From the editor’s desk
What is The Salvation Army? 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
THERE are no atheists in foxholes, or so the saying goes. The suggestion is that when people find themselves in life-threatening situations (a foxhole being a hole dug by troops to shelter from enemy fire), people will inevitably call out to God for help. That may appear to be a simplistic view of how people behave when facing perilous situations, but a recent survey for Christian charity Tearfund has found that people are turning to religion to help them through the lockdown imposed because of the coronavirus. As we report in this week’s War Cry, the survey found that about a quarter of adults in the UK say they have watched or listened to a religious service since the lockdown began (on the radio, live on TV, on demand or streamed online). A number of those adults have never gone to church before. Tearfund also discovered that, despite church often being portrayed as a place for the elderly, those aged between 18 and 34 are almost twice as likely to watch or listen to a service than those aged 55 and over. So people of all ages may feel frustrated that places of worship have had to close their doors for Sunday services. However, churches have clearly not stopped operating. As well as providing material for the religious services being broadcast, many are also at the front line, helping those most impacted by the lockdown, in a variety of practical and emotional ways. The Salvation Army is among those churches that are doing what they can to help others. You can discover more about the ways in which it is serving communities on its new-look website at salvationarmy.org.uk. There you can also continue to view each issue of the War Cry as, every week, we encourage even more people to see the benefits of the Christian faith – during the current pandemic and beyond.
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 7476
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
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 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
FEATURES 3
Home truths House’s history is told in TV series
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Looking up faith in lockdown People are turning to God during coronavirus pandemic
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A high-profile case The US missionary who was imprisoned in Turkey
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‘Life is a gift’ Interview with TV presenter James Lusted
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More than just yuppie flu The reality of life with ME
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REGULARS 12
Browsing the Bible
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Now, There’s a Thought!
14 Puzzles 15
War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: BBC/Avanti/Nine Lives Media/JAY BROOKS
2 • War Cry • 30 May 2020
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