?

They said the platforms had a positive start

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

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

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a

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 • 24 October 2020

EXPRESSIONS

q

quick quiz 1

2

What is the term for a group of stars that form a pattern in the sky?

Who has had No 1 hits with the songs ‘Sorry’, ‘What Do You Mean’ and ‘I Don’t Care’?

a 3

How many pixels are in a megapixel?

4

Which US vice-president known for his climate change activism won the Nobel peace prize in 2007?

5

6

Edd Kimber, Nadiya Hussain and Candice Brown have been winners of which TV competition?

What was the first book published in the Chronicle of Narnia series by CS Lewis?

ANSWERS

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 Kingdom approaches I

N the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus refers to the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ many times. The first time the phrase appears is in Matthew 3:2, when the prophet John the Baptist calls people to ‘repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near’.

When Jesus hears that John has been imprisoned for his preaching, he takes it as the signal to begin his own ministry and continues the theme. Basing himself in the Galilean lakeside town of Capernaum, ‘from that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near”’ (Matthew 4:17 New International Version).

Everything else that Jesus will teach about the Kingdom is based on that statement, which includes four foundational clues: Kingdom, Heaven, near and repent. Whether we interpret his message as a threat or a promise, repentance is an essential ingredient. Without repentance, we will miss out on the Kingdom.

In the everyday sense, ‘repent’ is often used as another word for ‘sorry’. Being sorry for our sinful behaviour is necessary if we are to see the Kingdom, but the biblical concept Repentance of repentance goes deeper. The Greek word for it, metanoia, literally means ‘after is more than perceive’.

Biblical repentance entails changing emotional our mind about the way we are living and changing our direction of travel. It involves sorrow turning away from doing the wrong thing and turning towards God. Effectively, the person who repents does a one-eighty.

Biblical repentance is more than emotional sorrow; it is a conscious decision of the mind and will, with God’s help, to stop and to start afresh. This mental process is the turning point for the protagonist in Jesus’ parable of the lost son in Luke’s Gospel.

The son had turned his back on his father, misused his father’s generosity and wasted his shot at independence. Hungry, alone and desperate, he realises he has to change.

The phrase ‘when he came to his senses’ (Luke 15:17) signifies revelation, realisation and repentance. He decides to return, admit his mistakes to his father and face the consequences.

Decision followed by action is the repentance to which Jesus calls us.

24 October 2020 • War Cry • 13

1. A constellation. 2. Justin Bieber. 3. One million pixels.

4. Al Gore. 5. The Great British Bake Off. 6. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

CROSSWORD CROSSWORD

PUZZLES

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Fancy dress (3-2) 4. Curved sword (5) 8. Absent (3) 9. Pretend to have (5) 10. Constellation (5) 11. Definite article (3) 12. Civvies (5) 13. Hesperian (7) 16. Validate (6) 19. Understand (6) 23. Astound (7) 26. Foreign (5) 28. Joke (3) 29. Explorer partner of Scott (5) 30. Curio (5)

by Chris Horne

9. Thigh bone (5) 14. Songbird (3) 15. Greek letter (3) 17. Paintings (3) 18. Sprite (3) DOWN 20. Word rearranged from another (7) 2. Robber (5) 21. Crazed (5) 3. The Pope (7) 22. Young swan (6) 4. Scattered (6) 5. Copper and zinc 23. Parody (5) 24. Loosen (5) alloy (5) 25. Paper (5) 6. Banish (5) 7. Stoneworker (5) 27. Shirker (5) 31. Period (3) 32. Cairo is its capital (5) 33. Misty (5)

SUDOKU

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

HONEYCOMB HONEYCOMB

1 5

ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch ordsearch

Answers

Wordsearch BACON ROLL BAGEL

BAKED BEANS

BLUEBERRY MUFFIN CEREAL

CROISSANT

FRENCH TOAST

QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Get-up. 4. Sabre. 8. Out. 9. Feign. 10. Aries. 11. The. 12. Mufti.

13. Western. 16. Ratify. 19. Fathom.

23. Stupefy. 26. Alien. 28. Gag. 29. Oates.

30. Relic. 31. Era. 32. Egypt. 33. Murky.

DOWN: 2. Thief. 3. Pontiff. 4. Strewn.

5. Brass. 6. Exile. 7. Mason. 9. Femur.

14. Tit. 15. Rho. 17. Art. 18. Imp. 20. Anagram. 21. Manic. 22. Cygnet.

23. Spoof. 24. Untie. 25. Essay. 27. Idler.

HONEYCOMB 1. Eatery. 2. Garçon. 3. Prince.

4. Avatar. 5. Smooth. 6. Locate.

GRANOLA BAR HASH BROWN MARMALADE

OATMEAL PORRIDGE OMELETTE

ORANGE JUICE PANCAKE

SAUSAGE

SCRAMBLED EGG

1 6 3 7 9 5 8 2 4

SMOOTHIE

5 2 8 6 4 3 9 1 7

7 9 4 1 8 2 5 3 6

3 1 7 2 5 6 4 8 9

2 4 5 9 1 8 6 7 3

6 8 9 4 3 7 2 5 1

4 3 6 8 2 1 7 9 5

9 5 2 3 7 4 1 6 8

8 7 1 5 6 9 3 4 2

SUDOKU SOLUTION

YOGHURT

3 6

1

8 2

14 • War Cry • 24 October 2020

4 3

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

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

1. Restaurant or café 2. Waiter in a French restaurant 3. Son of a monarch 4. Image representing a user online 5. Having an even surface 6. Find

3

1 Look 5 7up, down, 3 2 forwards, 6 4 9 8 backwards and diagonally on the grid to find 6 these 2 9breakfast 1 4 foods 8 3and5drinks 7 3 8 4 7 5 9 6 2 1 N K V V L K 7 6I Z B Y V T T F 1 2 9 4 8 J H X A 3 5 I Q Z W Q B K Y A I K Z S X H Z H U 9 4 M C Z H Y O G H U R T 8 5 1 3 2 7 6 F C X E H H M F F E O C R Z T O S O L G N Z B N M 5 3 2 6 8 7 1 4 9 U S M R Q A Y F N N Q E Y L M T I U 8 9 5 4 6 2 7 1 3 M S A A E B B P R A D O R W V Y I E 2 1 3 8 7 L G C W 5 9 6W 4I T Y H R N H A S O O E S R Y M G G L L J L B N S H Q Z H G Z 4 7 6 9 3 1 5 8 2

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

8

6 8 6 2 7 9

9

D Fish pie Ingredients

Method

1kg sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks

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

2tsp rapeseed oil

Boil the sweet potato chunks for 20 minutes until soft, then drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium-low heat and fry the leeks for 8 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Sprinkle the flour over the leeks and do the same with the stock cube. Mix well for 1 minute until the leeks are coated in the sauce.

2 leeks, halved lengthways, then chopped 1tbsp plain flour 1 fish stock cube 400ml skimmed milk White pepper 25g fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra to garnish 1tsp smoked paprika

SERVES

6

300g pollock, cut into cubes 300g salmon, cut into cubes Black pepper

Sweet potato soup

Mash the sweet potatoes thoroughly and mix in the smoked paprika.

Ingredients

Method

1tsp oil

Heat the oil in a mediumsized pan and fry the onion and garlic for 3–4 minutes, until softened. Add the carrot and sweet potato and continue to cook for 2–3minutes. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 small carrot, chopped 450g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped 450ml vegetable stock 2tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Slowly stir in 100ml milk until the sauce becomes quite thick, then gradually pour in the rest, stirring constantly, until it comes to the boil.

Mix in a good pinch of white pepper and the parsley, before removing from the heat and setting aside.

Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Return to the pan, stir through the parsley and season well with the pepper.

Serve with the crusty bread.

Add the leek sauce to an ovenproof dish and arrange the fish so that the pieces are evenly distributed and covered in the sauce. Top the fish mixture with the sweet potato mash and bake for 25–35 minutes until the sauce starts bubbling.

Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and a pinch of black pepper, to serve.

Freshly ground black pepper Crusty bread, to serve

SERVES

2

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Diabetes UK website diabetes.org.uk

24 October 2020 • War Cry • 15

Proverbs 15:4 (New Living Translation)

Giles Lascelle