War Cry 27 July 2019: selected articles

27 July 2019 • WAR CRY • FILM 3

Let there be light What lengths will inventor Thomas Edison go to in the race to electrify America? asks Linda McTurk

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ITH the flick of a switch, Thomas Edison knows that the world will never be the same again.

Electricity supplied by his company, Thomas Electric, will be everywhere in America – at least, that’s his plan. But his ideas for the future are short-circuited when wealthy industrialist George Westinghouse jolts ahead of him in the film The Current War, released in cinemas yesterday (Friday 26 July).

The genius of Thomas (Benedict Cumberbatch, above) is plain for all to see in his brave new world. At the White House, he shows the president his latest invention, the Edison Phonograph. But when the president asks him whether he would ever consider designing weapons of war, Thomas unequivocally refuses. He says: ‘The only device I shall never build is that which takes a human life.’

Later Thomas lights up a street in New York City in a fanfare of publicity. He muses how he can light

Thomas believes too stubbornly in his own genius up a city. But his rival George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon, left) has already successfully lit up a town in Massachusetts through his company, Westinghouse Electric. It soon becomes apparent that people prefer George’s cheaper and more efficient electric source. An assistant urges Thomas to switch to a different current, but he believes too stubbornly in his own genius to change course.

Aware of Thomas’s desperation to beat George, a capital punishment agent presents him with an opportunity to design the world’s first electric chair and to credit the idea to Westinghouse Electric. He assures Thomas that it would not be possible to trace the project back to him.

The offer is a tempting one. Thomas wants to win, but at what cost? He has to decide what is truly important to him.

His dilemma may spark the realisation that many of us want to feel we are winning in life. Often we want more than we have now. When others around us have a new job, a family that we want but do not have or prestige gained through their achievements, we may feel jealous. We may even engage in something out of character to get ahead, even if it’s at the expense of others.

But people from all walks of life have found that attaining certain goals does not always bring the satisfaction they expected.

Instead they have found fulfilment in discovering God’s love, as revealed in his Son, Jesus.

Jesus spent his time on Earth with all kinds of people, regardless of their accomplishments. He loved and valued them because of who they were, not what they had attained.

One of Jesus’ followers, Peter, knew this for himself. Peter tried his hardest to succeed, but time and time again he failed. Yet he had learnt from Jesus that, despite his faults, God would not give up on him. He encouraged people: ‘Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you’ (1 Peter 5:7 New International Version).

Whatever we may face, we can choose to switch our attention to God, who offers us forgiveness for our wrongdoing and guidance in turning our lives round for the better. By plugging into a relationship with him, we can discover his great love that never goes out.

The crate escape

27 July 2019 • WAR CRY • FEATURE 5

Paul Gee as Henry Box Brown

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NUSUAL and provocative performances are waiting in the wings of the Scottish capital. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which describes itself as having been ‘defying the norm since 1947’, officially begins on Friday (2 August).

In previous years, shows have included Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction re-enacted by marionettes; Cathy, a reflection on homelessness performed by a company that creates ‘theatre with and for homeless people’; and Come Look at the Baby, which simply featured a baby sitting on a granny’s lap for half an hour. But it is unlikely that anything in Edinburgh will be more dramatic or outlandish than the real-life events portrayed in the musical Henry Box Brown.

In the middle of the 19th century an American slave escaped to freedom by climbing into a wooden box and mailing himself across the country – an event that he later recreated when he

gave lectures in Scotland and other parts of the UK. ‘I like to joke,’ says the musical’s writer Mehr Mansuri, ‘that Henry was the original Fringe performer. He had a sort of escape act and he was telling people the truth about slavery.’

Mehr describes Henry Box Brown as ‘an after-school musical that became a professionally produced drama for

Their history is full of music and heroes adults’. Presented at the Fringe by CTC New York Ensemble, it grew out of Mehr’s work with the Children’s Theater Company.

‘It’s a company centred on moral and spiritual issues,’ explains Mehr. ‘We create musicals about ethical matters, such as human rights, the environment, disabilities and the status of women.’

As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe begins, Philip Halcrow talks with the team behind a musical that tells the inspiring true story of a slave who made a bid for freedom by packing himself in a box

Working with children – many of them African-American – and seeing them grow up, Mehr says she ‘found a bizarre disconnect of African-American history from American history’.

She says: ‘I wasn’t sure where to find a way to get the kids to connect to their own history. I looked for musicals that would tell their story, which is full of music and heroes. But I couldn’t find anything.

‘Then I went to a children’s book fair and found a story called Henry’s Freedom Box. I thought if it was good enough for a children’s book, then we could address the taboo of slavery.

‘It was important for us not to re-enact slavery. We were not interested in the graphics of it – not because we wanted to sugar-coat it, but because we wanted the children to see themselves as voices for positive change.’

So Mehr wrote the musical. But then

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6 FEATURE • WAR CRY • 27 July 2019

From page 5 the appearance of two Tony awardwinners on the scene meant that the story went further.

‘When the singer and actor Hinton Battle heard the songs for Henry Box Brown he said: “This is not for kids – you should do this for everybody, and I’ll help you.” He brought in Ben Harney, who won a Best Actor Tony for his role in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls.

‘We spent two years workshopping the show at the Baha’i Unity Center and then when Mr Harney and Hinton Battle saw its potential in our 200-seat theatre, they said we were going to do it for thousands of people at the Christian Cultural Center.

‘This has been an interfaith programme,’ says Mehr, who left Iran, her country of birth, because of persecution of the Baha’i religious minority. ‘The Baha’i Unity Center aligns itself with the idea of looking at spirituality through theatre. And our link with the Christian Cultural Center brought the endorsement of AfricanAmerican communities, who could see that we weren’t sugar-coating the story and that we were keeping to the subject of faith.’

Faith plays a major role in the drama.

Henry was a member of his church choir and made his escape with the help of a white churchman.

Co-director Najee Brown

Co-director Najee Brown says: ‘The Bible describes faith as the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Henry had to believe in his freedom before he could experience it. He had to have faith in the possibility of freedom in order to make his journey.’

Paul Gee, who plays Henry, believes that ‘faith is the point of the show.

Henry had lost his mother and brother and sisters and then lost his wife and

One day all this suffering would be taken away children. Where else was he going to turn other than God? His faith pushes him to creativity. It pushes him to say that he’s going to get himself out of his situation by mailing himself in a box.

‘Henry’s faith in God helped him to persevere. We can see it in his prayers and in his songs to God.’ Writer Mehr Mansuri There are some newly composed songs in the show. ‘And they’re great,’ those songs so that when we’re going Mehr says, ‘but the show-stoppers are through tough times, we can get the spirituals.’ through too.’

The old spirituals naturally fitted into The song arrives as part of a medley the drama. at a pivotal part of the drama. It is an Mehr explains: ‘Henry’s life was important moment – and not only for music – not only his life, but the life of Henry. the entire slave population. The music, Paul says: ‘The reverend has come chanting and singing were part of their to accept that he is going to help culture – I did not have to contrive Henry and that he can no longer go on anything to include it. It’s another reason preaching in a way that could let people I’m amazed no one on Broadway has continue thinking slavery was right. His given homage to this rare collection of white congregation are in uproar and American music, which arguably is the the black slaves don’t know what to root of all kinds of expect. But music.’

Henry steps Najee highlights forward and one song. tells everyone ‘“Hold on Just to “hold on just a Little While a little while Longer” was longer”. written by people ‘At that who were going moment Henry through tough inspires the times,’ he says. room, he ‘The message inspires the they spread to other slaves, each other was he inspires the a message of reverend to help God, a message and he inspires of love, that himself to finish one day all this the work that he suffering would is supposed to be taken away. do – to get free.’

It’s the idea Mehr explains of Heaven. that when she Their message wrote the play, still speaks she wanted An 1852 ‘Fife Herald’ report on to us today. to ‘find what a lecture given by Henry Box Bro They wrote freedom meant wn

27 July 2019 • WAR CRY • FEATURE 7

to both races in the story’.

She says: ‘In the case of Henry, it was freedom from bondage and all the emotional torture that he and his family went through. But for the white characters who helped him and helped other fugitive slaves, it was freedom of conscience.

‘White folks who helped slaves paid a price. They had their homes burnt down. One did six years of jail time.

The reverend in the play faces losing his congregation and livelihood with the potential for having his family attacked.

‘When I was creating the script, I was struck by the power of sacrifice and the freedom of conscience that people found.’

Mehr, Paul and Najee insist that the play’s themes have something to say today. It’s why performances

We’re asking how we can turn our empathy into positive action are followed by discussions with the audiences, who are invited to take away a pledge card and commit themselves to a social action.

‘Art,’ says Najee, ‘should stir the heart for change, educate the mind and motivate the will. I’m hoping that through what we do, people will go out and try to make a difference. That’s why we give out the pledge card.

‘We want people to take action, even if it’s calling their mom and saying: “I love you, I’m sorry I didn’t appreciate you more.” Seeing Henry taken away from his family makes me appreciate my mother more. We take for granted the little things that Henry wasn’t allowed to take for granted.’

Mehr says: ‘Through the play we’re not only looking at Henry’s life and faith, but we’re asking how we can turn our empathy into positive action. We’re not just resurrecting the lives of people 200 years ago. We aim to reclaim the power of those lives and their struggles and to bring about healing today.’

l Henry Box Brown is at the Gilded Balloon Patter Hoose – Big Yin from 31 July to 26 August

Paul Gee says faith helped Henry to persevere

10 FEATURE • WAR CRY • 27 July 2019

As the Homeless World Cup kicks off in Cardiff, Sarah Olowofoyeku reports on the impact of the annual tournament IWAN ROBERTS

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Mark Atkinson and (top) at Street Football Wales with other players from The Salvation Army’s centres in Cardiff

EEP your eye on the ball! It’s time for another international football tournament. Although the final whistle has blown on the Fifa Women’s World Cup, the annual Homeless World Cup gives people another chance to cheer on their home country. The global competition kicks off in Cardiff today (Saturday 27 July).

The organisers of the tournament, the Homeless World Cup Foundation, believe that football is a way to bring people experiencing homelessness out of isolation and to help them build relationships and learn to trust others.

Since the first tournament in 2003, the Homeless World Cup Foundation has impacted one million people experiencing homelessness. This year, more than 500 players will be competing in 64 teams, representing 51 countries.

Among the nations aiming for success is the host country, Wales. One of the men’s team’s eight players is Mark Atkinson. Mark is a resident of a Salvation Army centre, Tŷ Gobaith in Cardiff, for people experiencing homelessness.

More than just providing a bed, staff at the centre help residents to rebuild their lives by equipping them with the skills and qualifications they need to find employment or to gain further qualifications through external education. Tŷ Gobaith also runs the Bridge programme, which offers specialist detox help for people who have problems with substance abuse.

Mark is on the Bridge programme and found that it has had a profound effect.

‘Making that commitment to stay sober really has been life-changing, and I was able to do that because of the Bridge,’ he says.

‘When I was drinking there was never a chance of me having a happy future – it couldn’t happen, but now life feels brilliant. I know how to deal with my emotions and I’m looking forward to the future.’

As well as helping him to deal with an addiction, Tŷ Gobaith kicked off his football playing – although it wasn’t intentional.

‘I got involved purely by accident,’ Mark

27 July 2019 • WAR CRY • FEATURE 11

football explains. ‘I happened to be sitting around in the day room and I was asked if I wanted to go along to a training session. I had nothing else to do. So, with a “nothing ventured, nothing gained” sort of attitude, I went along and I thoroughly enjoyed it.’

But it’s not just fun and games.

‘Football keeps me fit and, with my mental health issues, it’s doing me good,’ Mark says. ‘It’s building my confidence.

Football gave me a sense of belonging and purpose

IWAN

RTS

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They’re a good bunch of people – those who play and the staff at Street Football Wales.’

Street Football Wales is an organisation that promotes social inclusion among people experiencing homelessness and provides them with opportunities to play, work and coach. It puts together the national team for the Homeless World Cup. This year, for the third tournament running, the team is being coached by Wayne Ellaway.

He says: ‘In February 2016, I got a call from Keri at Street Football Wales.

He asked whether I’d like to coach the Dragons for the Homeless World Cup in Glasgow’. He wondered whether I needed time to think but I said: “No, I don’t – thank you very much.”’

Wayne jumped straight in and found his

himself to playing football. feet in coaching. In the past three years ‘I went along to a selection day for the he has coached the men’s and women’s 2015 World Cup with no expectations Street Football Wales teams at various and thought I’d give it my best shot,’ he tournaments.

But he was a team player long before he remembers. ‘On the day before my 40th birthday, I got a phone call to say that I’d started coaching.

In 2015, Wayne played in the Homeless been selected to play for Wales. Within six weeks I was given the captain’s armband, World Cup in Amsterdam. ‘I got involved which was one of the proudest in football through playing for The moments of my life. Football gave Salvation Army at Tŷ Gobaith,’ me a sense of belonging and he says. ‘When I went to purpose.’ the centre I was isolated, Wayne is no longer a resident addicted and of the centre, but he credits it I had no hope, no future and for his progress. no purpose. I was financially ‘I wouldn’t be where I am and emotionally broken – I today without the support of was crippled.’

Tŷ Gobaith,’ he says. ‘Football While Wayne was physically doesn’t mean everything, but and emotionally unwell in the it is a massive part of my early days of his recovery, he recovery. I don’t still went to a few matches depend on it, but at Street Football it’s enjoyable Wales, where and it’s like he loved the family. atmosphere and It’s more the people. than just ‘I enjoyed it, football.’ and got on well with everyone,’ he says. A little more than a year after he moved into Tŷ Gobaith, he decided that he wanted to commit Wayne Ellaway coaches the Wales team

12 INNER LIFE • WAR CRY • 27 July 2019

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 requests to Prayerlink, War Cry, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon­don SE1 6BN. Mark your envelope ‘Confidential’.

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.

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

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

Hosea

Nigel Bovey gives chapter and verse on each book in the Scriptures

ROPHESYING to the northern kingP dom of Israel before it was wiped out by the Assyrians in 722BC, Hosea

warned that, by worshipping other gods, Israel had been unfaithful to God. It had broken the covenant outlined in the Ten Commandments of having no other gods but him.

The book starts with God telling Hosea to marry a woman variously described in translations as ‘a wife of whoredoms’, ‘a prostitute’ and ‘a whore’. The woman, Gomer, already has children by other men when Hosea marries her and they have three children together.

Whether literal or figurative, the marriage is an object lesson in Israel’s fallen relationship with God, showing that the land is ‘guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord’ (1:2).

Unless ‘adulterous’ Israel leaves her other loves – the gods of the surrounding civilisations – God will punish her. Rains will cease (2:3). Harvests will fail (2:9). Fruit will wither (2:12).

The charge against Israel is that ‘there is no faithfulness, no love, no acknowledgment of God in the land’ (4:1).

This is evidenced through ‘lying and murder, stealing and adultery’ (4:2), consorting with cult prostitutes (4:14), deceit (10:2), alliances with heathen nations (12:1), dishonesty in commerce (12:7) and idolatry (13:2).

Like a cuckolded husband, God is angry and heartbroken, yet

still loves: ‘How can I give you up … How can I hand you over, Israel?’ (11:8).

Despite the enormity of her sin, Hosea urges Israel to repent: ‘Come, let us return to the Lord’ (6:1); ‘Let us acknowledge the

God is angry and heartbroken, yet still loves Lord’ (6:3); ‘Say to him: “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously”’ (14:2).

Such repentance will lead to restoration.

God promises: ‘I will heal their waywardness and love them freely, for my anger has turned away from them’ (14:4).

Through Hosea, Israel is confronted with the reality of her sinfulness, the consequences of continuance and the possibility of gracious restoration.

Key verse crifice’ ‘I desire mercy, not sa tional (Hosea 6:6 New Interna Version)

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

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