2 April 2011 Page 8salvationarmy.org.uk/warcry

YOUR LIFE

ITV

IllusionistChris Gidneytalks showbiz

LIFE-AND-DEATH situationsare everyday occurrencesfor gifted neurosurgeonGabriel Monroe.

He knows he’s good at what he does.But he also knows that a slip of thescalpel can have catastrophic conse-quences such as permanent brain damageor paralysis. The success or failure ofeach delicate procedure depends on hismaking the right decisions – and knowingwhen nature has to be allowed to take itscourse.

That’s the backdrop to ITV1’s hospitaldrama series Monroe, which focuses on thelives of staff and patients at St Matthew’s

Turn to page 3

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENTWar Cry

Est 1879No 7007THE

FIGHTING FOR HEARTS AND SOULS20p/25c

IN

TV SURGEON IS A CUTABOVE writes ROSEMARY DAWSON

James Nesbittas Gabriel

Monroe

HISHANDS

THE Government has said that an Actprotecting poor countries from ‘vulturefunds’ is to become a permanent law.

The Debt Relief (DevelopingCountries) Act was passed last year, butwith a 12-month ‘sunset clause’ which

was set to expire inJune.

The legislation wasdesigned to stopinvestment companiesbuying the defaulteddebts of poor countries

cheaply and then taking the countries tocourt to recover their full value. It wasintroduced as a Private Member’s Bill byLabour MP Andrew Gwynne and wassupported by Jubilee Debt Campaign, acoalition, including Christianorganisations, which demands thecancellation of unpayable, unjust debt.

In the House of Commons, ExchequerSecretary David Gauke responded to aquestion from Mr Gwynne by sayingthat the law ‘will be put on a permanentfooting’.

Making his first visit to themountain bike venue, Lord Coetold The War Cry that the contri-bution of the Salvation Armytrainees to the venue was the kindof community participation thatwas ‘absolutely central to why webid for the Olympics’. He said:‘The real importance in the bidwas to engage communities andpeople of all abilities to be a partof the Games.’

Anthony Houchin, one of thetrainees who worked on the infor-mation board, explained that ittook about three weeks to make.He said: ‘I am very pleased withhow it turned out.’

Another trainee who made theboard, Terry Jeffrey, said: ‘It’sexciting to see it in place. It’s beengood to come out and see it now

that it’s done.’As well as carpentry, the

Salvation Army complex trainspeople in skills such as plastering,brickwork, painting and decorat-ing, IT, catering and horticulture.

Shelley Carter, the manager ofthe employment training centre,

said: ‘Initially it was just anotherjob for the trainees, until todaywhen they’ve been able to comeand see it in situ and be part of thissuperb occasion.

‘I’m always proud of thetrainees and the items they pro-duce.’

The War Cry 2 April 20112 NEWS

‘Vulture fund’ law is tobecome permanent

Trainees keep Olympicspirit on course

POOR COUNTRIES TO BE PROTECTEDPA

MEDIA/COMMENTp6

GARDENINGp7

PUZZLESp12

INNER LIFEp13

FOOD FOR THOUGHTp14

RECIPESp15

PLUS

THISISSUE:

� SALVATION Army teams in Japan have continued toprovide vital supplies of food and water to people in

Sendai and Yabuki-cho who have been affected by theearthquake and tsunami. Both areas are nearFukushima but outside the exclusion zone whichwas set up round its nuclear power plant.

SEBASTIAN COE helped trainees at a Salvation Armyemployment centre to put the finishing touches to a view-ing area when he visited the newly completed mountainbike venue for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The trainees from Hadleigh Employment Training Centre, which teachesskills and aids the personal development of people with special needs,showed Lord Coe the information stand they had created for the mountainbike course. The course is on farmland owned by The Salvation Army.

Lord Coe, chair of the London Organising Committee of the OlympicGames and Paralympic Games, joined the trainees in putting the last spadesof soil round its base.

The stand was produced in the carpentry department of the training centre at the request of the Olympic organisers.

Lord Coe looks atthe information

board with traineeZoe Chapman

Destructionin Sendai

COE PRAISES SALVATION ARMY CONTRIBUTION

TEAMS SUPPLY FOOD IN QUAKE ZONE

PH

ILIP H

ALC

RO

W

NICE PAD?p16

HOW FORGIVENESS

PLAYS OUTp4

PA photo

of destruction

in Sendai

2 April 2011 The War Cry 3

ITV

Hospital, where Monroe (James Nesbitt) isteamed with anaesthetist Dr Lawrence Shepherd(Tom Riley).

‘The brain contains our unique humanity,’Monroe tells his students. ‘It’s the complicatedpart of us that contains our personality.’

Monroe is on top of his game at work. He isempathetic with patients and their relatives.

But it’s a different story at home, where thestresses of neurosurgery have taken their toll onhis personal life. His wife has left him. She can’tforgive him for finding comfort in a brief affair

after their teenage daughter died on theoperating table from a brain tumour.

Monroe finds himself alone ina house full of memories hedoesn’t want to face up to.Neither is he ready to sell thehome that he shared with hisdaughter. He’s good at helpingother people sort out theirlives, but his own is a mess.

Monroe’s traumatic experi-ence of bereavement gives

him an insightful bed-side manner and theability to understandpeople’s feelings. Hedoesn’t hold back fromtelling them the truth –good or bad – and triesto give hope to those

whose quality of lifedepends on the skill of hishands.

When speaking aboutpatients he advises relatives:‘Just tell them that you love them. It’s what they needto get through this.’ And

when surgery is successful, heacknowledges their profusegratitude by saying: ‘I’m goodat this.’

When our life isn’t in thebest shape – when it’s down-right difficult, depressing andlonely – we can recall that Godis good at his job too. Heunderstands how we feel,because he has been throughsuffering and pain.

Since the world began, Godhas never stopped tellinghumankind that he loves them.And he demonstrated it by

keeping a cen-turies-old promise,and sending hisSon, Jesus, to die inour place on thecross.

One of Jesus’followers recog-nised the depth ofGod’s love when hesaid: ‘God showedhis love by sendinghis only Son intothe world, so thatwe might have lifethrough him’ (1John 4:9 GoodNews Bible).

Knowing that God loves uscan be the starting point to get-ting through life’s difficulties.It won’t make our problemsmagically disappear, but it willmake a difference to how wecope with them.

Are we willing to put ourlife into his hands?

Godunderstandshow we feel,because hehas beenthroughsuffering andpain

From page 1

He’s good at helping otherpeople sort out their lives, but

his own is a mess

Gabriel Monroe (James Nesbitt)with anaesthetist LawrenceShepherd (Tom Riley)

The War Cry 2 April 20114

PH

ILIP

HA

LCR

OW

TOM UNDERWOOD askedpeople to tell him about theirexperiences of violence. Amongthose he listened to were Brighton bomber Pat Mageeand Holocaust survivor Steven Frank. Then he questioned his interviewees on their views of forgiveness. He turned their responses into the play, After Violence

ICAME up with the idea for my play after read-ing Desmond Tutu’s book No Future WithoutForgiveness. I feel that it is easy for people to

have a superficial understanding of forgiveness andnot quite understand the complexities of it. I wantedto consider the subject further through creating a piece of theatre.

I chose to present my play in the style of verbatim theatre –that is, I recorded interviews with people and transcribed their

I asked somevictims ofapartheid: ‘What do you thinkforgiveness is?’

responses. Then I edited the words,leaving me with a complete play. Itwas performed at St Ethelburga’sCentre for Reconciliation and Peacein London last month.

To begin with I spoke with anyonewho would talk to me. I spoke to a guy who was left disabled after a hit-and-run car accident. Then I contacted charities such as theForgiveness Project. They helped mefind more people to talk to. I visitedNorthern Ireland and spoke to people

TomUnderwood

Actors Peter Bray and Adetomiwa Edun read through a scene before the play’s performance

2 April 2011 The War Cry 5

about their experiences of BloodySunday. I went to South Africa and listened as people told me aboutwhat happened to them duringapartheid.

Iremember attending a meeting of the Khulumani Support Group in

South Africa. The group exists for victims of gross human rights abusesduring apartheid. I asked the members:‘What do you think forgiveness is?’

There was silence. I asked again. Eventually, one woman put up her

hand and told me that her son had disap-peared and that she never found outwhat happened to him.

She started to weep, then she wailedand shouted. Soon almost everyone inthe room put up their hands, reportingsimilar stories. They asked how theycould possibly forgive, because in manyways their situations hadn’t changed.They still lived in poverty.

After several conversations, I becameaware that people have different ideasabout forgiveness and what it means.Their answers made me refine my own.I began to see forgiveness as a spectrumof responses.

To begin with, forgiveness may meanthat a person simply does not takerevenge on someone whohas wronged them. After awhile they may be able to letgo of feelings of hatred and bit-terness. Only towards the end ofthe process they may be able to say:‘I wish that person well.’

I see forgiveness as an ongoing jour-ney rather than a one-off event.

I want my play to address the miscon-ceptions that people may have about forgiveness. Some believe that if theyforgive someone, they are ignoring orexcusing evil, but I don’t see it that way.By saying ‘I forgive you’, a person isacknowledging that something has gonewrong.

Sometimes forgiveness includes reconciliation, but that is not alwayspossible. If a woman is in an abusiverelationship with her husband and leaveshim, she may feel able to forgive him –but if she remains in danger, it is not agood idea to go back into that situation.The most important thing is that peopleare always safe.

I am a Christian. I also find the con-cept of forgiveness incredibly difficult.Thank God I haven’t been through thesame horrible situations as my intervie-wees, but I have certainly been hurt bypeople. It is hard to forgive.

That’s why I try to look to Jesus as myexample. He had a message to get acrossto people but he didn’t convey it throughviolent coercion. He was peaceful.

Forgiveness is necessaryin everyday life as well

as in bigger situations.Couples are unlikely to getvery far in their marriage ifthey are not prepared to for-give each other.

The act of forgiveness isalso good for a person’shealth. People who hold onto resentment often end uphaving higher blood pres-sure or strained relation-ships with others.

Through my play, I wantto show audiences that thereis an option available tothem other than continuingthe cycle of violence. Quiteoften today’s films are aboutrevenge, such as the Oscar-

nominated True Grit. Peoplewatching it may see that revenge

is wrong, but no alternative action isshown. I wanted to portray the notionof forgiveness as another veryachievable possibility.

�Tom was talking to Claire Brine

takes a look at the act

of

Actor Robert Benfieldreads the words ofvictims of violence,including Holocaust survivor Steven Frank and Iraq hostageNorman Kember

Forgivenessis an ongoingjourney rather than a one-off event

A NUN spoke on Radio 4’s Midweek about hercommunity’s decision to offer retreats online.

Dame Catherine of the Benedictine Nuns ofHoly Trinity Monastery, East Hendred, toldpresenter Libby Purves:‘We’re a small commu-nity and we don’t havea great deal of money,but hospitality and wel-coming people is a veryimportant value in theRule of St Benedict …We haven’t got theaccommodation but wecan do somethingonline, because withvery busy lives, peoplecan’t always get away.’

When asked aboutwhether people cangenuinely make retreatsvia email and Skype,Dame Catherine insist-ed that online retreatswere not just quick,undemanding doses ofspirituality.

‘We can only providesome of the circum-stances [of a retreat],’she said, ‘but you’ve gotto make the retreat,you’ve got to be com-mitted.’

The War Cry 2 April 20116 MEDIA

Comment

THE War Cry stands corrected.Addressing the subject of the2011 Census question aboutfaith, the Comment in the 19March issue (‘Sense us’) arguedthat the way the media portraysChristianity and Christians doesnot suggest respect.

While the supporting statement‘drama dialogues are punctuated withprofanities’ went unchallenged, War Cryreaders have been swift to question the assertion that ‘no TV soap has a feet-on-the-ground, doing-their-bestChristian’.

One reader writes: ‘In CoronationStreet, Emily Bishop has always claimedto be a Christian and does her best tolive as one.’

Emily does indeed take her faith seriously. When, for example, she discovered that lodger Ed killed her firsthusband Ernest, she struggled but eventually forgave him.

Then, points out another reader,there’s EastEnder Dot Branning: ‘Shehas always been a sound Christian. Sheapplies her faith when confrontingneighbours and quotes relevantScripture – chapter and verse – whenscolding or advising. She is honest,trustworthy, dependable, loving, forgiv-ing and utterly trusting God.’

Dot is also known as a gossiping,chain-smoking, hypochondriac worrier,so does this make her a bad person?

A bigger question, though, than ‘Whatimage do TV scriptwriters have ofChristians?’ is: ‘What is a Christian?’

Spouting the Bible, praying, going tochurch, giving up things for Lent, being agood Samaritan and ‘doing the Christianthing’ do not make a person a Christian.

Being a Christian is based on repentance and faith. It is aboutacknowledging our sin and turning fromit. It is about trusting in Jesus Christ as the only one who can save us from the spiritual death our sin deserves.It is about having a life-enhancing relationship with the risen Jesus.

From this relationship comes alifestyle. From belief grows behaviour.

Christians are not perfect. They just tryto follow the one who is. On and off thebox.

Prem

ier

Soap saints?

RA

DIO PREMIER Christian

Radio has formed agospel choir. Thirty-four singers havebeen put togetherafter passingauditions. The choirwill sing at eventsstaged by Premier.

Benedictines goonline with retreat

Choir is onstation’swavelength

Is religionout for thecount?

IN T

HE

PR

ES

S

�RESEARCHERS claim that saying aprayer may be the best way to stop

feeling angry, reported the DailyExpress.

According to the paper, astudy has shown that prayingfor someone in troublereduces aggression. Thestudy went on to say that theangry person does not needto be particularly religiousfor their prayer to help,because they find the act ofpraying calming.

�A STUDY using census data shows that religion maybecome extinct in nine secular democracies, reports the BBCNews website. A team of researchers took census datastretching back as far as a century from countries whosecensuses questioned people’s religion. The study showed asteady rise in those claiming no religious affiliation.

PARSNIP and early varieties of carrot seed can be sown now in preparedseed drills. Before sowing, mix carrot seed with dry sharp sand. This willhelp to ensure a more even seed distribution along the row. To growgood carrots the soil needs to beloamy and free of large stones and ofany added fresh manure. If you can’tprovide soil of this type, carrots willgrow very successfully in deepcontainers or barrels filled withmultipurpose compost.

Mix parsnip seed with fast-growingradish seed to help mark the spotwhere the slower-growing parsnipsare situated. Parsnip seed isnotoriously slow to germinate, oftentaking three to four weeks,depending on the temperature. Theradishes will need to be pulled almostbefore the parsnips start to grow, sothis method utilises ground efficiently.

Runner and French beans can besown now in the greenhouse or onthe windowsill for hardening off andplanting out at the end of next month.These plants are particularly tenderand should be protected from the riskof any frost.

THE common and easy-to-grow pulmonaria is amember of the forget-me-not clan. It is floweringnow and looks great undera canopy of young treefoliage. Also known aslungwort, pulmonariasmake fine ground coverplants because of theirtendency to spread. Thisalso helps to keep weedsat bay.

Damp semi-shade suitsthem best. Lift and dividethe established clumpsevery three to four yearsto retain plant vigour andgood health. They areeasy to grow from rootcuttings any time now, ifyou do need to replace

your stock. The youngflower buds are prone toattack by sparrows andthis is a common cause ofnon-flowering.

2 April 2011 The War CryTHE GREAT OUTDOORS 7

LEE SENIOR

and don’tforget…

by LEE SENIOR

PPuullmmoonnaarriiaa ccoovveerrss

Hardy annuals can besown outside now. Theyprovide inexpensive eye-catching colour thatwill brighten up anygarden. Mixed packets ofannuals can be boughtcheaply from a goodgarden retailer.

Hardyannuals

If you are using pesticides or weedkiller inyour garden, take extreme care not to letany residue get near your pond, because itis harmful to fish and wildlife. Better still,try to minimise the usage of chemicals inyour garden. Instead encourage naturalpredators such as birds, frogs, hoverfliesand bees to visit your patch. The easiestway to do this is to grow a wide range ofplants, creating diverse habitats. Leave asmall patch wild with long grass andwildflowers so that frogs and toads canescape the sun and hide from predators.

Wildlife

FORGET US NOT:pulmonariain flower

WELL DRILLED:carrots can besown this month

Make a start on the veg

tthhee ggrroouunndd

The War Cry 2 April 20118

MARTIN SIMPSON

entertainers aremy

Chris on stagewith assistantSamara Stanton

business

Christian

2 April 2011 The War Cry 9

Illusionist CHRISGIDNEY tells ClaireBrine how he acted on his faith to form a support group forChristians inshowbusiness

Chris withassistant

Katherine Mansion his illusion tour

‘INEARLY killed ElainePaige when she wasplaying Evita in the

West End,’ confesses Chris Gidney,who was working backstage on theproduction. ‘By accident I cued atruck too early, it hit a piece ofscenery, which in turn made a doorfall over. It missed her by inches.Fortunately, she forgave me.’

Chris Gidney has known plenty of drama inhis life. Not only has he spent 12 years work-ing backstage on productions in London’sWest End, but he has also worked as a floormanager on Blue Peter, played small roles intelevision dramas such as Poirot and The Bill,and performed as an illusionist.

‘I first went on stage when I was nineyears old,’ he remembers. ‘My dad wasa magician, and we performed as a double act. I dressed up as a little girlwith pigtails and painted my teeth black;when my dad called for a volunteer I used to run onto the stage and mess up his act. We called it the GreatCatastrophe.

‘Today my speciality is variety. I’veworked on cruise ships, and during the summer I often perform my illusionact in theatres across the country. I have also set up my own productioncompany called That’s EntertainmentProductions. I put together a show containing different types of variety act,and each summer performers take it ontour.’

It was back in the late 1970s thatChris decided to make showbusiness hiscareer. He briefly entertained the notionof being a teacher, but then he gotaccepted on a technical theatre course atthe Mountview Theatre School inLondon.

‘I am a Christian, and I was keen tofind out what God wanted me to do withmy life,’ says Chris. ‘So I prayed thatGod would open the right doors. Then Igot into Mountview. I felt it was wherehe wanted me to be.

‘I knew that I wanted a career in theperformance world, because I’ve got a

passion for people. I love finding outabout them, being with them, talking tothem. And what better area to work inthan acting – an activity which explorespeople and how they function.’

But people at church ques-tioned Chris’s decision.

Some felt that Christians and the entertainment business did not – andshould not – mix.

‘They thought that the theatre was adodgy place to work in general, but thiswas especially the case for a Christian,’says Chris. ‘My dad had received the

same reaction from churchgoers. Peoplethought that his being a magician wasn’t compatible with Christianity. ButI believe Christians need to be a light forGod in all areas of work.’

When Chris joined the technical crewon the musical Evita, he took the oppor-tunity of putting his faith in the spotlight. But it was under tragic cir-cumstances.

‘I arrived just a week after someonehad killed themselves backstage,’ hesays. ‘There was a really bad atmos-phere in the theatre. I remember thinking: “If I’m a Christian, surely I can make a difference in this place.” Iprayed that God would send another

Turn to next page

I arrived to work on the show aweek after someone had killedthemselves backstage

Chris Gidney

The War Cry 2 April 201110

From page 9

Christian into the show, someone that I could meetand pray with.

‘The next day I went into the dressing room of theleading man. There on his table was a book about theHoly Spirit by the evangelist Billy Graham. Myprayer had been answered. We started to meet togeth-er to pray, and word soon got round. Before long wehad about 30 people – all of whom worked on WestEnd shows – coming to join us. We called ourselvesWest End Theatre Support. But then we realised thename could be shortened to Wets, so we becameChristians In Entertainment (CIE) instead. Twenty-eight years later CIE is still going strong.’

People met every week before their evening per-formances. They talked. They asked questions aboutfaith. They prayed about subjects which affected theentertainment business.

‘There is a lot of unemployment among performersso we used to pray for each other about that,’ saysChris. ‘We prayed for people who had financial wor-ries or those who were lonely because they were awayfrom home. In the theatre performers tend to workclosely with someone for a few years, then never seethem again, so we’d ask for help regarding disjointedrelationships. Sometimes we would walk round theoutside of the theatre and pray for the people inside.’

In the early days Chris described CIE as ‘a self-support group of people with God in the middle’. Butas numbers continued to rise, he foundhimself wondering about the group’sfuture.

‘I was considering getting a job onthe production of Cats,’ he says. ‘Butthen I felt I should pour my energy intoCIE. So from then on I started to com-mit more of my time to it.

‘Today I look on CIE as a spiritualmeals-on-wheels service. It’s for peoplewho work in showbusiness and can’t getto church regularly. It is designed to helpthem keep going with their faith.’

As the founder of CIE, Chrisconstantly travels up and

down the country, holding one-to-one orgroup meetings with Christians at theatres. He has also established a 24-hour phone helpline so people canring for advice or ask for prayer.

‘Sometimes people ask for prayer ifthey have an audition coming up,’ hesays. ‘Or maybe they are offered a part and are not sure whether theyshould accept it. I’ve had phone callswhen somebody has said: “I have to play a prostitute or a character

who swears a lot. What should I do?” ‘Personally, I’m all for Christians

playing dark roles. Actors are simplyportraying characters. In an Easter play,somebody has to play the part of the soldier who nails Jesus to the cross. It

doesn’t mean that theywould really kill someone.’

Another aspect of CIE’swork is to place Bibles intheatre dressing rooms.

‘I have managed to getBibles into all the Londontheatres and the major UKcities. Not many theatres

have refused me entry. Today even thedressing rooms at Coronation Streethave Bibles in them.’

Over the years Chris has met with and supported hundreds of Christians working in showbusiness, includingstars such as Cannon and Ball, WendyCraig and Jimmy Cricket. Later thisyear he will be working with Syd Littleand Songs of Praise presenter PamRhodes on a cruise ship.

‘I have put together a holiday forChristians who want to go on a cruisewith a spiritual dimension,’ explainsChris. ‘I’ll be performing as an illusion-

People say to me: ‘I have to playa prostitute or a character whoswears a lot. What should I do?’

CHRISTIANSIN SHOWBIZ(clockwisefrom right):WendyCraig, SydLittle andDana

ist, but I’ve also invited various celebri-ties to attend as special guests.Holidaymakers can attend events suchas quizzes, shows and interviews andvisit locations that are connected toChristianity in some way.’

Not only does Chris connectwith Christian celebrities

through CIE meetings, but he alsowrites about them.

‘I have put together a book calledReaching For The Stars, which is a collection of prayers by entertainers,’he says. ‘I also write celebrity biogra-phies and spiritual books.

‘I hang on to God by my fingernailsall day, every day. I talk to him all thetime, when I am in the car, on the train,in the bath. I love praying in the open airor at the theatre. Sometimes I’ll bewatching a play and praying for the people onstage.’

Although Chris is a committedChristian, the course of true faith neverdoes run smooth. Throughout his life hehas examined other religions.

‘I’ve had to,’ he says. ‘I’ve met lots ofpeople with different faiths, and they askme why I’m a Christian and why theirown religion doesn’t work for me. I tellthem that, in my mind, nothing butChristianity makes sense. I admire athe-ists because I believe they have morefaith than I have. To see the seasonschange and the flowers grow and tobelieve those things are a matter ofchance takes great faith. My own faith isthe size of a mustard seed – but it hasalways been just enough to get methrough.’

Prayer plays a key role in the life ofCIE. Earlier this year more than 150churches across the UK markedEntertainment Sunday by praying forpeople associated with showbusiness.

‘Onlookers believe the entertainmentworld is all about fame, fortune, glitzand glamour. But in reality it can be oneof the most lonely, desperate places forpeople to work. They need prayer. Butit’s not the most obvious area for con-gregations to focus on.

‘Back in February CIE held itsfifth Entertainment Sunday. The aimwas to highlight ways in which peo-ple could support entertainers, such

as praying for them when the credits roll up at the end of a television pro-gramme. The response we receivedfrom churches was very positive.’

And Chris remains positive about thefuture of CIE. He does not know what is in store for the organisation, but he ishappy to improvise.

He says: ‘I don’t ask “What next forCIE?” but I do ask “Who next? Who canCIE support in future days?”

‘Jesus spent his whole life on theroad, meeting people, listening to themand encouraging them, and that is what I am trying to do with CIE. I want tocontinue travelling across the country,providing a service which helps to meetthe spiritual needs of people working in showbusiness. My aim is to take faithinto a very faithless field of work.’

112 April 2011 The War Cry

�THE War Cry has five copies ofReaching For The Stars to give

away to readers whocan answer thefollowing question:

Where did ChrisGidney complete histechnical theatrecourse?

Send your answer on apostcard to Christians inEntertainment Competition,The War Cry, 101 NewingtonCauseway, London SE1 6BNor email your answer towarcry@salvationarmy.org.ukwith the subject line ‘CIECompetition’. Include yourname and address in yourentry.

Entries must be received byMonday 11 April. The senders ofthe first five correct entriesdrawn will receive a copy of thebook. The Editor’s decision isfinal.

The entertainment world can beone of the most lonely, desperate

places to work

a prayer bookwritten by the stars

12

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

Solution on page 15SUD

OK

U

HONEYCOMB

QUICK CROSSWORD

ANSWERS

ACROSS

1. Polite (5)5. Particle (5)8. Dwelling (5)9. Motorised

bicycle (5)10. Period (5)11. Of the moon (5)12. Three feet (4)15. Witless (6)17. Secret store (5)18. Noisier (6)20. Undo (4)25. Molar (5)26. Farewell (5)27. Awaken (5)28. Reminiscent of

the past (5)29. All (5)30. Cereal plant (5)

QUICK CROSSWORD

ACROSS: 1 Civil. 5 Scrap. 8 Abode. 9 Moped. 10 Cycle. 11 Lunar. 12 Yard. 15 Stupid. 17 Cache.18 Louder. 20 Open. 25 Tooth. 26 Adieu. 27 Rouse.28 Retro. 29 Every. 30 Wheat.

DOWN: 1 Comply. 2 Vapour. 3 Ladle. 4 Found. 5 Secrete. 6 Recoup. 7 Peeled. 13 Ado. 14 Par. 15 Shy. 16 Ire. 17 Century. 18 Locate. 19 Umpire.21 Peruse. 22 Nicest. 23 Worth. 24 Throw.

QUICK QUIZ

1 Tesco. 2 Suffolk. 3 Russell Watson. 4 Sicily. 5 Mouse. 6 J. R. R. Tolkien.

HONEYCOMB

1 Frosty. 2 Mother. 3 Throne. 4 Ordeal. 5 Walrus.6 Russia.

Look up, down,forwards, backwardsand diagonally onthe grid to find theseUK medical dramas

ANGELS

BODIES

BRAMWELL

CARDIAC ARREST

CASUALTY CHILDREN’SWARD

CRASH

DOC MARTIN

DOCTOR FINLAY

DOCTOR IN THEHOUSE

DOCTORS

GENERAL HOSPITAL

GETTING ON

GREEN WING

HOLBY CITY

MEDICS

MONROE

NO ANGELS

PEAK PRACTICE

THE DISTRICTNURSE

THE DOCTORS

THE ROYAL

THE ROYALTODAY

The War Cry 2 April 2011 PUZZLEBREAK

QUICK QUIZ1. Which supermarket uses the slogan ‘Every little

helps’?

2. In which English county can you visit HelminghamHall?

3. Which singer is known as ‘The Voice’?

4. Which is the largest region of Italy?

5. What animal is the cartoon character Stuart Little?

6. Which author’s first names were John RonaldReuel?

DOWN

1. Yield (6)2. Steam (6)3. Scoop (5)4. Discovered (5)5. Conceal (7)6. Regain (6)7. Skinned (6)13. Fuss (3)14. Equal (3)15. Bashful (3)16. Rage (3)17. Hundred (7)18. Find (6)19. Referee (6)21. Scrutinise (6)22. Best (6)23. Value (5)24. Hurl (5)

1. Cold and unfriendly

2. Female relative

3. Chair for a sovereign

4. Prolonged painfulexperience

5. Large marinemammal

6. Country whosecapital is Moscow

Each solution starts onthe coloured cell andreads clockwise roundthe number

WORDSEARCH

L M C B Y T G E T T I N G O N S DA O E A O A H R H O L B Y C I T YT N Y L S D L E E S I O E R O T RI R C Y P U I N D E H O N A T D OP O S A U E A E I O N C T S C R NS E O D R A R L S F C W L H O A OO T E O I D B A T D R T I A L W AH N P T D A I I R Y I O O N I S NL I S L E G N A I R N R T R G N GA P E A K P R A C T I C E C S E ER L A Y O R E H T A T H A H O R LE S U O H E H T N I R O T C O D SN W R R N A O D U R A R T A O L OE L E E O O C B R A M W E L L I UG E T H R N N D S D C I D S E H ES R O T C O D E E L O E B O T C AE O U T N S O S C I D E M C C O R

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132 April 2011 The War CryINNER LIFE

WHERE’SJESUS

STEPHEN POXONbegins a serieslooking for – andfinding – Jesus inunexpected places

her as she battled

to bed with a fever (seeMatthew 8:14, 15).

Jesus visited her andtouched her hand, and thefever left her. The miracleitself is remarkable enough,but what is attractive aboutthe account is that Jesusdemonstrated care andconcern for someone whowas unwell.

He was right beside thewoman as she battled anuncomfortably high

MANY of us might be quite startled ifwe went to see the doctor and weretold we were suffering from a nastycase of nasopharyngitis or viralrhinopharyngitis.

As gruesome as those ailments mightsound, we wouldn’t have too much to worryabout. The doctor would be describing nothingmore threatening than a common cold, thesort of thing most of us experience from timeto time.

Illness is part and parcel of ordinary life, somuch so that many couples, as they exchangewedding vows, promise to love each other ‘insickness and in health’.

Medical knowledge is always advancing.Maybe we take it for granted that a quick tripto the chemist will enable us to find an over-the-counter remedy to some illnesses. Longbefore such progress was made, a cough orcold wasn’t so easily dealt with as it might benowadays. The Bible tells a story about awoman in the 1st century who was confined

He was right beside

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temperature and struggledwith pain.

Medical expertise willcontinue to develop. Thelove and concern of Jesus,though, will always remainthe same.

Not every illness ishealed, and some problemsare much more serious thanothers. Throughout everymoment of anxiety, though,Jesus himself draws near,offering comfort.

Not only that, he offers toremain close to those whoare weak and weary. Hisstrength is available forevery minute of every longand lonely night of worry.God is with us.

Case notes

The War Cry 2 April 201114

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Emoticons put a face to feelings

:D:[

:(

:u

SEEN any emoticons lately? In case you werewondering, these are not the latest baddies in anepisode of Doctor Who. An emoticon is a small pictureof a face, created using grammatical characters on acomputer keyboard or mobile phone and used to

convey a feeling. Often people include emoticonsin their more light-hearted emails and textmessages.

Emoticons can show that a person is happy, sad,surprised, winking or laughing. On some phones peoplecan even create emoticons suggesting that they areblushing, apologising or crying.

Although the craze to send these ‘mood’ pictures isrelatively new, the emotions behind the emoticons certainly

aren’t. People livinghundreds, eventhousands, of years agoknew all about thefeelings of joy, despair,peace and fear.

The Bible containsstories of people whoexperienced everyemotion under the sun.Even Jesus – God’s ownSon – was not sparedfrom havingrollercoasterfeelings.

Jesus wastempted. He feltpain. He wept. He got angry. He took joy inthe company of friends. He hadcompassion.He felt afraid.

The Bible tells us that,no matter what we arefeeling, Jesusunderstands what we aregoing through. It says thatJesus ‘can help those whoare tempted, because hehimself was tempted andsuffered’ (Hebrews 2:18Good News Bible).

Knowing that Jesus hasbeen through what we areexperiencing today cancomfort us. But more thanthat, Jesus can also helpus by listening to ourconcerns. When we tellhim how we feel, we candraw on his peace, relyupon his strength and findacceptance in his love.

One thing is for sure –it feels good to knowhim.

:)

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FOR STARTERS

Ingredients:

450g plain flour2tbsp baking powderPinch of salt4 eggs450ml semi-skimmed milk 25g butter225g dry-cured unsmoked back

bacon rashers, trimmed andcut into large pieces

1 small onion, thinly sliced1 small handful fresh basil,

roughly choppedMuffin paper cases

Method:Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas

Mark 4. Put the flour, bakingpowder and salt in a large bowl. Beat theeggs together in aseparate bowl, then pourin the milk and stir well.

2 April 2011 The War Cry 15

SUDOKU SOLUTION

Mexican pork

WHAT’S COOKING?

Recipes reprinted, with kindpermission, from thelovepork.co.uk website

Ingredients:

450g lean pork, cubed1 onion, chopped2 cloves of garlic, crushed400g can chopped tomatoes400g can unsalted and

unsweetened red kidney beans,drained and rinsed

300ml stock2tsp chilli powder2 red or green chillies (optional)

Red pepper, deseeded and cut intochunks

Yellow pepper, deseeded and cutinto chunks

For the topping:250g frozen potato skins25g Cheddar cheese, grated

Method:Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas

Mark 4. Put the pork, onion, garlic, tomatoes, kidney beans,

stock, chilli powderand chillies (ifrequired) into a largecasserole dish andmix well.

Cover the dish andplace in a preheatedoven for 90 minutesuntil the meat istender.

Remove the casserolefrom the oven, thenstir in the red andyellow peppers.Place the potatoskins on top of thechilli and sprinklewith the cheese.

Return the dish to theoven, uncovered, for20 minutes until thepotato skins arecrispy and thecheese has melted.

Remove the chilliesbefore serving.Serve with corn onthe cob, crunchyvegetables and anyfavourite dips.

Serves 4

Bacon, onion andbasil muffins

Put the butter into a hot fryingpan and add the bacon andonion. Cook until the onionturns see-through and thebacon is cooked.

Stir the bacon and onion into theflour mixture. Add the basil,followed by the egg and milkmixture.

Using a large spoon, fold the

ingredients together until theyare thoroughly combined.

Place 18 muffin cases in muffintins. Fill each muffin case withthe mixture until it almostreaches the top.

Bake the muffins in a preheatedoven for 20–25 minutes untilthey are well risen and golden.

Makes 18

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The War Cry is printed on paper harvested from sustainable forests and published by The Salvation Army (United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland) on behalf of the General of The Salvation Army.Printed by Benham Goodhead Print Ltd, Bicester, Oxon. © Linda Bond, General of The Salvation Army, 2011

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tempted to despair. Yet he continued to claim:‘The Lord’s unfailing love and mercy still continue, fresh as the morning, as sure as thesunrise … The Lord is good to everyone whotrusts in him’ (Lamentations 3:22–25 GoodNews Bible).

No change there, then.

Touch-screentablets arebecomingincreasinglypopular

ONTODAY (Saturday 2 April) is the firstanniversary of the launch of Apple’siPad. But already the device hasbeen overtaken by the UK releaselast week of its successor, the iPad 2.

The new device has been hailed by Appleboss Steve Jobs, and by millions of techno-geeks, as the coolest thing since – well, the lastcool must-have thing. But it won’t be manymore weeks until shoppers are snapping up thenext gadget, such as the Blackberry PlayBookthis spring or the Motorola Xoom soon after.

Some people find it hard to remember a timewhen their lives were not organised by smarthand-held technology. Yet the iPhone is a merefour years old, the Blackberry nine, and the firstminiature black box labelled ‘smartphone’emerged from Ericsson only in 1997.

We have come a long way since April 1973when the first mobile phone call was made byMotorola executive Martin Cooper.

Not everyone is enamoured by the ‘post-PC’generation of smart devices designed to takeover our lives. One US user compared using the orginal iPad to falling in love with EvaPeron – ‘beautiful, alluring, yes, but high main-tenance’.

But there’s no stopping or reversing the head-long rush to the new. Time cannot stand still.Life has to go forward, not backward. We are allslaves of time.

Yet there is something inside all of us thatcraves an unchangeable reference point outsideourselves. Something, or someone, to hold onto that can be permanently relied upon.

The Bible prophet and poet Jeremiah lived ina time when everything was changing. Hiswhole world was being destroyed and he was

MARCHESwrites BRUCE TULLOCH

TECHNOLOGY