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.
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 7624
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
From the editor’s desk IT would be impossible for most parents to imagine anything worse than the death of one of their children. Thirty years ago that was the reality that faced Neville and Doreen Lawrence when their son, Stephen, was murdered in a racially motivated crime in southeast London. The obvious distress of Stephen’s family was made worse by the police investigation into the killing, which was later found by an official report to be incompetent and marred by ‘institutional racism and a failure of leadership’. The Lawrence family have never been the same since. ‘There were five of us,’ Neville says in an article in this week’s War Cry, ‘my wife and three children. And all of a sudden, I was left with two children and a wife. Then after that, I was left by myself, with nobody to talk to.’ But, despite the unimaginable pain and distress Neville has experienced, he has found a way to receive support and some comfort. ‘You can’t begin to heal until you’ve accepted what has happened,’ he says, ‘and you also have to try to find a way to continue to be you. That’s one of the reasons why I decided I had to put myself in the church, for the church to help me cope.’ In the feature Neville also explains how his faith has enabled him to forgive the people who murdered his son – something he knows he could not have done without God. He tells us, ‘If it wasn’t for the fact that I’d accepted Christianity and the things you should do, maybe I would be doing things differently,’ adding, ‘I pray every day and every night for strength.’ If someone becomes a Christian, it does not mean that they will never have to face bad things happening to them. But with their faith can come a way to deal with those situations and the strength to carry on. Whatever we face right now, God is able to help.
When you’ve read the War Cry, why not pass it on ➔ ➔ ➔
Email: warcry@salvationarmy.org.uk The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory 101 Newington Causeway London SE1 6BN 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 Julian Watchorn 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
4
2 • WAR CRY • 22 April 2023
FEATURES
3
Not what the doctor ordered Medical malpractice investigated
6 9
INFO 15 Your local Salvation Army centre
CONTENTS in ITV drama 6
A step in the right direction Shane Lynch reflects on taking part in a BBC series
9
‘Stephen was sent here for a reason’ Neville Lawrence on the 30th anniversary of his son’s murder
13 For the record Music fans celebrate Record Store Day REGULARS
4
Team Talk and War Cry World
12 Keys of the Kingdom 14 Puzzles 15 War Cry Kitchen Front-page picture: ITV