Aberfan disaster support remembered
24 October 2026 50p/60c
These foolish flings A spark of attraction leads to an affair in ITV1 relationship drama Historic properties provide heads-up on ceiling designs
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 600 centres throughout the UK. Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/find-a-church to find your nearest centre.
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 7804
Editor: Gareth Dickens, Major Managing Editor: Philip Halcrow Staff Writer: Emily Bright Staff Writer: Claire Brine Staff Writer: Ewan Hall Editorial Assistant: Linda McTurk Graphic Designer: Mark Knight Graphic Designer: Matt Penberthy Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 1 Champion Park London SE5 8FJ
From the editor’s desk What first comes to mind when the year 1966 is mentioned? For many people, it may be the great music, whether the Beatles’ Revolver album or the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. For some, it will possibly be the fact that on 30 July England won the Fifa World Cup at Wembley. Even today there are many people who recall the words of commentator Kenneth Wolstenholm in the final seconds of the match: ‘They think it’s all over … it is now.’ However, for other people, 1966 brings to mind a very different memory which is encapsulated in just one word: Aberfan. Until 21 October 1966, few people outside of south Wales had heard of the small village near Merthyr Tydfil. But on that date, this coal mining community made the headlines around the world. After several days of heavy rain, one of the nearby colliery waste tips collapsed and slid down the hillside in waves up to nine metres high, engulfing houses, people and Pantglas Junior School. It killed 116 children and 28 adults. The Rev Irving Penberthy, a Methodist minister in the village at the time, recalls for the War Cry his memories of the day and its aftermath. ‘Looking back, I always called my work at the Aberfan disaster a ministry of tears,’ he says. ‘I cried with parents and held their hands.’ Irving worked alongside other clergy and The Salvation Army, supporting the bereaved families and the wider community. ‘My faith kept me going,’ he says, ‘I was given strength for the task.’ A story in the Bible tells how Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus, and in the days after the tragedy, it became a powerful reminder for Irving that God understood and cared for the suffering community of Aberfan. Believing in God does not mean that we will never experience sorrow, but he can give us strength to face it. There is assurance in knowing that God stands with us whenever we are suffering. Whatever adversity we face, he promises to hold our hand all the way through.
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Tel: 0845 634 0101 Subscriptions: 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email: subscriptions@satcol.org Founders: Catherine and William Booth International leaders: General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham Territorial leaders: Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main Editor-in-Chief: Major Andrew Stone 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. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton, on sustainably sourced paper
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CONTENTS FEATURES
3
Distraction, desire and deceit Temptation and passion take over in ITV1 drama
5
Sixty years of lavishing love Chasing the Dragon author reflects on a lifetime offering hope in Hong Kong
8
A ministry of tears Church minister recalls the Aberfan disaster
13 The beauty above Historic building visitors encouraged to look up
8 13
REGULARS
FO 4
Team Talk
12 What Did He Say? 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: © ITV
2 • WAR CRY • 24 October 2026
5
15
Beth searches for comfort in the arms of Tom
© ITV
A worryinG state of affairs A brief encounter leads to an extramarital liaison TV preview: Adultery ITV1 and ITVX By Emily Bright
T
here’s a psychological equation. Attraction plus obstacles equals excitement. But what happens if obstacles and excitement are too much? What then? Those are the musings of teacher, fitness instructor and mother of two Beth Brookes (Romola Garai) in the drama series Adultery. Life at home hasn’t been easy lately. Beth’s best friend from college has just died; her husband Neil (Matthew McNulty) is too distracted by his own challenges to console her; and she feels as if her teenage children, immersed in their smartphones, are growing more distant by the day. Beth has just finished the school run when her son calls her, asking her to drop off his football boots. Distracted by her phone, she slams her car into a cyclist. She’s horrified and stops to check if he’s OK. It transpires that she has injured Tom Kirkman (Dominic Cooper), a handsome doctor who happens to be the father of her son’s girlfriend. As Beth gives Tom a lift to A&E and waits with him
until he receives treatment, they feel an unexpected spark of attraction. When Tom’s wife, Hannah (Shelly Conn), asks him about what Beth is like, he shrugs off her questions. But later he secretly watches Beth’s fitness videos and follows her on Instagram. She follows him back. Then Beth accepts an invitation to Hannah’s birthday party, where she realises that there’s a chemistry between herself and Tom that – one way or another – they can no longer ignore. And, at the same time, Tom and Hannah’s marriage seems to have complications of its own. A decisive moment arrives on the day when Beth attends her friend’s funeral. After Neil has left the wake to see to a work emergency, Beth finds herself driving to Tom’s GP surgery in search of comfort. She knows that seeking love in the wrong places won’t end well, but, in a time of deep pain, her longing for escapism overpowers her judgement. We may relate to feeling tempted to do something that we know is a mistake, particularly in times of high stress or emotion. Sometimes, desires can feel
overwhelming – whether for sex, money, power or any other kind of thrill. But the heartening truth is that we don’t need to fight temptations on our own. In one of his letters, the early Christian leader Paul reassures his readers that they won’t be the first – and certainly not the last – to desire things that aren’t healthy for them, but nor will they be unique in being able to seek support. He writes: ‘The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience.’ And yet, he adds, ‘God is faithful… When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure’ (1 Corinthians 10:13 New Living Translation). It’s encouraging to know that we’re not alone in struggling with temptation, and that if we ask for God’s help, he can enable us to take a different path. He can provide us with the strength we need to make better choices. If we let him, God will be with us for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health. Us plus him equals a more positive future for ourselves and others. 24 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 3
Team talk TEAM
talk ‘ TALK’ j Hosting opens the door to deeper friendship
Claire Brine gives her take on a story that has caught the attention of War Cry reporters ‘It used to be quite normal to pop next door for a coffee or invite friends over for dinner. But not any more. What’s behind this change – and just how damaging is it?’ asked a feature in The Guardian. The article pointed towards a 2025 poll which found that more than 4 in 10 British people ‘avoid hosting at home due to the clean-up it requires’ afterwards. Additionally, on the subject of hosts having ‘presentable’ homes, it quoted psychotherapist Kamalyn Kaur, who commented: ‘On social media, you see everyone with these amazing mansion-style houses. It creates unrealistic expectations about how a home should look. People may start worrying about their home not meeting that standard.’ One mother echoed Kamalyn’s sentiment, saying that, while her friends ‘don’t actually care about the mess’ in her house, she couldn’t help but feel ‘shame every time anyone comes over’. I grew up in a house where the door was always open for people to drop by for a cuppa and a chat – and I loved it. We were very much a take-us-as-you-find-us family. We certainly didn’t live in an ‘amazing mansion-style house’ – but it didn’t matter. What mattered to my parents was that our home was welcoming and that people had permission to relax and be themselves. Those were the things that helped conversation to flow and friendships to develop. When I read the Bible’s accounts of Jesus spending time in the homes of his followers, I notice that he, too, valued company above contents. He urged a friend called Martha to stop worrying about ‘all that had to be done’ in the home, because prioritising housework above everything else meant that she was missing out on ‘what is best’ – quality time spent with him (see Luke 10:38–42 Contemporary English Version). While Instagrammable homes may prompt me to set ‘unrealistic expectations’ for my life, I’m relieved to know that Jesus doesn’t demand perfection from me. When I invite him into my heart, I’m allowed to be honest with him. I can be me – without shame. And if there are areas of my life requiring a clean-up, I know that he’s there to help me tackle them.
People had permission to relax
Team talk 4 • WAR CRY • 24 October 2026
Doctor aims to use addiction recovery to aid others A former GP who spent decades working in the NHS has revealed how a rehabilitation centre in Swindon run by The Salvation Army rescued him from his own alcohol addiction. Nicholas Lawrence, 65, told his story at an open house event last month at Gloucester House, the centre which, he says, saved his life. ‘Addiction doesn’t discriminate,’ he says. ‘I was a doctor for 40 years – a very successful career. But in the last six years, I ran into problems with alcohol. I tried all the scientific approaches, the psychology, and I understood an awful lot about it. But I was still relapsing. Then at Gloucester House I found faith – but, truth be told, faith found me. Once that happened, the 12-step programme became something I could do practically.’ Now over a year sober, Nicholas is planning the next phase of his recovery. A still-registered doctor, he hopes to work within addiction services, in detox facilities and in support roles, using his professional skills and lived experience to help others. ‘Professionals are a high-risk group,’ he explains. ‘One in six doctors in this country is an addict of some sort. One in 20 GPs is an alcoholic, let alone other substances, and the type of person who chooses that career often has a tendency towards addiction.’ He says: ‘I’d like to go to medical schools and talk to fourth and fifth-year students, say to them: “You’re a highrisk group for addiction.”’ Maz Hyde, programme manager at Gloucester House, says: ‘Nicholas’s story reminds us that addiction can affect anyone – and that recovery is possible.’
Do you have a story to share? a warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk TheWarCryUK
B salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry
BREAKING DOWN WALLS Sixty years after emigrating to Hong Kong, JACKIE PULLINGER reflects on a life spent bringing hope to sex workers, gangsters and people with addictions before and after the fall of the Walled City
Jackie reopens a trunk full of memories
Interview by Emily Bright
A
t 22, Jackie Pullinger purchased the cheapest one-way ticket she could find for a ship that sailed to the most countries – from France to Japan. She prayed that God would show her where to get off. Sure enough, the girl from south London found a new home in the Far East. She felt compelled to disembark in Hong Kong and began ministering in the Walled City, an area notorious for its gangsters, sex workers and people with addictions. Jackie looks back on her experiences many decades later in a special edition of her autobiography, Chasing the Dragon, which marks the 60th anniversary of her arrival in Hong Kong – a place where she still works and where there are still people in great need more than 30 years since the Walled City was demolished. ‘I was first introduced to the Walled City
Turn to page 6 f 24 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 5
From page 5 through a missionary who had a school there,’ Jackie tells me when she visits London to promote the book. ‘Some of the schoolchildren used to take me around the Walled City. I learned how to walk the streets and, because I was with the kids, the gangsters or the lookouts became used to me and liked me.’ One of the teenagers she met would inspire the start of her outreach work.
God puts the lonely and orphans in families
‘H
e got thrown out of school for being disruptive in class,’ says Jackie. ‘I was upset about this because I found him selling tickets in the Blue Film Theatre, which showed sex show reels and made girls available. ‘I thought this was a terrible way for him to begin his life. The boy’s father was a drug addict, and his mother was a prostitute. I wanted somewhere where the only choice for young people wasn’t bad. So I began a youth club, where they played ping-pong and I took them out rollerskating. ‘Gangsters ended up being a lot of the youth club members. We went on summer camps. I made friends with them and I learned about their lives. I began it for that boy – who never came.’ Jackie supported young people not only practically, but also spiritually by telling them that Jesus loved them. Gradually, teenage gangsters began giving their lives to him and left their drug use and life of criminality behind. Her efforts caught the attention of ruthless triads – the Chinese equivalent of the mafia – whose leaders tried to intimidate and threaten her. But slowly, they realised that she had the best
interests of their gang members at heart. Some even shared meals and conversations with her, during which she told them about Jesus. When I ask Jackie which stories of redemption have resonated with her the most, she says that ‘they’re all special’. ‘The gang leader coming to Christ is no more important than the drug addict’s mother who had a vision of Jesus walking across her TV screen, which is how she met him,’ she asserts. ‘They’re not notches on your salvation belt; they’re lives.’ Jackie and her team have also transformed lives through providing accommodation for the most vulnerable. Over the years, her organisation, St Stephen’s Society, has borrowed or rented more than 287 places – initially known as the Houses of Stephen – for people with life-threatening problems, those recovering from addictions and those who are poor. Jackie admits that, while prayer sometimes miraculously heals people from addictions, ‘the average alcoholic or addict is going to need a long time’, because they ‘often haven’t had a normal life before they got on drugs. So we take them through re-parenting,
A dank and dingy scene in the Walled City
Caption for this one and more here etc like this one
6 • WAR CRY • 24 October 2026
A person sourcing drinkable water from outside the Walled City
Jackie teaching people about Jesus and worshipping with them
because God meant for us to grow up in a family. ‘Psalm 68 says that he puts the lonely and the orphans in families. So we don’t have a centre, we have a family. They grow up learning what they didn’t learn in their biological family. You can make a mistake and you’re not beaten. You can mess up and you’re not thrown out.’ The team also tell those in their care who are recovering from addictions that they have inherent value – something which they may never had heard before – and teach them how to care for others. ‘In the first month, we treat them like a newborn baby,’ says Jackie. ‘They’re the
PICTURE CREDIT
centre of the world, which almost none of them have been before. If they want to eat, they can eat. If they want to sleep, they can sleep. We’re on their timetable; they’re not on ours. ‘Then after a month, they join the rest of the house. They’re not the centre of the world any more. It’s a case of: “We love you, but there are other kids.” So they begin to learn: “I’m very important and I will be heard, but the others matter too.” They learn to care for other people as well.’ And when relapses happen, the houses model grace. Jackie says: ‘We’ll ask them: “Did you take drugs?” If they say that they did, we’ll say: “Congratulations, you’re doing so well following Jesus because you’re telling the truth. Now, go to sleep and we’ll talk tomorrow about how we can help you to make the right choices.”’ Helping the most marginalised discover hope in Jesus has been an all-consuming task for Jackie, whether by advocating for wrongly accused gang members in the court system; freeing sex workers from their pimps; or
providing a home to those with nowhere left to go. I deduce that all the above requires plenty of divine help. However, when I ask how central prayer is to her work, Jackie is characteristically very matter of fact.
We’re out the door, praying on the job
‘M
uch of our lives have been and still are responding to emergencies,’ she says. ‘It’s a luxury to sit at home and pray. Rather, we’re out the door, wearing yesterday’s clothes, because somebody’s in a gang fight or in a hospital or about to commit suicide. We’re praying on the job. But we do have those among us who specially intercede, which is great.’ In her time, Jackie has seen many prayers for provision answered. ‘We don’t raise funds,’ she says. ‘We don’t pay anybody anything. We don’t ask them for any money. But we really do pray for our daily bread, all the time.
‘At one time, we probably had about 50 men in different houses. One day, we had no food, and an Air Canada container lorry came up the road, which was full of pot noodles. Why it came and why we got the pot noodles, I have no idea. But we lived on those pot noodles for a long time.’ During our interview, Jackie reels off Scripture to illustrate why loving people on the margins is so important to her. ‘My identity is not dependent on what I’ve achieved, or any results or even how I feel about myself,’ she explains. ‘I am privileged to be a child of God. As it says in the Bible, “What great love the Father has lavished upon us, that we should be called children of God!” Jesus has brought me here to lavish love.’ l Chasing the Dragon: 60th Anniversary Edition is published by Hodder & Stoughton
24 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 7
‘My service at Aberfan was a ministry of tears’ Sixty years ago, a coal spoil tip slid down a mountainside in the Welsh mining village of Aberfan, engulfing all in its path – including Pantglas Junior School. The Rev IRVING PENBERTHY, who was a Methodist minister in the village at the time, reflects on losing dozens of children from his Sunday school, and recalls how he and others tried to support bereaved parents through the tragedy Interview by Claire Brine
8 • WAR CRY • 24 October 2026
The Rev Irving Penberthy
I
t was the last day of term. The school holidays were just hours away. And the children at Pantglas Junior School in the mining village of Aberfan were beginning their morning lessons. Then the unthinkable happened. On 21 October 1966, after days of heavy rainfall, a coal spoil tip positioned above the village toppled down the mountainside, engulfing everything in its path. There was no time to flee. Within minutes, the black avalanche of slurry had buried the primary school and a row of neighbouring houses, killing 116 children and 28 adults. The disaster shook the community to its core. Mothers sobbed in the street. Fathers dug frantically at the site with shovels, trying to reach their kids. Children who’d lost brothers, sisters and friends were traumatised. Sixty years later, the village continues to mourn. ‘It’s something you never forget,’ says the Rev Irving Penberthy, a 95-year-old retired Methodist minister, who at the time of the tragedy ran a Sunday school in the village. ‘What happened at Aberfan is still quite fresh in my mind –
especially when I see children.’ In 1966, Irving and his young family were living in Merthyr Tydfil, and he was responsible for running three churches, including the Zion Methodist Chapel in Aberfan. Its Sunday school usually welcomed dozens of children from the Pantglas school ‘A lot of the children from the school used to come to us because we were an English-speaking chapel,’ he explains. ‘Every Monday evening, at 6 o’clock, the chapel would be full of children coming to our club, called Sunshine Corner. We sang choruses and played games. Everyone used to sing heartily. ‘Aberfan was a typical Welsh community. People lived in terraced houses which had no front gardens. I remember neighbours sitting outside their front doors, having put chairs on the pavement, and they would chat to one another across the street. There was a very friendly atmosphere.’
THE SALVATION ARMY INTERNATIONAL HERITAGE CENTRE
The Salvation Army took food to the villagers as they dug to recover bodies from the school
On the morning of the disaster, Irving was travelling to Pontypridd. He recalls the thick mist in the air. ‘As I was driving, I noticed one or two emergency vehicles passing me,’ he says. ‘I didn’t take much notice, because where there’s a mine, there are often accidents. I carried on with my journey, going past the junction for Aberfan, and then an inner voice seemed to say to me: “You must turn back.” ‘I carried on driving, but I couldn’t get away from this strong thought, which was telling me to turn around. I didn’t know why I had to go back. But I obeyed.’ In later years, Irving came to believe that the inner voice had belonged to God. He had no idea of the horrors it was leading him to. ‘The police wouldn’t let anyone drive into Aberfan, so I had to leave my van at Merthyr Vale and walk into the village,’ he recalls. ‘When I got there, it was a place of chaos. The tip had come down over the
school. The men were digging, falling over each other. The women were standing in the street, looking bewildered. I decided to mix with the people in the street, because there were so many men digging that they didn’t need me.
We’d never seen a disaster like it
‘Y
ou just couldn’t take it all in. We’d never seen a disaster like it. My role as a minister was to be with those who were wandering around in sorrow. Women would say to me: “My child is in the school.” So of course we would say a prayer together: “Have mercy, God. Bless those who are digging. Give them strength.” ‘We didn’t really know what to say. We all hoped the children would be rescued. We stood together and waited.’ While Irving was supporting anxious
parents as they awaited news of their children, The Salvation Army was also on site and ready to help. First to arrive at the scene of the disaster was Major Derrik Tribble. When he heard that the Bethania Chapel down the road from the school had been designated as a mortuary, he went there immediately to offer assistance. Over the hours that followed, he oversaw the washing of countless children’s bodies that had been blackened by the coal sludge. In a War Cry interview published in 2001, Derrik recalled: ‘We had no hot water to wash the bodies, so I went around the streets and commandeered boilers to heat the water. The bodies were in a terrible, terrible state.’ Outside, The Salvation Army was busy helping in other ways. An article published
Turn to page 10 f 24 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 9
From page 9
ALAMY/MIRRORPIX
in the War Cry on 29 October 1966 describes how its volunteers took ‘muchneeded food and other comforts to “frontline” diggers high up on the mountain of debris’. Others, including Captain Dorothy Graham, joined a line of people who, for hours, stood passing buckets of sludge away from the disaster site. ‘I can remember The Salvation Army being on duty,’ says Irving. ‘The volunteers set up a food station in an old shop in Aberfan and served tea, coffee and soup. I know that I went in there for a cup of coffee.’ While men with shovels worked to recover bodies, Irving went to the chapel, where he offered pastoral support. ‘A farm on the mountainside was the first place to be engulfed,’ he remembers. ‘A dear, elderly lady was swallowed up and she was the first to be brought into the mortuary. When I saw her body, I knew that the parents of the schoolchildren were in for a traumatic time.’ Once the children’s bodies had been carefully washed and placed on the chapel’s pews, parents were summoned to identify them. Derrik recalled in the War Cry: ‘A colleague and I let two sets of
Captain Dorothy Graham comforts a woman in distress
10 • WAR CRY • 24 October 2026
parents go in at a time. He monitored one side and I took the other. When faced with a body, parents usually thought it was their boy or girl but quite often it was not and they had to have a second look. That was harrowing.’ Known by many families in the village, Irving offered to accompany a number of bereaved parents as they entered the chapel to find their children. ‘I remember going in with one father who was a foreman at the Hoover factory, where I was a chaplain,’ he says. ‘It was the middle of the night, and we walked around the chapel, lifting the blankets on these little bodies as we looked for his son. Eventually, he found him and burst into tears. I burst into tears with him. ‘Looking back, I always called my work at the Aberfan disaster a ministry of tears. I cried with parents and held their hands. We were numb. We didn’t know what else to do.’ As he comforted his bereaved parishioners, Irving clung on tightly to his faith in God. He found himself reflecting on a story in the Bible, in which Jesus
Mourners at the cemetery in Aberfan continue to reflect on the lives lost
wept at the death of his friend Lazarus. It reminded Irving that God cared about the suffering community of Aberfan. ‘My faith kept me going,’ Irving says. ‘I felt an inner strength. I can’t really explain it now, because when I look back, I think to myself: “How did I manage?” All I can say is that I was given strength for the task. ‘After the disaster, which happened on a Friday, I led a service at church on the Sunday. We called it a faith recovery service. But we didn’t sing any hymns. We just couldn’t.’ Six days after the tragedy, thousands of people turned up in Aberfan to attend a mass funeral at Bryntaf Cemetery. Grief was tangible as coffins were lowered into a pair of long, parallel graves. The Salvation Army band played. The next day, 28 October, was Irving’s 36th birthday – but he didn’t celebrate. ‘After the disaster, all the clergy came together to pray,’ he says. ‘We made a list of the bereaved families and then we divided out the names and went to visit them. ‘I remember going to visit the family of Sandra, a little girl who had been part of my Sunday school. I had a colleague helping me, Dr Maldwyn Edwards, who was the equivalent of a bishop. When we got to the house, Sandra’s mother was very distressed because Sandra hadn’t been baptised
THE SALVATION ARMY INTERNATIONAL HERITAGE CENTRE
The Salvation Army supported those affected by the tragedy
and the family was Roman Catholic. ‘I remember Dr Edwards asking for a photograph of Sandra, so the mother produced one. He also asked for a glass of water. Then he said a prayer and sprinkled water over the photo. The mother’s face brightened up. ‘She was comforted and I’ve never forgotten it.’
I think we have to trust God, whatever
W
hile a number of grieving families took strength from their faith and prayers, some questioned why a loving God would allow such a tragedy to happen. Many parents, too, were overcome with anger – especially when the Aberfan Disaster Tribunal found the National Coal Board entirely to blame for the deaths of their children. ‘What happened at Aberfan was human failure,’ says Irving. ‘People had complained about the spoil tip, because it would slip occasionally. The colliery’s response was that the waste would never go very far and it certainly wouldn’t reach the school. ‘Though some people want to blame God for the tragedy, I think it’s difficult. Humans are free agents. We don’t always realise what that implies.’ In the days, weeks and months after the disaster, Irving continued to run Sunshine
Irving was in his 30s when the disaster occurred
Corner, trying to bring comfort to the children who had lost friends or siblings. He kept on visiting people who had been bereaved. Donations poured into his church from across the UK, as people wanted to offer their condolences and financial support to the village. ‘I held on to my faith and was comforted by it,’ he says. ‘God was in charge – and that’s what faith is about. “Thy will be done,” we pray. So I think we have to trust God, whatever. Even when we don’t understand why certain things happen. We believe that one day we will understand.’ As the UK marks the 60th anniversary of
the disaster, Irving reflects on the children he knew who have ‘gone to Heaven’. All these years later, the sense of loss remains strong. ‘I remember somebody once saying to me: “Aren’t you glad you didn’t live in Aberfan, otherwise your own children might have died in the tragedy?” My reply was: “I was a father in God to more than 40 children in that school, and I miss them all.” ‘I’ll never forget what happened that day. When I talk about it, the tears still well up. But as I remember the disaster, I also remember the comfort that God gave.’
24 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 11
What did he say?
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, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. 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 know that I have done things in my life that are wrong and I’m sorry. Thank you that I can ask you for forgiveness because of the sacrifice you made when you died on the cross. Please forgive me and help me to live a better life in the future as I learn how to love you and follow your way of living. Thank you, Lord Jesus.
Lynne Shaw takes a look at some of the significant sayings of Jesus Blessed are the poor in spirit – Matthew 5:3 In the English language we have phrases like ‘heart-wrenching’, ‘it cut me to the core’ and ‘painfully moving’ that connect body, mind and soul. But outside of Jesus’ teaching, we’re unlikely to have heard ‘poor in spirit’. It seems that even at the time when Jesus uttered these words, ‘poor in spirit’ was not a common phrase – though it’s likely he had ideas in mind that came from the Jewish Scriptures with which he was familiar. For instance, Jesus would have believed in the words of Psalm 34:18, which says that God is always close to the broken-hearted and creates a safe haven for those who are ‘crushed in spirit’ (New International Version). We often think that being poor is not having enough of what we need – money, food or shelter. But if someone is poor in spirit, what might they be missing? Perhaps a sense of connection to the vastness of life; to God, who is the source of that life; and to a sense of self that feels complete, not broken or crushed. Whatever they’re missing, the poor in spirit recognise their spiritual needs are not being met, and so they may long for something that is beyond their capacity to provide for themselves. Jesus said that people who are poor in spirit are blessed because all God’s wisdom, direction and loving care are available to them. If our room is stuffy and we’re stiff from sitting too long but we don’t really pay attention to the situation, the room will get stuffier and our bodies will get stiffer. Once we realise our need, we can get up and throw open the window, or better yet go outside and get moving around. The activity and fresh air blesses us. We become well off in ways which are hard to measure but which are meaningful for our health. In a similar way, once we know that we’re missing something spiritually, we are well off – because we are open to God, who is fully available to us, and our spirituality is meaningfully richer. Our openness is what allows our needs to be met.
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A visitor to Bolsover Castle admires the ceiling of its Star Chamber ENGLISH HERITAGE
QUICK QUIZ 1
Who had a No 1 hit in 2017 with
2
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3
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4
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Who directed the films Kes,
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the album The Thrill of It All?
Invisible Man?
the TV crime series Vigil?
The Old Oak and I, Daniel Blake?
football club plays its home games at Fir Park?
ANSWERS
Raising the ro ro of
Heritage organisation celebrates ceilings Feature by Ewan Hall
T
hings are looking up at English Heritage sites this month, as visitors are being invited to lie on the floor and gaze at the ceilings. During the Lie Down and Look Up campaign, guests can spend time taking in the spectacular ceilings of five historic buildings, including Belsay Hall in Northumberland, where they can admire a Greek Revival design intended to evoke the impression of an ancient temple; Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire, whose Star Chamber features 254 gold-leaf stars; and Eltham Palace in southeast London, where the Great Hall’s 15th-century oak hammerbeam roof is a remnant of the building’s Tudor architecture. With cushions available, visitors can lie back and admire the details they may otherwise have missed, including the stories of fashion, wealth and power that ceilings can reveal. For instance, at Osborne – the seaside residence of Queen Victoria on the Isle of Wight – the Durbar Room’s ornate Indian-inspired plasterwork reflects the monarch’s status as Empress of India. ‘Ceilings are often the crowning glory of an historic building,’ says Jeremy Ashbee, English Heritage head curator of properties. ‘Designed to inspire awe, they can be wonderfully distinctive.’ Yet many visitors pass beneath them not realising what they are missing about the lives of those who resided in the building. In a similar way, the truth about our own lives may get overlooked by others. They may not recognise what we have to offer or see our worth. And having our value ignored can leave us feeling isolated and forgotten. But while some may never notice the truth about us and our potential, God does. In the Bible, he reveals how he ‘does not look at the things people look at’. He says: ‘People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7 New International Version). By putting our trust in God, we can build a relationship with someone who sees the full picture. He knows our strengths, weaknesses and hidden struggles, and tells us that our worth is not determined by others but by his view of us – which is based on a love that is above anything else we could ever experience. 24 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 13
1. Sam Smith. 2. Ralph Ellison. 3. Stockholm. 4. Suranne Jones. 5. Ken Loach. 6. Motherwell.
PUZZLES Quick CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Happen again (5) 5. Money bag (5) 8. Cancel (5) 9. Tendency (5) 10. Sufficient (5) 11. Satire (5) 12. Weight-loss plan (4) 15. Sheen (6) 17. Nautical (5) 18. Rout (6) 20. Lofty (4) 25. Burial place (5) 26. Solemn promise (5) 27. Tasteless (5) 28. Twofold (5) 29. Corroded (5) 30. Roadside recess (3-2) DOWN 1. Plump (6) 2. Invent (6) 3. Wireless (5) 4. Pry (5) 5. Frolicsome (7) 6. Reiterate (6)
SUDOKU
Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9
1 6 2 5 1 8 5 3 7 1 4 3 4 5 2 3 4 9 6 7 8 6 1 3 6 3 3 2 1 4 7. Appear (6) 13. Frozen water (3) 14. Headgear (3) 15. Slack (3) 16. Mat (3) 17. Disobedient (7)
18. Medic (6) 19. Renowned (6) 21. Disgrace (6) 22. Barely (6) 23. Custom (5) 24. Insurgent (5)
M O HONEYC B Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number 1. Gas with the chemical symbol O 2. Purchased 3. Physically powerful 4. Roof of the mouth 5. Shout 6. Up to date
ANSWERS 3 9 5 2 1 8 6 4 7
Look up, down, forwards, backwards and diagonally on the grid to find these words associated with goodness
Q Z T O Z GQ N Y C R E J P F Q E A T Q R Z X F Z SMQ A D Q YWR D J MR D Q B Z SMS I U R T L A S Y D L EWQ G Q B R Z E A Y E Q Y N F J E NMC O K E V C R N C U K I O Z Y N J R Z E R N N C H A R I T Y I H E I X A G E R E F Z R G E E T R T I F T T P B F L V T GQ PM I D A A Q R YMB QO N O K F B Y S G P N R E E F X L D V V L I L C O T MB F E J H H N N PWG E N G R X Y I Q C S T O F O TWT U N D E R S T A N D I N G C QMG D Y C N E M E L C Q A MM K X K V T F I E E X G P N I P AMZ L I G L Y K G B S D F Y A Z BMO U F E Q U OQ E L S VMQ Z T T H C E H K K E X ZW I S Y Z Y D K H X E Y C K DWB F C Q C QQ Y I Q C Y S C I
1 6 4 3 7 9 5 2 8 7 8 2 6 4 5 1 3 9 5 4 1 9 8 3 7 6 2 2 7 8 1 5 6 4 9 3 9 3 6 7 2 4 8 5 1 6 5 3 8 9 7 2 1 4 4 2 7 5 3 1 9 8 6 8 1 9 4 6 2 3 7 5
HONEYCOMB 1. Oxygen. 2. Bought. 3. Strong. 4. Palate. 5. Holler. 6. Modern. QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Recur. 5. Purse. 8. Annul. 9. Trend. 10. Ample. 11. Irony. 12. Diet. 15. Lustre. 17. Naval. 18. Defeat. 20. High. 25. Grave. 26. Troth. 27. Bland. 28. Twice. 29. Rusty. 30. Lay-by. DOWN: 1. Rotund. 2. Create. 3. Radio. 4. Snoop. 5. Playful. 6. Repeat. 7. Emerge. 13. Ice. 14. Hat. 15. Lax. 16. Rug. 17. Naughty. 18. Doctor. 19. Famous. 21. Infamy. 22. Hardly. 23. Habit. 24. Rebel.
14 • WAR CRY • 24 October 2026
W RDSEARCH
ALTRUISM BENEVOLENCE CARE CHARITY CLEMENCY COMMISERATION
CONDOLENCE EMPATHY GENEROSITY GRACE HEART HUMANITY
KINDNESS LENITY MERCY SYMPATHY TENDERNESS UNDERSTANDING
SERVES 4
Zingy steaks with potato salad INGREDIENTS
METHOD
675g salad potatoes, unskinned and quartered
Preheat the grill to medium.
½ lemon, zest and juice 5tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 100g rocket leaves 2tsp capers, rinsed (optional) 2tbsp toasted pine nuts or almonds (optional) 150g fat-free yogurt 4tsp horseradish sauce 4 x 150g lean thin-cut sirloin steaks Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1tsp dried oregano 2tsp olive oil Lemon wedges, to serve
SERVES 2
For the salad, cook the potatoes in boiling water for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice, 4tbsp parsley, the rocket leaves and, if using, the capers and nuts, then toss together. Cover and set aside. Make the relish by mixing together the yogurt, horseradish sauce and remaining parsley in a small bowl. Set aside. Place the steaks on a large plate. Season with salt, pepper and oregano, then brush with the oil. Cook under the grill for 1-2 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Spoon the potato salad on to serving plates. Cut the steaks into strips and arrange over the salad. Drizzle over the relish and serve with lemon wedges.
Thai beef noodle salad INGREDIENTS
METHOD
2 lean rump or fillet steaks
Place the steaks in a shallow dish and season with pepper. Add the teriyaki sauce and sesame oil, turning to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Freshly ground black pepper 3tbsp teriyaki sauce 1tsp sesame oil 2tbsp fresh lime juice 1tbsp Thai fish sauce Handful fresh mint, chopped 100g rice noodles, cooked and cooled 8 radishes, finely sliced ½ cucumber, sliced into ribbons 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board website simplybeefandlamb.co.uk
Make a dressing by mixing the lime juice, fish sauce and mint in a small bowl. Set aside. Heat a non-stick griddle pan. Remove the steaks from the marinade and cook to taste. (For well done, cook for 6-7 minutes on each side; for medium 4-5 minutes on each side; for rare 2-3 minutes on each side.) Transfer the steaks to a warm plate and leave to rest for 1-2 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the noodles, radishes, cucumber and chilli in a large bowl and transfer to a serving plate. Slice the steaks and arrange over the noodle salad. Drizzle with the dressing, and serve immediately.
24 October 2026 • WAR CRY • 15
1 Thessalonians 5:17 (New Living Translation)