What is The Salvation Army?
2 COMMENT AND CONTENTS • WAR CRY • 27 July 2019
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
From the editor’s desk MORE than 50,000 performers will be in the Scottish capital next month to take part in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which begins on Friday (2 August). Big-name stars as well as unknown artists will be performing at hundreds of venues, following in the footsteps of the countless others who have appeared at the festival since it began in 1947. As we discover in this week’s War Cry, among them will be members of the CTC New York Ensemble, who will be presenting the musical Henry Box Brown at the Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose. The show’s writer, Mehr Mansuri, describes how the musical tells the true story of an American slave, Henry Brown, who escaped his plight by climbing into a wooden box and posting himself across the country. The people behind Henry Box Brown hope it will do more than entertain. Co-director Najee Brown says he wants it to ‘stir the heart for change, educate the mind and motivate the will’. Mehr adds: ‘We’re not only looking at Henry’s life … we’re asking how we can turn our empathy into positive action.’ Some 200 years after Henry Brown’s experiences, it is sad to reflect that action is still needed in the fight against other forms of slavery. Last week The Telegraph highlighted a report by the campaign group Walk Free Foundation, which warned that, across the globe, some 40.3 million people are being held as modern-day slaves. The report identified that the United Kingdom has taken more action than any other country to combat modern slavery and human trafficking. Since 2011, The Salvation Army has been playing its part in this work after being awarded the government contract to support those who have been trafficked in England and Wales. The fact that during those eight years more than 7,000 people have received this support is a sobering statistic. It should act as a spur for each one of us to have our hearts stirred for change and for us to be motivated to support the fight against this evil.
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.
SINCE 1879
140 YEARS
OF THE WAR CRY Issue No 7433
Editor: Andrew Stone, Major Deputy Editor: Philip Halcrow Production Editor: Ivan Radford Assistant Editor: Claire Brine Assistant Editor: Sarah Olowofoyeku Staff Writer: Emily Bright Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Rodney Kingston Graphic Designer: Mark Knight War Cry office: 020 7367 4900 Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army UK Territory with the Republic of Ireland 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN
Contents
Tel: 0845 634 0101 Helpline: 020 7367 4888 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Secretary for Communications: Lieut-Colonel Dean Pallant
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 and Wales 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
FEATURES 3
Action, camera, lights! Edison biopic released
5
Box office Fringe drama portrays slave’s unusual escape
8
Caring in Cape Town How Pete Portal helps addicts
10
Homeless World Cup hosts Two members of Welsh set-up tell their story
REGULARS 4
News and media
12
Browsing the Bible
13
Now, There’s a Thought! and Quick Quiz
14 Puzzles 15
What’s cooking?
5
8
15