Gardeners dig deep to nurture a community
WAR CRY
1 May 2021 20p/25c
Life’s a lottery for Frank Will the shopkeeper’s gamble pay off in BBC One’s The Syndicate?
‘I’ve grieved well for my amazing wife’
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
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 7523
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 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
INFO 2 • WAR CRY • 1 May 2021
EDITOR From the editor’s desk
THIS time last year, lockdown restrictions meant that many people who had a garden were spending far more time in it than normal. Lacking anything else to do, they ensured lawns were regularly mown, flower beds were meticulously weeded and hedges were kept trimmed and tidy. People rediscovered the benefits of having even a small amount of land attached to their homes. However, there were also people who did not have a garden of their own to enjoy. They often found themselves isolated and stuck inside for much of what proved to be Europe’s warmest year on record. But, as we report in this week’s War Cry, The Salvation Army in Sale, Greater Manchester, was offering members of the community a way to escape into the outdoors. The organisation’s church had converted some land into allotments and, although it had to follow Covid guidelines, it was allowed to keep them open. ‘Even though it has been a rotten year in many respects, it has opened up this opportunity for people to come and enjoy themselves,’ Valerie Jones, a member of the church and part of the gardening community, tells us. ‘It really is a community-based place.’ Of course, gardens were popular before the coronavirus lockdown and will no doubt continue to be afterwards. Plans are already under way for this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and in this week’s issue we report on Bible Society’s plans to sponsor a garden based on the Bible’s 23rd Psalm. The Chelsea garden is part of its campaign to encourage people to create their own community gardens as a positive way of emerging from the pandemic. As we emerge from almost 14 months of the necessary restrictions on our community life, it is encouraging to see Christian groups doing what they can to maintain interactions or rebuild some of the connections that have been lost. And gardens, whether private or public, would seem the ideal place to allow communities to grow again.
CONTENTS
What is The Salvation Army?
FEATURES 3
Jackpot jeopardy
Who’ll be in the money at the end of BBC One’s
The Syndicate?
5
A real tweet
Bird lovers look forward to International Dawn
Chorus Day
6
‘My wife’s heart had stopped’
A young father’s story of bereavement
8
A blossoming project
How gardening has kept a community together
REGULARS
4 12 13 14 15
War Cry World Team Talk Keys of the Kingdom Puzzles War Cry Kitchen
6
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Front-page picture: BBC/ROLLEM PRODUCTIONS
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TELEVISION
TICKET TO FREEDOM Emily Bright follows characters’ bid to cash in on the lottery
W
HAT would you do to get your hands on a winning lottery ticket? For the characters in BBC One’s drama series The Syndicate, which reaches its finale on Tuesday (4 May), that question is no longer hypothetical. Despite the problems gambling brings to people in the real world, the characters in the programme have gone to extreme lengths to secure the jackpot for themselves. The series has followed the adventures of five broke friends working at a kennels in Yorkshire, who pooled their money to play the weekly lottery. Keeley (Katherine Rose Morley) was delighted to discover that they had got a jackpot-winning ticket. Shop owner Frank (Neil Morrissey) told her that she had won £500 and handed over cash from the till. Keeley rushed back to work to share the winnings with her friends. But all was not as it first seemed. There were no £500 winners listed on the lottery website, and Frank mysteriously went missing shortly after the transaction. Then they discovered that the winner of the £27 million jackpot was a fellow Yorkshireman. As they suspected, Frank had
Frank hits Monaco’s casinos to spend the £27 million jackpot
Millions have found forgiveness pocketed the jackpot, which they believed was rightfully theirs. He wove a web of lies to cover his tracks, faking his own death before jetting off in style to Monaco’s casinos with his muchloved Irish wolfhound, Duke. However, his lies quickly unravelled, and the group found and challenged him on the validity of his claim. But uncovering his alleged fraud has proved more challenging than expected. It can be easy to judge people like Frank for their deceitful behaviour. But the reality is that, whether serious or
trivial, we have all done the wrong thing. Some of us may feel ashamed of what we have done in the past. However, we can find freedom from our mistakes. Millions of people have found redemption and forgiveness through a relationship with God. They take heart from reading about flawed characters in the Bible who turned to God for a fresh start. One example is David, a king who made several serious and life-changing mistakes. However, he realised there was still the hope of redemption if he changed and sought the forgiveness of God. David describes God as ‘compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love’. He goes on to say that God ‘will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry for ever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve’ (Psalm 103:8-10 New Living Translation). Because of his love for us, God will forgive us for the things we have done wrong, if we ask him to. He even sent his only Son, Jesus, into the world to free us from regret and shame so we can start afresh. Trusting God is not a lottery. It is guaranteed to transform our lives for ever.
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BBC/ROLLEM PRODUCTIONS
Keeley checks her lottery ticket in Frank’s shop
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A GROUP of Christians in Myanmar pray for the future of their country, where unrest has followed a coup that took place three months ago. Open Doors, an organisation which supports Christians who are living out their faith in difficult circumstances around the world, says that communications have been few and far between since the coup but that its partners in the country have been able to let it know about the experiences of churches. It reports that, as a result of the unrest, many businesses have closed and families have been going without food and other essentials, but pastors have been distributing food packages to Christians and non-Christians. In an annual report at the beginning of the year, Open Doors ranked the country as one of the 20 most difficult places in which to be a Christian.
Charities’ concern over cost of aid cuts CHRISTIAN Aid is one of 200 charities who criticised the government’s cut to the UK’s international aid budget. Patrick Watt, the charity’s director of policy and public affairs, said that the reduction in spending ‘will carry a very heavy cost for people in poverty’. He added: ‘Cutting aid this heavily and quickly is perverse when poverty is rising and millions of people are struggling with the impacts of the pandemic.’ Christian Aid was also one of a number of faith-based organisations that had previously warned of the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. In a joint letter written to foreign secretary Dominic Raab, the organisations said that more than 8.3 million people in the country were in need of urgent assistance that could be put at risk by cuts in UK aid payments.
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A GLOBAL network of Christians have launched a prayer campaign as part of work to tackle climate change. The Climate Intercessors have been asking God to help the world reduce carbon emissions ahead of the UN’s climate change conference in Glasgow in November, according to Christianity Today. People from Asia, Europe and North America will continue to pray together monthly until then. Former missionary Lowell Bliss, who has organised the movement, said: ‘A group of us are feeling called into a type of prayer commensurate to the urgency of the climate crisis to appeal to the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of all creation that God might intervene in this hour of great threat and profound injustice.’ He is praying that God ‘grant that the nations may cut
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Actress at home (and not alone) with faith ACTRESS Catherine O’Hara told The Sunday Times Magazine that religion is ‘a good thing to give your kids’. In an interview, Catherine – who starred in the first two Home Alone films – revealed that her family are ‘practising Catholics’, and that ‘faith gives you a really basic kind of confidence that we all have a right to be alive’. Catherine also reflected on how her faith helped her as a single woman in her youth, saying: ‘I made a lot of poor dating choices … Thankfully, my Catholicism stopped things before it got bad.’
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their carbon emissions by half by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050’. The campaign includes leaders from A Rocha International, a nature conservation organisation, and Tearfund, a charity that tackles poverty overseas. Climate action is an integral part of A Rocha’s work. It protects tropical forests, which play an important role in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, and undertakes climate change-related research. Tearfund has its own campaign, Reboot, which provides resources to help Christians take action against climate change. The Glasgow conference, COP26, is said to be important because scientists have warned that the window for making a change to avoid the worst global impacts of climate change is quickly closing.
FEATURE
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Bible to bloom at Chelsea THE RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year will include a garden based on the Bible’s Psalm 23. The garden, created by award-winning designer Sarah Eberle, is sponsored by Bible Society, which is running a campaign to encourage people to create their own community gardens based on the psalm ‘as a positive way of emerging from the pandemic’. Last year, as the UK first went into lockdown, St Mary’s Church in Tadley, Hampshire, created a Psalm 23 garden as part of the initiative. The Rev Gill Sakakini, who leads the church, said that since then, the garden has become ‘a focal point for the community’. Bible Society has released a guide and video with gardening tips, an order of service and mindfulness reflections to help others create similar spaces. Bible Society’s CEO, Paul Williams, said: ‘Psalm 23 was written some 3,000 years ago, but it could have been written last week for us living through the pandemic. The psalm paints a vivid picture of the restfulness of creation, of our experience of journeying under the shadow of death, but also of the promise of a place of arrival that is a beautiful sanctuary.’
Catching the early bird Linda McTurk discovers why some people will be waking up at dawn
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ERE’S a wake-up call for tomorrow: Sunday 2 May is International Dawn Chorus Day, when thousands of people will climb out of bed in the early hours to hear the songs of the birds in their neighbourhood. During last year’s Dawn Chorus Day, as the UK remained in lockdown, the RSPB held a virtual event on Facebook. An estimated 2,500 people got up early for it. Some shared their experiences on social media using the RSPB’s hashtag #BreakfastBirdwatch. This year, as restrictions lift in many parts of the UK, people will be able to head out into parks and nature reserves to enjoy songs by birds such as the robin, thrush and blackbird. ‘There are a lot of songbirds in the UK, which is a joy,’ says Melita DayLewis from York, who enjoys observing birds as a hobby. ‘Blackbirds are my favourite. They’ve got this beautiful, lyrical wobble, and it’s very distinctive.’ Melita says that, ever since she was about seven years old, birds have given her ‘a sense of wonder’. While she was growing up in South Africa, her family would take wildlife trips to watch and listen to them. Decades later, she still enjoys listening to birdsong, saying: ‘It causes my heart to soar.’ Through the centuries, many people have found birds captivating, and the imagery of birds can be spotted in ancient writings. Those writings include the Bible, which depicts the soaring of eagles as well as the seeming insignificance of other birds. Jesus spoke of how sparrows were sold for the small price of two for a penny and yet not even one of them could fall to the ground without God knowing and caring about it. And he emphasised that each individual person is ‘worth more than many sparrows’ (Matthew 10:31 New International Version). It does not matter who we are or what we have done in the past, God considers us all to be precious. He knows and cares about every detail of our lives. Whatever time of the day it is, that is certainly a truth worth tweeting about.
Listening to birdsong causes my heart to soar
1 May 2021 • WAR CRY • 5
‘Grief is about dealing JONATHAN PITTS tells his story of parenthood as a widower to Emily Bright
‘W
YNTER was an amazing woman, but as human as they come,’ Jonathan Pitts recalls of his wife of 15 years. ‘She was a dreamer, and a lot of her dreams came to fruition. She knew what she wanted to do, like the magazine that she launched, For Girls Like You, and the way she mothered our four girls. I feel like her dreams were inspired by God.’ After a fruitless search for Christian resources for their oldest daughter, sevenyear-old Alena, Wynter felt inspired to create her own pamphlet. Featuring topics such as faith, entertainment and fashion, For Girls Like You blossomed into a magazine which now has 5,000 subscribers worldwide. Wynter also authored eight books. On 24 July 2018, the family was about to embark on a new chapter. They were soon to move to Nashville, Tennessee. Jonathan was finishing his last week as a pastor in Texas, and his family were staying at his wife’s cousin’s house. ‘Wynter texted me to say that she felt sick,’ says Jonathan. ‘But when I got home, my sister-in-law, her two daughters, Wynter and three of my daughters were on the couch, doing each other’s hair and playing a game. They were happy – Wynter was laughing. ‘She lay down for her daily nap while the girls and I ate ribs for dinner. After, I went into the bedroom to floss my teeth. She was still lying down. As I walked out, Wynter sat up, and then she fell over in this awkward way. I knew something was wrong, and I rushed over to the bed. Her heart had stopped. ‘She had cardiac dysrhythmia, where the heart goes off rhythm. The next 30 minutes or so, as I called the paramedics and
6 • WAR CRY • 1 May 2021
INTERVIEW
with a new reality’
Wynter and Jonathan Pitts with their daughters checked for life with my three youngest girls there, were some of the most traumatic of my life.’ After being rushed to hospital in an ambulance, Wynter passed away. While Jonathan grappled with his own grief, he had to deliver the heart-wrenching news to his daughters. ‘I didn’t have a ton of words,’ he recalls. ‘The only thing that I could tell them that made any sense and that I trusted was: “Mommy went home to be with Jesus.” Then we sang “Good Good Father” by Chris Tomlin. We’ve been singing to God ever since.’ In My Wynter Season, a book about his bereavement, Jonathan recalls how he and his daughters discovered God’s love in the people that surrounded them. He tells me: ‘In the Bible, Psalm 34:7 says, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him and he rescues them.” I would say that my story from the moment from when Wynter died was that God encamped around us, from the family that showed up at the hospital to our church family who surrounded
us. The Lord was near to me in my brokenheartedness.’ In the wake of Wynter’s death, Jonathan pushed himself to continue his wife’s legacy and be the best possible dad to his girls. ‘It would only be through a lot of heartache that I allowed myself to properly grieve,’ he says. ‘Grief is about dealing with those lost expectations and the new reality – I thought I’d have 50 years with Wynter, and instead I got 15.’ His attitude towards grief shifted after hearing a new take on an Old Testament story. ‘The day before Wynter’s funeral,’ he says, ‘I was listening to a sermon on the Bible passage where Jacob buries his wife Rachel. Jacob took time to set a memorial in memory of his wife before he moved on. ‘Writing this book was about remembering who Wynter was and the story that God had written in our lives together. It’s a memorial to her, and I’m marking the moment. And now I’m moving on in life. Jacob had to move on because he had a job to do in looking after his sons,
It’s important to turn to God in our desperation
and I’ve got these four girls to lead. I think I’ve grieved as prayerfully and well as I can.’ Jonathan explains why, as a Christian, he sees grief as so important. ‘When we don’t enter into grief and bereavement, we’re almost saying we can do it ourselves. And it’s actually a place where we become resistant to God and to who he wants to be to us in those times. It’s important to turn to him in our desperation.’ Despite the pain of bereavement, Jonathan does not harbour resentment towards God, but instead focuses on his thankfulness for the time that he did have with Wynter. ‘I didn’t deserve Wynter, yet God gave me the most beautiful gift out of nowhere, and I want to acknowledge that.’ l My Wynter Season is published by Harvest House
1 May 2021 • WAR CRY • 7
To mark National Gardening Week, which comes to an end tomorrow (Sunday 2 May), Sarah Olowofoyeku learns about a garden and allotment site that has been a community lifeline throughout the coronavirus pandemic
Plot A
SEED of an idea was planted in Rachel Steward’s mind as she listened to a talk at a conference a few months into her role as community manager at the Salvation Army church in Sale, Greater Manchester. A young leader was speaking about an allotment space that his church had created. ‘I was engrossed in what he had to say, and I felt immediately that we had to do the same,’ says Rachel. ‘We already had land, and it was a massive opportunity for us to engage with the community.’ Rachel put the idea to her church leaders, who told her that she could do it, but she needed to find the funding. ‘Fortunately, I knew the local councillor,’ she says, ‘and he told me about funding that the council runs twice a year. We had to put in a bid, which meant I had to present my case to a room packed full of people, which was daunting. But I did the presentation and demonstrated how we wanted to achieve a connection with the community. ‘People from the community voted, and we were successful. We got £11,000, which is what we needed to get it started. We only had a paddock to work with, so there was a lot of groundwork that needed to be done.’ Members of the church got stuck in, and soon further help arrived. ‘We were sent a coachload of men who were on community service. They did all the ground prep and digging over, and we connected with two people from that straightaway. One went on to be our gardener for a few 8 • WAR CRY • 1 May 2021
FEATURE
connections years, and the other was an artist by trade, so he helped to paint the mural on the garage wall with a lady from our church. ‘Within weeks of the garden starting, those connections began, and I just knew that it had a purpose and was God-driven. Plots were snapped up by residents and a few people at the church.’ Although the green-fingered community members have been enjoying the garden for eight years, it has become even more significant for them during the coronavirus lockdowns. ‘We’re blessed that we’ve not been told to shut the gardens,’ says Rachel. ‘They have been a lifeline for many people. Some already had a plot, and others took on plots during lockdown. We also have Salvation Army housing association flats next door to our building, with mostly elderly residents who live on their own, so they’ve had the opportunity to walk across into the garden to have somewhere else to sit. It has all been done securely and safely. There are never loads of people in at one time, because it’s open whenever you want to go.’ Most of Sale Salvation Army’s other community activities have had to be stopped since the pandemic hit. ‘Practically and physically there have been huge challenges,’ says Rachel. ‘We have a charity shop and – when we have been allowed to open – it has been difficult because we’ve had to stop doing the things that were natural to us, such as welcoming people. ‘The shop had a seating area where in the past we would offer people a cup of tea, free of charge, giving them an opportunity to sit down, not feel pressured
Rachel Steward, community manager at Sale Salvation Army
into buying anything, and have a chat. We can’t do that now. We had to measure the square footage of the shop, which meant that only so many people were allowed in at one time, so it was difficult to have long conversations with people when they just wanted to offload, because we were conscious that people were queueing outside. But our volunteers still care for people – you can’t take that away because of Covid.’ The past year has been challenging for Rachel. ‘It has been quite lonely,’ she says. ‘I’m community manager, which usually means I’m with people all the time, so it has been odd doing a desk-based job –
The gardens have been a lifeline
lots of preparation behind the scenes with risk assessments, but not actually doing the community element. ‘I’ve got through it one day at a time, and with a lot of prayer. God has never promised that we won’t go through turbulent times, but he has always promised that he will be in the storm with us, and that after the storm, calmness will come. I’ve tried to remain positive throughout, and see it as an opportunity to refocus and assess what we have been doing.’ Another positive for Rachel is the new service that she and her team were able to offer when they had to close their older
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From page 9 people’s lunch club. ‘We have run a delivery service instead,’ she says. ‘We brought back our chef, who was on furlough, and we now deliver meals to approximately 50 people every week. It has meant that we can keep some contact with our elderly folk. A lot of them do have family and neighbour support, but a significant number don’t. So it gives us a chance to have a conversation on the doorstep with them once a week. It’s lovely that we have been able to continue those connections.’ As lockdown eases, The Salvation Army in Sale will be able to restart some of its programmes, and begin new ways of reaching out to the community. At Easter, the church held its first service since lockdown – in the car park next to the garden. ‘We were able to enjoy being in the presence of each other and God at what 10 • WAR CRY • 1 May 2021
is the most important time of the year for us,’ says Rachel. ‘The sun shone, which was a bonus. Also we get a lot of people out walking who cut across the car park and a lot of them just stood and listened. That included two new guys from the garden, who chose to stay for the whole service before they carried on to do their gardening.’ Preaching to plot holders in the allotments, though, isn’t the usual practice. ‘The most important thing we show to people who don’t go to the church is friendship,’ says Valerie Jones, a member of the congregation and part of the gardening community. ‘There’s a mixture of us: eight who belong to or have connections with The Salvation Army and
another six who don’t. They know what The Salvation Army is, what we stand for and that we are a Christian church, but we are inclusive and show them warmth.’ Through that warmth and the friendliness of all the people with plots, a community has flourished. And over the past year people have made good use of the site, says Valerie. ‘We had reached a point before Covid where some people had given up, so the plots became a bit wild. We were wondering if we could carry on like this. But then Covid came, and people were desperately wanting to do things. ‘Two young women – a schoolteacher and a music teacher – said they’d like
We’ve managed to keep in touch with people who otherwise would’ve been lonely
FEATURE
Ellie (far left), Andres, and Lizzie and her daughter Sophia are part of the allotment community
Members of the Whatsapp group have expressed what the space means to them. Georgina It gives me a sense of purpose and is my place of peace. Alison It’s a godsend in every way. Sheila It’s a haven to visit during these difficult times. Valerie Jones enjoys her time in the gardens
to have a go. Then two elderly ladies wanted something to do, so we gave them some raised beds. A single mum got a raised bed for her and her daughter. And then a young man, who lives round the corner with his partner, came round to have a look. We didn’t have anything spare, but we said if he put in the elbow grease, he could dig up some of the grass. So he and his partner did that and they’ve taken on other responsibilities. ‘It really is a community-based place. People are friendly with each other, help one another and share seeds. Even though it has been a rotten year in many respects, it has opened up this opportunity for people to come and enjoy themselves. ‘The garden is a large space, the size of two football pitches. So people can stand apart. Last year, we had a
Bea We all need solace some time in our lives and the wonderful thing is we created it.
The gardeners share photos and keep in contact via a Whatsapp group
beautiful early spring and a warm summer, and people were rejoicing in their gardens. It was lovely to see. People have grown closer together and supported one another.’ The gardeners have a Whatsapp group, where they keep each other informed. ‘One of our elderly ladies broke a bone in her leg and wasn’t able to get out, so one of the young guys has been sending her pictures on Whatsapp to show her how her plot is coming on.’
The garden and allotment site has been significant for all its users over the past year. Valerie says: ‘It has been very special for me and my husband, David, because we’ve managed to keep in touch with people who otherwise would’ve been lonely. It has been lovely to have new friends, and to feel that out of that blank piece of grass, so much has come.’ Valerie enjoys gardening herself. ‘It’s a joy when you can see the fruit of what you do. Spiritually, it makes you realise that life still goes on, regardless. At the early stages of lockdown, we’d think, “What is going to come from this?” but then you’d look out the window and see that there’s new life on the trees, bulbs still coming up and flowers still blooming, and remember everything happens in its season. It brings home that all things will come right, you just have to trust that God is in charge, and keep faith and hope.’ 1 May 2021 • WAR CRY • 11
EXPLORE
Prayerlink YOUR prayers are requested for Raymond, that he will be blessed and protected. 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.
talk ‘ ’ Team talk TEAM TALK Saying sorry is in a league of its own
Claire Brine gives her take on a story catching the attention of War Cry reporters
FOR a brief moment, football fans across England were united. When it was announced that six of the country’s biggest clubs were joining a European Super League (from which they could never be relegated), supporters took to the streets to express their outrage. This wasn’t the beautiful game they recognised. Days of backlash later, the six clubs withdrew from the proposed league, and fans were quick to celebrate their victory. ‘We saved football,’ chanted Chelsea supporters at the club’s ground, Stamford Bridge. They certainly made a difference to the result. According to statements from the teams themselves, the fans’ opinions mattered. Chelsea announced its decision to withdraw after recognising that it ‘would not be in the best interests of … our supporters or the wider football community’. Tottenham Hotspur thanked fans for presenting their ‘considered opinions’, while Liverpool owner John Henry released a video statement saying sorry to supporters for the disruption he had caused. All six club owners have expressed their regret for signing their teams up to a league that the fans didn’t want, though only time will tell whether their apologies are accepted or were genuine. Are the owners sorry enough to change the way they do business in the future? Loyal fans have yet to find out. Though stories about football rarely grab my attention, the idea that people should apologise when they get things wrong – both on and off the pitch – has my full support. Saying sorry matters. I think that when we acknowledge our failings openly, it marks the start of us facing up to where we could do better. And often that prompts a desire for change. I also think that it’s important to hear an apology. When someone says sorry for hurting us and means it, we feel that our pain has been recognised and understood. We also have the choice of accepting an apology and forgiving, which can sometimes pave the way for our rebuilding a damaged relationship or making a fresh start. Though saying sorry can be difficult, there are times when we all need to do it. I hope we don’t miss our chance.
It’s important to hear an apology
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
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Contact details of a Salvation Army minister Name Address Extract from Why Jesus? by Nicky Gumbel published by Alpha International, 2011. Used by kind permission of Alpha International
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EXPRESSIONS
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QUICK QUIZ 1
To which city are Dorothy and her friends travelling in the film The Wizard of Oz?
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Charlene White, Judi Love, Brenda Edwards and Kelle Bryan are panellists on which daytime TV show?
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Gnasher is the pet dog of which character in the Beano comics? Which 19th-century author wrote the stories Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow?
What is the name of the Unesco world heritage site in Co Antrim that consists of 40,000 interlocking basalt columns? British middle-distance runner Kelly Holmes won two gold medals during the Olympic Games held in which city? ANSWERS
In this occasional series, Nigel Bovey unlocks the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, which Jesus speaks to his disciples about in Matthew’s Gospel
The seed of the Kingdom A
STORY about a farmer sowing seeds is the first parable that Jesus tells to help his listeners understand the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a tale about the ways in which people receive the news of the Kingdom. As the farmer scatters the seed by hand, some falls on the path – hard, trodden-down earth – where, because it cannot take root, it is eaten by birds. Some seed falls on rocky ground, where the roots cannot go deep: the seedlings are shrivelled in the sun and die. Some seed falls on fertile ground but, having grown, is strangled by thorn bushes. Other seed falls on uncluttered, fertile soil, takes root and produces a crop which is 30, 60 or 100 times greater than what was originally sown. In his explanation of the meaning of the story, Jesus says that the seed is ‘the message about the Kingdom’ (Matthew 13:19 New International Version). He likens the hard ground of the path to people who, The seedlings although they hear the message, do are shrivelled in not understand it and have it taken from them by ‘the evil one’. the sun and die away These are hard-hearted people who have no place for God. The rocky ground is like those people who, when they hear about the Kingdom, are initially enthusiastic. But as soon as opposition comes because of their new-found faith, they give it up. These are people who, when it comes to God, are superficial. The thorn-filled ground represents those people who respond to news of the Kingdom and start to develop a spiritual life but then get overtaken with ‘the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth’ (13:22). Such concerns take priority and their relationship with God fails. These are people who allow their faith to be compromised. The good soil is those people who hear the message of the Kingdom and understand it. As they allow it to take root in every aspect of their life, they become fruitful, producing seed for further sowing. These are people whose lives are enriched and blossom through their lived-out faith in Jesus.
1 May 2021 • WAR CRY • 13
1. The Emerald City. 2. Loose Women. 3. Dennis the Menace. 4. Washington Irving. 5. The Giant’s Causeway. 6. Athens.
CROSSWORD CROSSWORD PUZZLES
QUICK CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1. Rushing (7) 5. Lazy person (5) 7. Shelter (7) 8. Comical (5) 10. Give something temporarily (4) 11. Illustrious (8) 13. Complied (6) 14. Full-grown (6) 17. Hugged (8)
19. Slip (4) 21. Whinny (5) 22. Study of rocks (7) 23. Belief (5) 24. Cultured (7)
DOWN 2. Unusual (7) 3. Metal (4) 4. Waist belt (6)
5. Casual (8) 6. Dialect (5) 7. All Hallows’ Eve (9) 9. Day before today (9) 12. Separate (8) 15. Anonymous (7) 16. Union (6) 18. Inducement (5) 20. Cover (4)
SUDOKU Fill the grid so that every column, every row and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 to 9
HONEYCOMB HONEYCOMB
5
8
Each solution starts on the coloured cell and reads clockwise round the number
ANSWERS
1 2 3
ORDSEARCH ORDSEARCH ORDSEARCH ORDSEARCH ORDSEARCH
1. Monetary unit of America 2. Use something with the intention of returning it 3. Sausage in a bread roll (3, 3) 4. Book of financial accounts 5. Small notebook 6. Suffering from decay
WORDSEARCH BIG SOCIETY
CARBON FOOTPRINT CARBON-NEUTRAL
CLIMATE EMERGENCY CREDIT CRUNCH LOCKDOWN
OMNISHAMBLES PODCAST
POST-TRUTH SELFIE
SIMPLES
SQUEEZED MIDDLE SUDOKU
QUICK CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1. Dashing. 5. Idler. 7. Harbour. 8. Funny. 10. Lend. 11. Glorious. 13. Obeyed. 14. Mature. 17. Embraced. 19. Skid. 21. Neigh. 22. Geology. 23. Creed. 24. Refined. DOWN: 2. Strange. 3. Iron. 4. Girdle. 5. Informal. 6. Lingo. 7. Hallowe’en. 9. Yesterday. 12. Detached. 15. Unknown. 16. Merger. 18. Bribe. 20. Roof. HONEYCOMB 1. Dollar. 2. Borrow. 3. Hot dog. 4. Ledger. 5. Jotter. 6. Rotten
4 8 6 1 9 2 3 7 5
5 2 9 3 7 4 1 8 6
3 1 7 5 6 8 4 9 2
2 3 4 9 1 6 7 5 8
8 6 1 7 2 5 9 3 4
9 7 5 8 4 3 2 6 1
7 5 8 4 3 1 6 2 9
1 9 2 6 5 7 8 4 3
6 4 3 2 8 9 5 1 7
SUDOKU SOLUTION
YOUTHQUAKE
6 2
5 7 9 2 6 1
3
14 • WAR CRY • 1 May 2021
2 7 1 3 9 4 1 5 3 7 2 6 3 5 9 7 9 2 8 6 1 6 2 1 3
Look up, down, forwards, backwards
4 and 5 diagonally 3 2 8on 9the grid 7 to 1 find 6 8 these 2 1popular 3 6words 7 of5the921st4century 6 9 7 4 1 5 8 2 3 L S Z W H Q U H D V W W Z V G N G M 1 3 5 T R U T H Q E H Z Y 9 7 8 4 6 2 S Q E P P O S T R V M L U M Q C Y W B P Z U L H Q U 9 7 6 1 2 4 3 5 8 K M Q Z F N C L L Z P Q T A J T Q O 2 I 4B I 8 G S O C 6 5 3I E T Y P A 1 7 9 A Q Z E T P H C T B S E M N Z K S I V Z A Q U 3 1 4 7 9 2 6 8 5 Z S R A G H U A R Q U K H P L T I K 7 8 9 5 3 6 2 4 1 H E E I L A R T U E N N O B R A C O E L D D I M D E Z E E U Q S W X Z D 5 6 2 8 4 1 9 3 7
Z P I A T B U E K A U Q H T U O Y U G M T F H L T M U Q C V T Z H L H S B I C L Y E S E Z L F O Y A O X D H H S R R C S A R Z N P G I C M K Q V F J U Z A C C G R H J Z K K J Y Y R M Y N R L C D E Q Z G D H K V P S J A K C A R B O N F O O T P R I N T E H T H Z H X P C Y W R J X D S X B L J A D X E G S Y N K P C H F W R H I
2 3
1
8 9
D Chicken and vegetable parcels Ingredients
Method
4 uncooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Cut 4 square pieces of greaseproof paper, about 30cm each. Place a chicken breast on each of the squares.
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced
Mix the spring onions, carrot and courgette together in a bowl and place an equal portion on top of each piece of chicken. Sprinkle each portion with some of the five-spice, ground ginger and soy sauce. Season with a pinch of pepper.
1 carrot, finely sliced 1 courgette, finely sliced 1tsp Chinese five-spice 1tsp ground ginger 2tsp reduced-salt soy sauce Ground black pepper 300g noodles SERVES
4
Spicy chicken and salad wrap Ingredients
Method
1tbsp low-fat Greek-style yoghurt
Mix the yoghurt, curry powder and a large pinch of chilli powder in a bowl, to taste. Add the chicken and mix well.
¼ tsp curry powder Chilli powder 85g cooked chicken breast, chopped into small pieces 1 large wholemeal tortilla wrap 2tbsp shredded lettuce 3 cucumber slices, chopped 1/4 pepper, chopped
Fold each piece of greaseproof paper to wrap the chicken and create a parcel. Place the parcels in a steamer with water, then cover and steam for 35-40 minutes. Check that the chicken is properly cooked by unwrapping a parcel and inserting a sharp knife into the thickest part. The juices should run clear with no traces of pink. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Once ready, serve the chicken and vegetable parcels with a side of noodles.
Spread the chicken mixture on the wrap, then add the lettuce, cucumber and pepper on top. Fold the wrap in half, to keep the filling in, then roll and cut in half. Serve for lunch with fruit slices, a healthy snack, such as homemade popcorn, and a juice drink with no added sugar.
SERVES
1
Recipes reprinted, with permission, from the Public Health England website nhs.uk/change4life
1 May 2021 • WAR CRY • 15
When we are going through storms, we can know THAT Jesus is by our side Former Wales rugby international Byron Hayward
WAR CRY