In this post-Easter reflection, Chief Secretary Colonel Winsome Merrett reminds us that the reality of Jesus’ resurrection is not limited by our fear, our confusion or even our unbelief. Instead, we are invited to go on a journey of seeking Jesus for ourselves, as were the women who found the empty tomb in Mark 16. Easter is not the journey’s end but rather the beginning, pointing to the Saviour who died and rose again and who wants to bring you hope and a future.

For most of my working days, I generally wear a casual Salvation Army shirt with a red shield on it, but when the occasion calls for something more formal, I wear official uniform. It was one of those days recently, and I was in white shirt, tie and epaulettes. On the way to a function, I was passing a shopping centre and remembered I had to pick up something for home and also something for the office; I was running early, so I dropped in for a few moments. As I walked through the shopping centre, an elderly lady waved at me, smiled, and approached me. I assumed she must be a Salvo from somewhere. As she approached me, she said, “Could you tell me where the toilets are, please?” An odd request. Maybe she trusted the Army uniform. I’d just passed the sign for the toilets, so I pointed it out to her. I continued on my way and stopped at the entry to Kmart because I’d felt my pocket buzz, and I thought I should check my phone in case it was an emergency. It turned out to be nothing urgent, and as I put my phone in my pocket, a man walking into Kmart said to me, “Where’s the toy section?” This day was getting curiouser and curiouser. I’d been to this store before and knew where it was, so I gestured and said, “Over near the far-right wall.” He thanked me and walked off. Then the penny dropped: both people thought I was a security guard! It wasn’t the first time I’d been asked these sorts of questions, as it had happened once or twice in a previous corps appointment. And I also recall walking through an airport in uniform once and being near some pilots who were looking at me oddly – probably trying to identify what airline I was with! It occurs to me that I could potentially have some fun with this. Red Shield Appeal is coming up; maybe I need to stand near the entry to a shopping centre and say to people entering, “Sorry, new policy – $1 entry fee, please.” It’s only a buck, so I suspect a lot of people wouldn’t care and they’d pay. I wonder how long it would take before a real security guard chased me away. Or I could put on my Army cap and sunglasses and walk through an airport, tapping a white cane and asking if anyone had seen my Boeing 737. Big thing. Two wings. Painted white, apparently. Perhaps I could try it to gain free entry to the football. Just walk up to the gate in uniform and say, “Gidday, I’m on duty at the member’s stand today. Do you mind if I just cut through here to save walking around?” A little more adventurous might be standing outside a hotel, and when a nice car pulls up, I could just open their door and say, “Can I park that for you, sir?” As they threw me the keys, I would say, “Thank you, sir. Have a nice day” and wonder how much an auctioned Ferrari could raise for the corps building fund! – Major Mal Davies and his wife Major Tracey are the Corps Officers at Adelaide City Salvos

BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE The Salvation Army’s national Social Mission team has received overwhelmingly positive results in a recent accreditation process, a key TSA leader says. The department undertook Health and Community Services Standards Accreditation (QIC), a review process that analyses community- and wellbeing-focused programs according to five standards: governance, management systems, consumer and community engagement, diversity and cultural appropriateness and service delivery. These standards were applied to all four Social Mission focus areas: alcohol and other drugs, homelessness, family violence and youth services. In all these areas, the auditors found no areas of non-conformance, with some opportunities for improvement serving as a guide to make social services even more effective, according to Chief Secretary Colonel Winsome Merrett. Head of Quality and Safeguarding Bernadette Roberts said the accreditation reviewers’ response to the audit of Social Mission was genuinely heartfelt, and their positive feedback was consistent across all Social Mission sites, streams, business partners and mission-enabling functions. “It was encouraging to see the multitude of examples that clearly demonstrate person-centred, safe, seamless and effective experiences for the people Social Mission support,” Bernadette said. The auditors’ feedback reflected that Social Mission personnel demonstrated a clear commitment to the department’s mission, vision and values in all areas. Feedback from external stakeholders confirmed that TSA’s social services are considered a ‘benchmark’ in the industry. “This exceptional result can be attributed to our organisational culture, with the auditors sharing that staff at all levels stated they feel supported, safe, valued and empowered,” Winsome said. “My congratulations to each one of you who work within Social Mission, and my sincere appreciation and thanks for the way in which you continue to transform Australia, one life at a time, with the love of Jesus.”

BY TARA-LEIGH COBBLE* It’s early Sunday morning. The sun is just starting to peek over the hills, and you’re on your way to visit the place where, just two days ago, they buried your best friend – the man you believed was the Messiah. You’ve never been this sad before. Your heart is broken. And you are scared. Scared of what this new week will bring now that Jesus is gone. Where do you go from here? You go to his tomb. It’s surrounded by Roman guards, but you are desperate to be near and grieve your friend, so you go anyway. Out of nowhere, the ground begins to shake beneath your feet. What is going on? You find the guards passed out in fear and one who appears like a beacon of light looking directly at you and the friend who came with you. And he speaks. “‘Don’t be afraid!’ he said. ‘I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you’” (Matthew 28:5-7 NLT). This is the scene Mary Magdalene and Mary, Jesus’ mother, experienced early Sunday morning. What they were expecting was to visit Jesus’ burial place, maybe lay some flowers at his grave, and grieve in silence. Instead, what they got was an encounter with an angel telling them that Jesus was alive! He was not dead. He is risen! Their great grief had been turned to hope! And now they rushed so others would know. “The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message. And as they went, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they ran to him, grasped his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid! Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there’” (Matthew 28:8-10 NLT). In that moment, their hope becomes sight! These women got to meet their risen Saviour! What seemed impossible mere moments early was a reality. The third day has come. Jesus is risen. He is faithful to his promise! “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Now, he was asking them to be faithful followers and an action step of faith. The women didn’t simply encounter Jesus, hug it out, celebrate, and go on with their Sunday as if nothing happened. No, Jesus asks something of them: “Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.” The first ones to encounter Jesus were told to go and tell. Go tell the other disciples so they can also see me for themselves. There are things for them to do as well. Easter Sunday may be the culmination of this Holy Week, but Easter itself is not an ending; it’s a beginning. It’s a chance for us – whether long-time Christians or individuals just hearing about Jesus for the first time – to allow what has happened over this week to change us. Jesus didn’t endure everything he went through for us to remain unchanged. Easter isn’t an inspirational story to hear and file away until next year. It’s a chance to be made new! We can share in the resurrection life of Jesus with its promise that we, too, will overcome the grave through his saving power. If you’ve never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, now is your chance to do just that. Invite him to come into your life, surrender everything to him, and allow him to make you new. That act of faith is all that is required to be forgiven of all your sins and reborn into the new life Jesus offers. “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart. And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced’” (Romans 10:8-11 NLT). Just as Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God alone, there is nothing you can add to Jesus’ work of salvation on your behalf. Forgiveness of sin and new life is yours when you place your genuine belief in the One whose work was done for you on the cross. And if you already claim Jesus as Lord, then what are you waiting for? Like the women whose faith was restored when they encountered the risen Jesus, following and obeying Jesus is where we find our purpose and our hope. We can begin, as they did, by going and telling others that our great Saviour is Risen Indeed. Go and tell how Jesus has radically changed you from the inside out. Show others how you’re different because of the new life you have been given. Share the source of your unexplainable peace, joy, and generosity. Be the Gospel in action. Easter is the final, glorious, day that marks the end of this journey to the cross, but it is the beginning for all those who will put their faith in Jesus and all he accomplished for us. “‘Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age’” (Matthew 28:19-20 NLT). Article courtesy of the Bible App – Walking with Jesus series by Tara-Leigh Cobble (speaker, author, teacher, podcaster from the US)

BY TARA-LEIGH COBBLE* The Saviour of the world is dead. What more is there to say about the time following the cross? There are things to say. Much more is happening behind the scenes than a sealed tomb would lead us to believe. After Jesus died on the cross, his body was taken down and prepared for burial. Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy follower of Jesus, volunteered his tomb outside the city of Jerusalem for (what everyone thought) would be Jesus’s final resting place. “Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching” (Matthew 27:59-61 NLT). Since Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath, all burial preparations had to be done before sundown on Friday to avoid working on a day the Jewish law set aside for rest. But while everyone else was mourning the loss of their friend, some surprising people were working on that Sabbath day, namely the religious leaders. Aren’t these guys supposed to be following the religious laws to the T? They’re the ones who enforce the laws, after all. Yet again, the hypocrisy of the religious leaders seems boundless. “On the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, ‘Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.’ “Pilate replied, ‘Take guards and secure it the best you can.’ So, they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it” (Matthew 27:62-66 NLT). Wait! I thought the religious leaders didn’t believe Jesus’s claims that he would rise from the dead. Didn’t they just put him to death for claiming to be the Son of God? Turns out, the religious leaders may have harboured a few more suspicions about Jesus’s true identity than they were letting on – a reality that only magnifies their guilt. How do we hold onto hope in the darkest days as we wait on the promises of God to become reality? The religious leaders are hoping nothing will happen, but they are preparing as if the words of Jesus will become reality. It is what his disciples should have been doing, putting their hope in his promise to rise again. But hope is a fragile thing to preserve when the door of the tomb is shut tight. How could they have held to hope in the waiting? How do we hold onto hope in the darkest days as we wait on the promises of God to become reality? Instead of giving into fear, doubt, and the evidence of current circumstances that all tell us God has forsaken his promises, we cling to what we know is true: God is faithful to his word. “God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through?” (Numbers 23:19). Oh, that the disciples would have gathered, not in fear, but to encourage each other to trust in God. Instead of going to the tomb expecting a gravesite, what if the women had gone expecting to find it empty? Imagine if Joseph of Arimathea had not only prepared Jesus for his burial but prepared to have a feast ready to welcome him after he rose. What if they had all simply believed Jesus and waited with expectation? In their grief, Jesus’s friends and family were overwhelmed by fear and doubt. We don’t blame them, but we can learn from them. Waiting may not be welcome, but it is a reality for us all. Whatever you’re waiting on today, hold on to hope. Believe God is a promise keeper who does the impossible. Do what can be done as you wait – surround yourself with godly people and remember God’s past faithfulness as you cling to hope together – but above all, expect that what God promises will come to pass in his way and in his own time. Article courtesy of the Bible App – Walking with Jesus series by Tara-Leigh Cobble (speaker, author, teacher, podcaster from the US)

BY TARA-LEIGH COBBLE* Friday has come, the day of Jesus’s arrest, trial, denial, torture and death. For all that, we incredibly declare that this day is good. It is so good in fact, that this is exactly what this fateful Friday will come to be known by: Good Friday. But why? Those events seem like the exact opposite of ‘good’. In fact, they seem terrible. Let’s journey through this day along with Jesus, following in his steps as he endures event after terrible event, to see exactly how this pivotal day in history could ever be called good. First, consider the arrest of Jesus and a betrayal by one of his closest friends, no less. “So, Judas came straight to Jesus. ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. “Jesus said, ‘My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.’ “Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him” (Matthew 26:49-50 NLT). At this moment of crisis, all the other disciples deserted Jesus. Jesus would make his appearance before the religious court alone, a court convened to judge him as a heretic for claiming to be the Son of God. “Then the high priest said to him, ‘I demand in the name of the living God – tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.’ “Jesus replied, ‘You have said it. And in the future, you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God’s right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.’ “Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, ‘Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?’ ‘Guilty!’ they shouted. ‘He deserves to die!’” (Matthew 26:63-66 NLT). “Still wondering how this day could ever be considered ‘good?’ Incredibly, worse is yet to come.” This court was not looking for the truth. If they had been, they would have realised that Truth Himself stood before them as both Son and Saviour. Instead, they condemn the Son of God to death. To carry out their evil sentence, the Pharisees colluded with the Romans, pressuring Pilate to sentence him – the only truly innocent man in history – to a gruesome flogging followed by a tortuous journey to the cross. But before that physical pain was to be inflicted, another round of emotional pain was meted out by one of Jesus’s closest friends, Peter, who denied even knowing him. “A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, ‘You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.’ “Peter swore, ‘A curse on me if I’m lying – I don’t know the man!’ And immediately the rooster crowed. (Matthew 26:73-74 NLT). Imagine the pain of hearing this denial. Physically, emotionally, and spiritually, Jesus was utterly alone on his journey to the cross. Still wondering how this day could ever be considered ‘good?’ Incredibly, worse is yet to come. “After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. Then they sat around and kept guard as he hung there. A sign was fastened above Jesus’s head, announcing the charge against him. It read: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” Two revolutionaries were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left” (Matthew 27:35-38). Now we witness the great cost of Jesus giving himself up for us. “At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ which means ‘My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?’” (Matthew 27:45-46 NLT). For the first time in all eternity, God the Father and God the Son were separated as Jesus “who knew no sin, became sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). In that moment, he is forsaken in our place. Then comes the cataclysmic event all history has been moving toward: the death of the Son of God. “Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened ... The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, ‘This man truly was the Son of God!’” (Matthew 27:50-52, 54 NLT). And yet, we call this day good. How can it be? How can any of this be good? It is good because of the good Jesus accomplished. “Through all the terrible awful events Jesus endured, the way was at long last opened for lost sinners to come into a relationship with God. No greater good could be accomplished on earth!” Even before Jesus was raised from the dead Sunday morning (spoiler alert! but hopefully you saw that coming), his sacrifice was changing things here on earth. The separation between God and man was lifting – demonstrated by the rending of the Temple curtain that symbolically separated people from the presence of God. Through all the terrible awful events Jesus endured, the way was at long last opened for lost sinners to come into a relationship with God. No greater good could be accomplished on earth! And still, Jesus himself is laid in a tomb. His followers are scared and grief-stricken. They do not yet know the good their friend has done. But Sunday is coming when all will be revealed! Article courtesy of the Bible App – Walking with Jesus series by Tara-Leigh Cobble (speaker, author, teacher, podcaster from the US)

BY GENERAL LYNDON BUCKINGHAM Several of the main characters in the crucifixion and resurrection story of Jesus did not agree about much of anything, but they did agree about this: the story of Jesus was over. Pontius Pilate believed he was the final word on all things that happened in his region. It was a troubled part of the Roman world, but Pilate was accustomed to having unquestioned authority despite the challenging situation. If he decided an innocent man needed to die to keep the peace, so be it. He handed Jesus over to be crucified, and the oft-practised theatre of killing on a cross was performed on his orders. Later, after hearing of Jesus’ death, Pilate issued his final instructions to the religious leaders. “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how” (Matthew 27:65). There was essentially a triple lock on Jesus’ tomb: a large stone was rolled in front, an official seal served as a powerful warning, and armed guards watched to ensure that no one interfered. Pilate was certain that he was the final authority on the story of Jesus. Mary, the mother of Jesus, understood the anguish of seeing a loved one suffer. She watched as opposition to Jesus grew, and she would have worried day after day that something terrible would happen. Eventually, the powerful enemies of Jesus moved against him. Following his arrest, rumours probably circulated about the beatings, the torture and the humiliation he was enduring. She would have felt so helpless, so broken to know that her son was experiencing such pain. Mary would have given her own life to save him, but that was not possible. The best his mother could do was to stand close by until the bitter end, not wanting him to face those final painful moments alone. She was there, near the Cross, as Jesus took his last breath (John 19:25). Filled with despair, Mary was certain that his excruciating death was the final chapter of the story of Jesus. Peter knew his ministry was over, and, in truth, he knew it deserved to be. After all, he had denied Jesus, not once, not twice, but three times. Right when Jesus needed him the most, he had failed miserably. After the cock crowed, and Peter remembered Jesus’ words – that before the cock crows, Peter would disown Jesus three times – he bowed his head in defeat and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75). Peter had never known utter despair like this. Despite promising his friend and rabbi that even if others denied him, he never would, it had taken only a persistent servant girl to make him unravel and fall apart. In denying Jesus, Peter had lost the ministry that had become his life and joy over the past three years. With his friend’s public death on the Cross, combined with his own repeated denial of being one of his disciples, Peter believed his part in the story of Jesus was now over. But the story of Jesus was not over. They each forgot one very important thing: God always has the final word. On that first Easter morning, when everyone assumed that the whole story of Jesus had already been written, the heavenly father wrote the most powerful chapter yet. The large stone was rolled away, the seal was broken, and the guards were overcome with fear (Matthew 28:2-4). This all demonstrated that no people or power on earth can prevent God from having the final word. Jesus was risen and alive again, and because of that powerful truth, everything changed. Pilate and the circumstances he dictated did not have final authority over God’s Son or his followers. Mary was able to see her son’s death not as the end but as part of the continuing story of God’s compelling grace for humankind. And in the following days, Peter discovered that his post-denial ministry would be even greater than he dared hope or imagine (John 21:15-19). Perhaps you are facing challenging situations in your life right now. Be assured of this: God will have the final word, and no enemy or circumstance can stand against the word of our Almighty God. Perhaps someone you love is suffering deeply, and you feel inadequate to relieve their pain or heal their hurt. Remember, God will have the final word, and that word will be filled with grace, hope and ultimate victory. Perhaps, like Peter, you no longer feel worthy to be used by God. Possibly, at one time, you abandoned him and are convinced he has now abandoned you. Be certain of this: God will have the final word, and it will be a powerful word of restoration and renewal. And who knows? Perhaps, like Peter, you will discover your most impactful ministry is yet to come. My prayer for you and the whole of The Salvation Army is that this Easter will proclaim anew that the story of Jesus is not over and that God always has the final, victorious word. It will be a triumphant word that reminds us that God is greater than any foe that stands against him. It will be a powerful word of grace and hope for the broken-hearted and hurting. And it will be a restorative word, reminding us that no sin is greater than his redeeming grace. God will have the final word, and it will be a word of victory! Happy Easter, and God bless you. Lyndon Buckingham General Watch The General’s video message below.

Humankind needs a renaissance of fundamental goodwill. But do leaders these days have what it takes to guide us towards a safe harbour and a better life? BY MAJOR PETER McGUIGAN I’ve been reflecting a lot during Lent on what constitutes great leadership in our time. ‘The Twenties’ is a different space from a decade ago, even five years ago, let alone last century. I’ve been searching within for what I’m feeling about our time and observing what others might be feeling. What has struck me the most is the extent of distrust that seems to pervade the world today and the unbridled expression of distrust that clearly dominates the public record. A fundamental breakdown of trust has penetrated our relationships and is strongly testing goodwill between us – person to person, amid families and communities, in business and corporate life, and between nations. Based on its annual online ‘trust’ survey – conducted across 28 countries with more than 32,000 respondents – the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer shows that more than 60 per cent of the world’s population believes business leaders, government leaders and journalists “are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations”. Citing Edelman, the World Economic Forum states that distrust has fuelled polarisation. “Few people would help, live near, or work with someone who disagreed with their view on something,” it says. Globally, suspicion trumps trust right now as a general outlook in society. Institutions of any kind, for-profit or not-for-profit, know they can no longer rest on the laurels of past performance for consumer or donor support. Brands are only as good or as powerful as how supporters experience and view them in real time. With social media saturation, trust in a brand can be present one day and gone the next. Brand managers are working long hours to stay ahead of trust breakdowns. Closely related to distrust among us is the rise of impermanence, the public exposure of institutional sin and the sins of leaders, and the blurring of truth through the existential challenge posed by the increase in hate speech, fake news and the post-truth era. To put that another way, we’re living in a decade of murkiness, and making sense of life and the future is challenging, to say the least. At times, it deflates you, and sometimes, it depresses you. We need a brand of leadership during our time that can navigate these murky waters, defuse the volatility around us, and stay ahead of the curve to steady the ship. We need a style of leadership that will set our sails towards a future where humanity offloads the millstone of distrust and thrives once more in our shared life experience. Here’s hoping the Thirties will be ripe with the fruit of the Twenties because we change tack now. Reclaiming trust I believe leadership in our time is, first and foremost, about reclaiming trust as the primary moral principle of our existence. This will be trust in each other as fellow inhabitants of the earth and trust in God as the author of life and the one who loves us despite our myriad blemishes and poor track record of being good stewards of what has been entrusted to us. It will not be an easy undertaking. There is a distrust of the function of leadership itself today that exposes leaders to the raw elements of human bitterness and rage, particularly through social media. Quickfire, often incessant assaults can come against even the most seasoned leaders in the current climate. These are times when everyone has a voice, including the disenchanted and those set on maligning the reputation of organisations by targeting their leaders. The Greatest Leader To work through this leadership conundrum, it would help us all to take a fresh look at the leadership style of the one many still regard as the greatest leader, Jesus; and perhaps now would be a good time to start while this year’s seminal event for the world’s 2.4 billion Christians is upon us. Easter marks the price Jesus paid for his outstanding leadership during a period of turbulence not dissimilar to our time while also highlighting the brilliance and world-changing impact of a crucifixion followed by a resurrection in the plan of God for Jesus. Jesus had all the qualities we normally associate with great or statesmanlike leadership. He cast a compelling vision, exhibited great charisma, trained up a leadership team to whom he delegated responsibility, and wasn’t afraid to confront problems that came his way. Jesus was definitely ahead of the curve here, having answers and solutions to the most complex challenges. These were often moral challenges posed by other leaders whose mounting anger with his popularity saw them plotting his demise. Leadership aces But there were two aspects of Jesus’ leadership that make compelling revelations for our time. First, Jesus knew instinctively that great leadership can only exist in the context of great relationships between the leader and the led; that great leadership is built on the back of great relationships. Moreover, that at the centre of great relationships was the building, or the rebuilding, of trust, and that trust is ultimately a product of divine love flowing unencumbered through people’s lives. Jesus understood this powerful tenet of leadership and modelled it in a profound and very public way. You could say it was his leadership ace. Jesus was a master at building the muscle of strong relationships in which no one was taken for granted, and the qualities and skills of all were recognised, honoured and encouraged. He spent more time outside the synagogue than within, investing big slabs of time doing life with people – at the beach, in people’s homes, on riverbanks and mountainsides, in marketplaces. His relationships grew strong with individuals, groups of people, families and communities. It was on the strength of his relationship with the people of Palestine that his ability and credibility to lead emerged. People wanted to follow him because they knew he had their very best interests at the centre of his leadership. Jesus was not out to climb any leadership ladder but simply related to people in the spirit of his ‘love God, love your neighbour’ theology. People trusted his leadership because he had taken the time to build relationships on the fundamental law of love. In our time, we would call this mastering the soft skills of leadership, adding value to people’s lives. And there existed a second leadership ace, the Holy Spirit. That Jesus possessed the divine spark of the Spirit of God made all the difference right from the day he stepped up to the leadership plate. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” (Luke 4:18-19), he announced as he set out on his mission to transform people’s existence by showing them a new way to live. He later told his followers that they – and all who would come after them – would have access to the Holy Spirit to help them live their lives and lead the development of their mission after he had gone. Let me cut to the chase. We need again in our time leaders who can transverse the gulf between leading on a human plane and leading on the plane of the Spirit of God. Such leadership can only come from following Jesus closely and, as the Apostle Paul described it, “walking in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16-26). “The status of ‘greatness’ often only comes as history reveals the impact and the legacy of leadership.” In the past, this kind of leadership was thought to be for leaders in a church context only. But in our time, we desperately need it across all dimensions of society, and I question now whether there ever was meant to be an exclusive context in which the Spirit of God would empower a person’s life and leadership. God knows we need the Spirit – for strength and resilience in our leadership stride, divine wisdom to set direction and chart the course, and added capacity to inspire others and bring them on the journey. “Ask and you will receive,” Jesus once told a group of listeners, “search and you will find, knock and the door will be opened for you. Everyone who asks will receive, everyone who searches will find, and the door will be opened for everyone who knocks … your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks” (Luke 11:1-10, 13 Contemporary English Version). Responsibility Of course, people could point to Jesus’ leadership, particularly at times like Easter, and say he was at fault because he failed to build the muscle of his relationship with the religious leaders of his time. But there is a reason the Scriptures say he was “silent” in front of the authorities as they went about orchestrating his crucifixion (Matthew 27:12-14, 1 Peter 2:23). Great leaders carry around with them a deep awareness that their leadership must bow to the greater purpose for their lives, sometimes at deep personal cost. On the night before Jesus died, despite the onset of overwhelming grief and exhaustion as he contemplated the next day and with the plight of humanity uppermost in his mind, our Lord knelt in Jerusalem’s Garden of Gethsemane and confronted the very human temptation to divest oneself of responsibility: “Not my will,” he cried out to God, “but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Great leaders exhibit a courage that pushes them beyond their fears and above their greatest challenges. Lincoln once said, “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” The status of “greatness” often only comes as history reveals the impact and the legacy of leadership. We can see it through John Wesley, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela and the Booths – leaders whose greatness was always within them but whose cause drew it out of them. And we can see it most of all through the Greatest Leader who gave us quintessential leadership of the relational, spiritual and sacrificial kind. The greater good So, I ask you, where are the great leaders, the stateswoman and statesman leaders, who will lead like Jesus in our time – in government, in business, in our communities, in the churches and faith-based organisations like The Salvation Army? I’m looking for leaders whose lurking greatness will be tested by how much they are willing to go beyond blogging or social media commentary or the occasional social justice campaign to lead our world to the place many of us know deep in our emotional intelligence we should be headed. And that destination is not a blissful, mindless utopia, by the way. It is a Groundhog Day of world peace and goodwill, a big-hearted day of championing and honouring and learning from one another, a revolutionary day of collaborative and fruitful and world-changing endeavour, a bright-shining day of economic growth marked by mutual flourishing and off-the-charts philanthropy, and a universal experience of equality in which we surprise each other by how much self-focus and personal and corporate bias we can give up for the greater good. Major Peter McGuigan is a Salvation Army officer writer currently serving in Sri Lanka. His book The Leadership of Jesus: Spiritual, Incarnational, Countercultural was published in 2018 by Salvation Books, The Salvation Army’s international publishing imprint. It is available as an e-book through Amazon and Kobo and in hard copy from Salvationist Publishing and Supplies at https://www.sps-shop.com/100108

To read Stephen’s Promoted to Glory notice, click here

BY LAUREN MARTIN A supermarket chain that has been partnering with The Salvation Army in mission for more than 30 years has launched its latest support campaign – Cup of Kindness. Ritchies IGA has supermarkets in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland and regularly supports The Salvation Army through its Ritchies Community Benefit Program, where customers who shop at the store nominate a charity of choice and a small percentage of their shop is paid to that organisation. Over the years, The Salvation Army has received $1.9 million from the initiative, which goes directly into services to help Australians in need. The supermarket is so passionate about the Salvos that it has created a space for missional activity within its stores. Ritchies IGA is involved with The Salvation Army’s Tools for the Trade program, where students are given an opportunity to get a taste of what it’s like to work in the supermarket industry. “The students buddy up with a staff member for a few hours and work on the register, filling up grocery shelves, assist in the dairy and freezer departments and afterwards share some lunch and chat about what they have done,” says IGA Ritchies Community Benefit Coordinator Penny Sayer. “Some of the students really enjoy the experience and afterwards bring their resume to the store manager to apply for a casual job.” The program has been running for the past six years (except during COVID lockdowns). It enables young people connected with The Salvation Army to access work skills and experience. For this year’s initiative, the $5 Cup of Kindness campaign, Ritchies has partnered with soup giant Continental, giving customers an opportunity to purchase a card copy of a cup of soup for $5. They also can write a kind word on their card that will be passed on to people in need whom The Salvation Army supports. “The proceeds can support a person in need with a meal, which is so important as times are tough in our economy and so many people are struggling,” says Penny. The Salvation Army’s vision statement emphasises that we can’t fulfil our mission alone. Jesus himself, in sacrificing his life on the cross for our Salvation, also pointed to the importance of partnership as he sent his holy spirit and invited followers to partner with God in the positive transformation of our world. The Salvation Army’s Andrew Hill says having partners like Ritchies IGA is an important aspect of the Army’s mission: “The Salvos are proud to be partnering with Ritchies IGA Supermarkets again with this incredible initiative.” The Cup of Kindness campaign runs nationwide until 2 April in Ritchies IGA stores.

BY KIRRALEE NICOLLE Inclusiveness and respect for all cultures were the focus of celebrations across the country as Salvation Army corps, departments and services marked Harmony Week last week. Corps and departments in Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory all celebrated the occasion with food and fun. Harmony Week, which this year ran from 18-24 March, with Harmony Day on 21 March, is an event that honours multicultural Australians and promotes the successful integration of migrants into the Australian community. Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect, and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background. According to the Department of Home Affairs, it is united by a set of core Australian values. At the Macquarie Lodge Aged Care Centre in Arncliffe (NSW), staff were encouraged to dress in both the trademark Harmony Week orange and their own traditional cultural dress on Harmony Day, and artworks by residents were also on display. Likewise, Riverview Gardens Aged Care Centre in Brisbane’s south-west hosted an orange-themed morning tea. In Tasmania, The Salvation Army Emergency Services team hosted a free-themed barbeque on the grounds of the Glenorchy City Council. Cairns Corps in Far North Queensland, Bankstown Corps in Sydney and Tuggeranong Corps in the ACT celebrated the diverse range of cultural backgrounds in their corps with sausage sizzles, cakes and cupcakes. At Salvos THQ in Blackburn, Melbourne, the Human Resources department hosted an International Potluck lunch where staff enjoyed a wide variety of dishes from across the world, as well as themed trivia at their quarterly gathering. Click on photos in the slideshow below to view more Harmony Week celebrations:

Are you looking for deep, secure love and peace? It is found in Jesus. This Easter, Commissioner Miriam Gluyas invites us to explore the promises of Jesus and to experience the perfect peace that he brings to those who love and trust him.