War Cry 29 January 2022

Wordle to the wise about online puzzle

WAR CRY

29 January 2022 50p

Highly charged drama Bomb disposal triggers new TV role for Vicky McClure

Former prisoner Jonathan Aitken on doing time

From the editor’s desk

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.

LAST year, the British public spent £1.8 billion buying 212 million books.

It was the largest annual amount of money spent on books, as Covid-19 restrictions encouraged us to turn over a new leaf in the way we keep ourselves entertained and informed.

Books feature prominently in this week’s War Cry. Our Team Talk column reflects on how, even after 80 years on air, the radio programme Desert Island Discs still offers the Bible and The Complete Works of Shakespeare to castaways.

We also include interviews with three authors. Francine Rivers has been writing fiction for more than 40 years. Originally, she wrote historical romance novels, until she became a Christian, after which the focus of her writing changed.

‘I try to weave Scripture into my writing,’ she tells us. ‘It’s part of my world view, the way I think. I believe that if you immerse yourself in Scripture, it comes out of you in anything you do. Often, God gives you the words in the moment that you need them.’

The world view of fellow authors Jonathan Aitken and Edward Smyth changed when they each spent time serving a prison sentence. Now they have collaborated to write Doing Time, a guide to help people sentenced to prison for the first time.

As well as talking about the book, Jonathan and Edward discuss how their time behind bars resulted in them coming to a greater faith in God. Jonathan, who is now an ordained Church of England minister, tells us: ‘The tendency for people to say that a prison sentence means the end, the destruction of a life, a career, hope, prospects for work and so on is completely wrong.’ He adds: ‘Nobody has fallen so low that they are beneath the reach of God’s love.’

Jonathan is right. No matter who we are, the War read Cr or what we have done, God offers us all y ’ve u the chance to begin a new chapter in our lives with him.

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 7561

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Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN

CONTENTS

Tel: 0845 634 0101 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

FEATURES 3

6

bomb disposal experts 5

Finding the right words

Wordle takes the world by storm 6

A novel idea

How one author finds inspiration in the Bible

INFO 2 • WAR CRY • 29 January 2022

Explosive drama

Trigger Point follows the lives of

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.

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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

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Former prisoners write guide to help

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Book for a new sentence

inmates REGULARS 4

War Cry World

12 Team Talk 13 Faces of Faith 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV

Explosives officer Lana

Bomb disposal squad face moments of truth as they try to work out who is behind blasts ITV

TV feature by Claire Brine

CRISIS POINT D

ISGRUNTLED crowds held back by police tape. Protective black vests, emblazoned with the words: ‘Explosives officer’. A pair of lucky clippers, favoured for dismantling bombs. ‘It looks like it could be a big one,’ commented Expo 1 as he approached a potential crime scene in last Sunday’s opening episode of Trigger Point, the high-intensity ITV police drama.

Bomb disposal operatives Joel (Adrian Lester) and Lana (Vicky McClure) were called to a London housing estate to investigate a possible bomb factory and a suspected explosives maker. Upon entering one of the flats, the pair – known as Expo 1 and Expo 2 – found an IED in the bathroom and took steps to defuse it.

When they did, they discovered the device to be non-lethal.

But it wasn’t a case of panic over. A nearby

car held another suspected IED. Keeping her cool, Lana dealt with it. No one got hurt. She reported back to the police that the second device was ‘well built, professionally done’.

Moments later, Joel shared his thoughts with Lana about the significance of the non-lethal device.

‘I think it was a come-on,’ he said. ‘To lure us in, make us evacuate the building and give them a bigger target out here in the open.’

Just as Lana was considering her colleague’s idea, a bomb exploded nearby. This time, people did get hurt. It was devastating.

As episode two unfolds tomorrow (Sunday 30 January), the bomb disposal squad have to face up to the fact that they are dealing with organised terror. To find out who’s behind it, they must put their

lives on the line before fatalities increase.

‘In every episode our main characters are dealing with devices that might blow them up,’ says Jed Mercurio, the executive producer of the series, who is also known for creating the BBC drama Line of Duty. ‘But the big hook of the series is the mystery of who is behind this, because it’s not immediately clear what the purpose of the terrorist campaign is.’

The tension. The mystery.

The danger. It seems that people enjoy a Sunday night drama that keeps them on their toes. Perhaps they feel grateful that their own lives are less complicated and less dangerous.

Maybe the programme’s subject matter gives them something to think about, prompting them to ask themselves: ‘What would I do in that character’s shoes?’

When a TV drama deals with brutal death and loss, it reminds us that real life is also short. How we live today matters, because tomorrow is never guaranteed.

To help us consider how we make the best of our time on Earth, we can always turn to the Bible for guidance. It tells the story of God’s Son, Jesus, who taught people to love their enemies, to share their wealth rather than hoard it, and to take care of those excluded by society. He assured people that following him would allow them to experience ‘life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10 Good News Bible). And through his death and resurrection, Jesus offered everyone the opportunity of eternal life if they believed in him.

Though our days can be unpredictable and the future unknown, when we follow Jesus, we can always find purpose for this life and hope for the next. In his love, we are always secure.

They must put their lives on the line

Lana checks a car for a bomb 29 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 3

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DAWN FRENCH revealed that she has spent many years apologising to real-life vicars for her portrayal of the Rev Geraldine Granger in the BBC comedy The Vicar of Dibley.

In conversation with Rylan Clark-Neal on his Ry-Union podcast, the actress explained that, before she began filming the series in the 1990s, she spent time learning about the priesthood with one of the Church of England’s first female priests, Joy Carroll.

‘I thought I need to ask her questions,’ Dawn said. ‘I need to know how you wear the dog collar with a dress. What do you earn? … What is a young female vicar? What is your life? And she just opened her heart and her house to me.’

Dawn went on to say that members of the clergy often talk to her about the importance of the series, which was first broadcast in 1994, the year in which the first female priests were ordained in the Church of England.

She said: ‘What I have is lots of other women that are now vicars, saying to me, “I get called Geraldine. I get called the Vicar of Dibley”, and I say to them, “I’m so sorry”. But they say: “No, don’t say sorry, because it normalised it all.” And that’s the power of comedy.’

Virtually thousands turn to faith

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Kingly exhibition goes on tour

LIBRARY PICTURE POSED BY MODEL

MORE than 190,000 young people turned to the Christian faith through social media interaction last year, according to the US-based organisation Groundwire.

Sean Dunn, president of the ministry, told the Premier Christian News website that many young people believe in God but choose to ignore him. Groundwire wants to use media channels to connect with those young people in the digital spaces they already engage with.

With some people looking at their phones more than 100 times a day, Groundwire has grabbed their attention with short videos on social media platforms. The organisation has support available 24 hours a day for any young people who want to talk further. Last year, 192,000 young people made professions of faith.

‘What we’re really good at doing is interrupting them on their entertainment – on their small screen – and bringing to light their need, their purpose,’ said Sean. ‘We don’t need to convince them that [God’s] real.

We need to remind them that he’s relevant.’

AN immersive exhibition centred on a painting of the wise men worshipping the infant Jesus opened at Winchester Cathedral.

A 3D facsimile of Jan Gossaert’s 16th-century oil painting The Adoration of the Kings has been installed in the north transept of the building, where it is accompanied by digital technology that enables visitors who step into ‘yurtlike pods’ to explore the painting in detail.

As well as displays that can zoom in on aspects of the work, the exhibition includes a soundscape by sound artist Nick Ryan and poetry by Theresa Lola, both of which featured in the exhibition Sensing the Unseen when it was staged alongside the original painting at the National Gallery last year.

Director of the National Gallery Dr Gabriele Finaldi says: ‘This show was very popular with visitors to Trafalgar Square, so we are delighted it is now going on the road to Winchester Cathedral, as our first-ever touring digital exhibition.’

The exhibition runs until 3 April.

‘The Adoration of the Kings’, 1510-15, by Jan Gossaert

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Millions of Christians face persecution AFGHANISTAN is the most dangerous place in the world for Christians, according to the latest World Watch List, compiled by anti-persecution charity Open Doors.

North Korea – the country that had the highest level of Christian persecution across the globe for 20 consecutive years – now comes in second on the annual list.

Open Doors found that 360 million Christians across the world experienced high levels of persecution between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2021.

The figure was 20 million more than the previous year’s marking a record high since the list began 29 years ago.

At a media briefing to introduce the 2022 list, the director of advocacy at Open Doors UK and Ireland, Dr David Landrum, said that the withdrawal of US troops last summer led to a spike in persecution in Afghanistan. He revealed that Christian men now face a death sentence, while Christian women are trafficked into servitude, slavery or marriage to young Taliban fighters.

‘Things are so bad in Afghanistan,’ he said. ‘There are so many incidents of violence and discrimination.’

He also acknowledged that events in Afghanistan had ‘led to the emboldening of jihadist groups in various parts of the world, particularly in Africa and Asia’.

Because of this trend, Somalia and Libya are among the five countries with the highest levels of Christian persecution.

Elsewhere, religious nationalism in countries such as India, electronic surveillance in China and a crackdown on Christians by authorities across the Americas, including Cuba, have contributed to the rise in persecution levels. Dr Landrum said that this year’s list reflects a longer-term trend in which the persecution of Christians has risen sharply and consistently over the past 10 years.

WORD? Letter puzzle has picked up its pace with online users Feature by Sarah Olowofoyeku

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WO million daily players, six tries and one word. Wordle, a simple online game, has taken off, as more and more people try to figure out the five-letter word of the day.

The rules are simple. Players have just six attempts to work out the daily word, but each of their guesses offers a hint. After entering a word into the puzzle grid, a letter will turn green if it is in the right position in the word, yellow if it is in the wrong position, and grey if it is not in the word at all.

Brooklyn-based Josh Wardle created the game for his crossword-loving partner to play during lockdown, and later released it to the public.

Players took to social media to share their achievements – or failures – in the form of the green and yellow grids that have been appearing across newsfeeds and timelines.

While many games on the market offer hours of endless and often fastpaced play, the success of Wordle seems to lie in the fact that you get only one opportunity a day to have a go. Once you’re done, you’re done.

Columnist Rebecca Nicholson remarked in The Guardian that ‘it doesn’t demand much time and in an attention economy built on the zombifying potential of an endless scroll or click, this seems like a generous gesture’. She noted how there are no ads or paid upgrades, saying: ‘That’s all there is to it. It is simple, fun, satisfying and free.’

Simplicity is a good thing. No one wants to feel as though they have been tricked or enticed into something that is more complex or less benign than they had first thought.

In reality, it can seem that many things are far from simple. Relationships, work and daily life can be complicated. But there’s one simple truth on offer that is as good as it seems.

All humans have broken God’s rules, which has resulted in a world full of pain. But God worked out a way to rescue us, and all we have to do is trust it. Bible writer Paul explains: ‘It’s by God’s grace that you have been saved… It is God’s gift, pure and simple’ (Ephesians 2:8 The Voice).

Millions of people have accepted that gift. Any day is a good day to join them.

It’s simple and satisfying

29 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 5

On the Author FRANCINE RIVERS explains how becoming a Christian prompted her to turn over a new leaf in her career Interview by Emily Bright

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AUTHOR PHOTO TAKEN BY ELAINA BURDO © 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WITCHING from writing steamy romance novels to Christian fiction seems like an unlikely plot twist. But that’s exactly what established US author Francine Rivers did after she became a Christian during a pivotal period in her life.

‘My marriage was collapsing, and we were having trouble,’ she remembers. ‘I needed God, and he came into my life.

‘I grew up going to church, so had the head knowledge but not the heart knowledge. When I went to a new church in my late thirties, I felt like I’d come home. The light just went on.

With faith, life makes sense.’

After she found faith, Francine’s career shifted significantly.

‘For a number of years, I wrote historical romances for the general market, but when I became a Christian, I suddenly couldn’t write.

I felt God telling me: “You’re saying you want to be my child, but you don’t even know me yet.”

‘So I started reading the Bible every day, and I fell in love with God. When I read the Book of Hosea, it just blew me away – God loves us so much.’

The Bible tells the story of God challenging the prophet Hosea to marry Gomer, a promiscuous woman. The story is an illustration of how God remains faithful to people, forgiving and seeking reconciliation with them repeatedly, despite their own unfaithfulness to him.

Francine explains: ‘I felt like God was saying: “This is the love story

Francine Rivers’s novels have sold millions of copies

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write lines that I want you to write. You’ve been writing these other love stories that are counterfeit. I want you to write about the real thing.”’

So she wrote Redeeming Love. The novel, which is set during the Californian gold rush of 1850, reimagines the story of Gomer and Hosea through the character of Angel, a woman trafficked into prostitution as a child, and Michael, the man who loves her unconditionally and seeks to give her a new start.

Feeling overwhelmed by his kindness, she runs away.

Then, God’s love breaks into her life in a powerful way.

‘Redeeming Love changed the whole course of my writing and altered my outlook on what I was going to do with it,’ says Francine. ‘From then on, I was writing for the Lord – God can use anything, even fiction.’

Since Redeeming Love was published in 1991, it has sold millions of copies worldwide and been translated into 30 languages. Francine suggests that the book has been popular because ‘everybody’s looking for that unconditional, forever love’ – a love that in reality, she says, they are only truly going to find in Christ.

Redeeming Love has now been made into a film, which was released in US cinemas last weekend. Francine wrote the

initial script and then worked alongside director DJ Caruso as he adapted the story.

‘I’m pleased with what they’ve done with it,’ she remarks. ‘It was exciting to be on set to meet the actors and crew and watch how they work.’

Francine continued to write Christian fiction. It felt like the natural thing to do.

‘I had freedom to write whatever I felt God was asking me to write, using it to answer questions in my own faith,’ she says.

‘For instance, my novel The Atonement Child was about the issue of abortion, because I had an abortion in my college years. And I dealt with it for years after I became a born-again Christian. So that book was very personal.’

Francine has another novel out next month, The Lady’s Mine, which tells the story of a 19th-century American woman who inherits a silver mine in a dilapidated town in California and sets about reinventing herself and her community.

Francine explains that writing has strengthened her relationship with God, saying that ‘it has become a tool for me to worship the Lord. While writing, I study the Bible to find out what God is trying to teach me. Life’s not easy, but God has the answers.

‘I try to weave Scripture into my writing naturally. It’s part of my world view, the

Everybody’s looking for that unconditional, forever love

way I think. I believe that if you immerse yourself in Scripture, it comes out of you in anything you do. Often, God gives you the words in the moment that you need them.’

One way in which Francine engages with Scripture is by reimagining the humanity of real-life heroes of the faith, such as in her Sons of Encouragement and A Lineage of Grace series about the men and women of the Bible respectively.

‘I wrote the Sons of Encouragement series because I realised the importance of strong people behind biblical leaders,’ she says. ‘For instance, I wanted to focus on Aaron, Moses’ brother who is less well known, to highlight how we need to hold each other accountable and that we can’t stand alone.’

As she reflects back on her career to date, she believes that the ultimate aim of her fiction is to offer ‘a bridge back to Scripture, to get people interested in the real work of God’.

She wants people to learn about Jesus.

‘He’s almighty God yet also accessible,’ she says. ‘He understands because he has walked in our world as a human. He is my all in all.’ l The Lady’s Mine is published

by Tyndale

29 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 7

TELLING T Jonathan Aitken

Once a high-profile prisoner, former cabinet minister JONATHAN AITKEN is now a chaplain ministering to inmates. When he and another ex-prisoner EDWARD SMYTH noted an absence of any guide to help prisoners get through their sentence, they decided to write a book about their experiences Feature by Philip Halcrow

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WO decades after receiving an 18-month prison sentence, Jonathan Aitken still remembers the first night that he spent in prison.

He has kept those hours in mind as he continues to spend time inside, though now it is as an ordained Church of England chaplain at HMP Pentonville rather than as an inmate. He wants to help other people get through their first night behind bars and the rest of their jail term. It is why he has teamed up with another former prisoner, Edward Smyth, to write Doing Time.

Jonathan and Edward’s routes through what they call the ‘intensely private’ experience of serving a prison sentence were different in a number of ways. Having resigned as a cabinet minister, Jonathan was in the spotlight throughout his failed

8 • WAR CRY • 29 January 2022

libel case against The Guardian, his subsequent trial and conviction for perjury and perverting the course of justice, and as he served his sentence at HMPs Belmarsh, Standford Hill and Elmley. His co-author Edward was barely into his first job when in 2015 he was given a brief sentence.

But when the two former prisoners met, they identified a common problem.

Edward says: ‘I was doing my criminology master’s degree, and it was around the time when Jonathan was about to be ordained. I wrote him a card to congratulate him and wish him luck in his ministry. I never expected to hear anything, but he wrote back and asked

if I would come over for a cup of coffee.

I visited him at his home, and by the end of that meeting we had come up with the idea for this book that both of us could have benefited from on our first night in prison.’

Jonathan recalls how the two of them had noted that, in all the literature about prisons, there was no ‘how-to guide’ for surviving a sentence, practically or spiritually.

‘We had both been through the prison experience,’ he says. ‘We both had a strong faith and we both wanted to help future prisoners. So we said, “Why don’t we have a go?”

‘Lots of people are found guilty and then told to come back in a month for

Any prison sentence is also a sentence on the family

THE TIME GRAHAM GUY BARRATT

Edward Smyth

sentencing. So, they have plenty of time to know that they are going to prison. But, if in that time they try to find out what prison is really like, and if they don’t rely on tabloid exaggerations, there’s nothing written.

‘In the book, we tell it like it is from our own perspectives and experiences and hope that somebody will pick up something that will be helpful.’

Doing Time gives the lowdown on various aspects of prison life.

It explains the processes and possible emotions that may arise as a result of visits from family and friends. ‘And any prison sentence,’ Jonathan tells me, ‘is also a sentence on the family of the prisoner. One of the biggest worries many prisoners’ families have is fear and anxiety created by ignorance. They think prison is going to be much more terrible than it is. I hope this book is a dispeller of ignorance and fear. Prison, although difficult, is bearable.’

The book also attempts to wrest the image of prison officers away from their portrayal in popular culture as simply inmates’ enemies.

At the same time, it warns that media

headlines about drugs in prison are not too wide of the mark, but it strongly recommends that prisoners should steer clear.

‘The chapter about drugs explains how easily available drugs are, why they are such a powerful temptation and how to deal with that temptation,’ says Jonathan.

‘Evil in prison is at its most present and pernicious in the smuggling, selling, buying, spreading and taking of drugs.

During my first weekend in Belmarsh, I thought I was in some sort of Moroccan souk rather than an English jail, because so many people were spinning around, having taken various substances. But also in prison there’s a lot of understanding, and you can get plenty of help.’

Edward describes drugs as ‘one of the most significant challenges facing prisons and those people who live and work in them. Jonathan and I have seen first-hand the absolute misery that drug use and drug debts can cause both to the person in prison and, sadly, to their families outside when drug debts try to get settled

beyond the prison gates.

‘I work for a drug and alcohol charity that does most of its work in prisons. The fact is that a lot of people arrive in prison with some form of addiction, but quite a lot of people develop an addiction in prison as well.

‘If the deck is already stacked against you being able to leave prison and go on to lead a successful life, if you then introduce drugs into that and it becomes almost unwinnable without support. By writing about drugs in a book that we’re hoping prisoners will read in their first week, we’re hoping to get in before anybody else does.’

While issuing an early warning on drugs, Edward encourages new arrivals from court to think twice before just saying no on another matter. Even if they feel that their association with a faith community is sketchy, they should not rush in to tick the box ‘no religion’. Any qualms, questions or worries about beliefs can be explored in the weeks ahead. Simply ticking the box of a church denomination will mean they

We have seen the misery that drug debts can cause

Turn to page 10 f 29 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 9

PA IMAGES/ALAMY

From page 9 get a visit from a chaplain ‘and will have a raft of practical implications, such as the fact that it will be much easier to get into chapel on a Sunday morning. Even if people are going to chapel just because they want to get out of their cells or they used to go to church when they were 5 years old and they haven’t for 30 years, there’s not a lot to lose, so why not.’

And Edward is sure that there could be a lot to gain. He even describes prisons as ‘thin places’ – a term associated with Celtic Christianity and which is often applied to spectacular, rural scenery – where the divide between the Divine and humankind seems somehow flimsier than elsewhere.

‘I’ve stood in chapel in prison and watched people in the depths of misery weep because a family member has died

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the week before or they’ve just come to the realisation of how long they’re going to spend in prison. I’ve also seen people weep in chapel because they’ve had a spiritual experience, they have come to faith or they’ve felt part of a community for the first time.

‘All that heightened emotion happens within one very small space.

People are at wildly different stages of their relationship with God, but all you can say for certain is that he is at work in that space at that moment. You see God at work in people’s lives.’

Edward already had a background in Christianity when he was sentenced. He talks of how, wrestling with questions of faith and his own self-understanding

during his time in prison, he came to a greater realisation of the forgiveness of God, which he had heard people speak about for years.

Jonathan had arrived in prison ‘in a searching mood’. He spent his first night reading a passage from the Bible’s Book of Psalms.

He remembers: ‘I’d had to wait a long time to actually get into the dock to plead guilty, and during that time I had been doing a lot of searching. The reason I looked to Psalm 130 on my first night was that, when I was on my way into the Old Bailey to be sentenced, there was a man who I suspect stood there on a great many days, and he thrust into my hand a pamphlet. I didn’t look at it. I just put it in

I had been doing a lot of searching

GRAHAM GUY BARRATT

After leaving HMP Elmley at the end of his sentence (opposite page) Jonathan trained for ordination and is now a prison chaplain at HMP Pentonville my pocket. When I got into Belmarsh, I had to take everything out of my pockets, and there was this pamphlet about praying the Psalms. It said to read Psalm 130.’

So Jonathan began to read the passage – a prayer which begins with the words: ‘Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!’

‘The preacher Charles Spurgeon once said that Psalm 130 is the essence of all Scripture. All the teachings of the Bible are in that one passage. You’ve got a cry for help, you’ve got an understanding of the need for God’s forgiveness and you’ve got the suggestion that you need to be patient, to wait and to pray.’

Jonathan believes that the psalm, which ends with words of hope, echoes a

truth about prisons that ought to be heard not only by people serving a sentence but also by wider society.

‘What people need to understand is that of all those who go into prison – however gloomy they may be about their own prospects – practically nobody is beyond the hope of a fresh start when they come out.

‘The tendency for people to say that a prison sentence means the end, the destruction of a life, a career, hope, prospects for work and so on is completely wrong. There are plenty of opportunities for second chances. Life will be different after prison, but it need not be desperate or hopeless or miserable – and, I would say, especially not if you are

following the spiritual signposts towards receiving God’s grace.

‘And nobody has fallen so low that they are beneath the reach of God’s love.’

There are plenty of opportunities for second chances

l Doing Time is published

by Lion

29 January 2022 • 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, 101 Newington Causeway, Lon­don SE1 6BN. 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.

Team talk TEAM TALK

talk ‘ ’ Some things are too good to be cast away

Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters

WHEN Roy Plomley presented the first Desert Island Discs on 29 January 1942, he expected the series to run for six episodes. Eighty years later, more than 3,000 special guests have been cast away to the Radio 4 programme’s hypothetical desert island, each taking with them eight musical tracks for entertainment.

While a castaway’s music choices are always revealing, it’s their conversation with the presenter that I find the most interesting. In 1994, Archbishop Desmond Tutu described his journey to the priesthood for Sue Lawley: ‘It is almost like God grabbing you by the scruff of the neck and saying: “That is what you are going to do whether you like it or not.”’

Years later, in 2012, I listened as TV cook Mary Berry chose a number of Christian songs to take to the island, including ‘Lord of the Dance’, ‘How Great Thou Art’ and ‘Onward, Christian Soldiers’.

As well as hearing the life stories of the castaways and their preferred music, I also love hearing what luxury item they would take to the island. In 2017, singer Ed Sheeran told Kirsty Young that he would opt for a bottle of ketchup.

Castaways are also allowed to choose one book to entertain them in their isolation, as well as being given The Complete Works of Shakespeare and the Bible.

The gift of a Bible often receives mixed reviews. While comedian David Walliams didn’t want the religious text, author Philip Pullman – who is an atheist – explained that he was happy to accept it, saying: ‘The Bible’s full of good stuff.’

He went on to praise the wisdom of its Book of Proverbs.

Whether castaways choose to read the Bible that they are given or not, I’m glad that the presenter always makes it available to them. I find it encouraging to think that, even though 80 years have passed since Desert Island Discs was first broadcast, stories about God and his Son, Jesus, continue to be recognised for their potential to inspire people and bring them strength, guidance and comfort.

When people need help, these are still the world’s go-to stories. And whenever I’m feeling alone in the world, I rely on them to keep me on the right track.

It’s the conversations I find interesting

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

"

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Amen

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FACES OF FAITH MATT DAUBNEY from St Austell on watching sci-fi TV, playing football with his grandson and meeting his War Cry customers

What’s your typical day?

Monday to Friday is about getting up and going to work for a company that makes a product that strengthens cardboard and paper, but on Saturdays I go into St Austell to sell the War Cry. It’s a relaxing way to spend Saturday morning after the fast pace of life at work.

I enjoy the conversations I have while selling the War Cry, and some customers tell me stories of how The Salvation Army has helped them.

One lady said that she was 1 of 13 children and that her mum died when she was nine months old, meaning her dad had to look after them all.

The Salvation Army stepped in, housed them and every year would make sure they had the clothes and shoes they needed.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

Originally, I wanted to be in the Royal Navy, then I hoped to join the Marines. For whatever reason, it never worked out.

Q A

QUICK QUIZ 1

What does the Spanish word ‘hola’ mean in English?

2

Which group had a No 1 hit in 1977 with their song ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’?

3

What is the highest mountain in Africa?

4

Former US president Barack Obama recently published the book Renegades: Born in the USA with which musician?

5

What is the surname of the family at the centre of the TV sci-fi series Lost in Space?

6

Which football club became champions of the Premier League for the first time in 2016?

ANSWERS

What makes you feel like a grown-up now?

Playing with my grandson, which normally involves pushing a swing, holding on to him when he’s on a climbing frame or kicking a football around with him.

What TV programmes do you like to watch?

I like my science fiction – Star Trek and Doctor Who. I don’t exactly know why. I just enjoy the flights of fancy, the idea that someone can travel into the past or future in a telephone box – though I’ve yet to find a telephone box that can do it.

What’s good about being a Christian?

I can ask the Lord to lift my problems. And when I do, I can feel them going away.

What do you pray about?

I pray about my family and the community in St Austell. If I’m on Facebook and someone says they have a problem, I’ll say a prayer for them. When I’m selling the War Cry, if someone asks me to pray for them, I’ll offer to say a prayer with them right then and there. Some people don’t feel comfortable, and that’s OK – but nine times out of ten, they’ll say yes, and I’ll stand with them and pray.

How does faith influence your life?

It makes me look at life differently. Before I became a Christian, I used to get quite agitated. Now I’m a much less stressed person. If I have a problem, I’ll go to God with it first and wait for an answer.

29 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 13

1. Hello. 2. Abba. 3. Mount Kilimanjaro.

4. Bruce Springsteen. 5. Robinson. 6. Leicester City.

PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

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)

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

3 9 8 5 4 1 3 7 5 9 2 7 4 5 4 8 9 1 7 3 8 1 2 7 4 3 8 2 4 6 16. Writing instrument (6) 18. Awaken (5) 20. Energy and style (4)

WORDSEARCH

7 1 5 6 3 9 4 8 2 9 8 6 5 2 4 3 1 7 Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the 4 Whitney 2 3 Houston 7 8 tracks 1 5 6 9 grid to find these 2 7 8 1 9 3 6 5 4 F R L Q Z R U3N T 5 O4Y O2 U 7A A6N R 8 E9 1 P D W O N K I L L I WW O H R K N Q 2 Z7 3 B R V E C X Y1L 6 I Q9Z R8 Y 4 Q Z5O S C X B M C O U8N T 3 O1N M9 E 5P M2W Q 7 S4 6 GR J I T J QZMF S E VM I H T J 4 H7T F3 O 1N E8E U 9 Q2 5 B K N T H G I6N E H Z A N Y R S5Z J 9 I 2L C4 L 6N P7N Q 1 S3 8

M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Produced by a flower 2. In a position of agreement 3. Adjusted in advance 4. Numerical symbol 5. Self-service meal 6. Item of sportswear

P YM I U EQOT X F ZWN H R V Y E E WQ RMK CNEOO NDVMT DQE EG Z OMN Z SO I OF SQN I H

ANSWERS 7 9 4 2 3 1 8 6 5 8

5 6 3 8 4 9 1 7 2

1 8 2 7 5 6 3 4 9

6 5 7 1 2 8 9 3 4

3 2 8 9 7 4 5 1 6

9 4 1 3 6 5 2 8 7

4 3 5 6 8 2 7 9 1

8 1 6 5 9 7 4 2 3

1 2 7 3 8 2 4 6

4

2 7 9 4 1 3 6 5 8

HONEYCOMB 1. Pollen. 2. Onside. 3. Preset.

4. Figure. 5. Buffet. 6. Shorts.

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 • 29 January 2022

H L X Z T H A Q P N A

H V S I I A H Z T Z V

HAAN I N I C OGQH NVH T ZQE E Z P ZQ T UOY Y TQZ QK VN NBQT ENOT

COUNT ON ME HIGHER LOVE HOW WILL I KNOW I HAVE NOTHING I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU IF I TOLD YOU THAT I’M EVERY WOMAN

Y S BR T YHD S AQR FWSQ D L CV RAQO D LOT R LOF K I X V VWZ U H I NG

Y V J OZQ UZ X BQY E J S LM I I F I E J N V XC EWB AH T

ONE MOMENT IN TIME QUEEN OF THE NIGHT RUN TO YOU SO EMOTIONAL SOMETHING IN COMMON STEP BY STEP WHEN YOU BELIEVE

Courgette, sweetcorn hash and egg skillet Ingredients

Method

Rapeseed oil

Heat 1tbsp rapeseed oil in a skillet over a medium heat. Add the diced potatoes and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, until the potatoes are nicely browned. Add a splash of water and continue stirring for another 3 minutes.

200g potatoes, diced into 2cm cubes Salt 1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced

Add the garlic, shallot, courgette, sweetcorn and pine nuts. Stir again and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chilli paste and the stock. Leave to simmer for 5 minutes, until the water evaporates.

1 shallot, peeled and finely sliced 1 small yellow courgette, sliced into ribbons

Add the cherry tomatoes and use a spatula to create holes in the vegetable mix large enough for the eggs. Add 1tsp oil, if needed, into each hole and crack in an egg.

Cover with a lid and lower the heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the egg whites are set.

200g sweetcorn 15g pine nuts 1tsp chilli paste 100ml vegetable stock

Take the lid off and serve in the skillet with the parsley sprinkled over.

20 cherry tomatoes, halved 3 medium British Lion eggs

SERVES

3

10g parsley, roughly chopped

Egg and spinach salad Ingredients

Method

4 large British Lion eggs 4tbsp vegetable oil 50g crusty bread torn into bitesized pieces 2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped 50g sun-blushed tomatoes in oil 6 basil leaves, shredded Salt and ground black pepper 100g baby spinach leaves

Place the eggs in a small pan, cover with boiling water and boil for 6 minutes. Drain the eggs, rinse in cold water, tapping the shells all over. Once cooled, peel away the shells. Cut into quarters.

Make some croutons by heating the vegetable oil in a frying pan until hot and adding the pieces of crusty bread. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the croutons are crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen roll.

Transfer 2tbsp oil from the sun-blushed tomatoes to a bowl along with the tomatoes themselves and the basil leaves. Mix, then season, to taste. Empty the spinach into 2 serving bowls, add the croutons, quartered eggs and seasoned tomatoes. Toss together, to serve.

Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the British Egg Information Service website egginfo.co.uk

SERVES

2

29 January 2022 • WAR CRY • 15

CAST YOUR CARES ON THE LORD AND HE WILL SUSTAIN YOU Psalm 55:22 (New International Version)

WAR CRY