They need bibles and bullets

Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has triggered an avalanche of global criticism, growing levels of military aid and potentially crippling economic sanctions.

On a daily basis, news machines around the world have been reporting directly from Kyiv, providing anyone who will listen with up-to-date reports about the state of the conflict – and the speed of the Russian army's advance.

DEATH AND DESTRUCTION: armed conflict has come to the streets of Ukraine's biggest cities.

What we haven't heard are reports about the incredible levels of faith that have been shining through in the Ukrainian people – and the way local church communities are standing, united and strong, helping their fellow Ukrainians find hope in God’s Word.

Robert Briggs, president and CEO of the American Bible Society, has been in regular contact with church leaders in Ukraine and has been mightily humbled by their response to such an assault on their country and family members.

INSPIRING A NATION: Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is standing tall in opposing Russia.

"I’ve been in close contact with my friend and counterpart, Anatoliy Raychynets, who serves as the deputy general secretary of the Ukrainian Bible Society," he says. "As people grapple with unknown, many are experiencing the Bible’s message for the first time ever. According to Anatoliy, priests and pastors over the past weeks have been flocking to the Bible Society store in Kyiv to buy Bibles. Demand is so high that they’ve run out of copies. This, Anatoliy says, is one of their biggest challenges. They need more Bibles."

A major resource offered by the church in Ukraine is Bible-based trauma healing.

Although it was introduced only six years ago, the program has been incredibly effective, especially for family members of those killed in the conflict with Russia. Critically, it is allowing community leaders to guide small groups of people through a restorative process.

ON THE STREETS: supporters of Ukraine are making their views known in the West.

Now that it’s available in so many churches across the country, the Ukrainian Bible Society is struggling to keep up with requests for resources and training.

"Our brothers and sisters in Ukraine need Bibles for people searching for comfort in troubled times," added Robert Briggs. "They need trauma-healing resources to provide the balm of Scripture. And they need us to intercede for them."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian pastor, Viacheslav Khramov, emphasises the point made by Robert Briggs when he says: "I ask you, in the name of Jesus Christ – whoever can pray, please keep us in your prayers. We ask everyone who is able to pray, please pray for us. Pray for Ukraine. Pray that lives are spared, as well as our bodies and souls."

Why Ukraine... why now?

While listening to the words coming out of the mouths of a succession of political figures this morning as Ukraine faces up to the threat of a Russian invasion, I find my agitation levels rising.

I have Ukrainian friends and I will be praying for them and their families. Real hardship and loss await if the reports coming out of the country are anywhere near true. But rather than spout streams of anti-Russian propaganda, which seems to be the norm these days, I would prefer it if our politicians, from the Prime Minister down, explained to us why these terrible events are unfolding – and why now?

I am not interested in who is to blame for this calamitous state of affairs. All I want to know is how this situation has happened. My simple brain tells me that if we understand this, we will be a lot closer to identifying how to bring this conflict to a close.

ON THE MOVE: after massing on the border, Russian tanks are now crossing into Ukraine.

Not for one minute do I think it is because Vladimir Putin is some expansionist monster. His previous track record as Russia's President and Prime Minister would suggest he is not, albeit I do accept he probably isn't the kind of fella you'd put in charge of children's nursery or invite to a cosy dinner party!

Everything I am hearing and seeing tells me something else is at play here – one the west doesn't want us to examine too closely.

At times like these, it is very easy to have a short-term memory and demonise people and countries we are in conflict with. That, in my humble opinion, is a real mistake.

WEAKEST LINK: President Joe Biden's foreign policy has been nothing short of disastrous.

Let's turn the clock back to the early 1990s when the US and UK governments defied the United Nations and marched into Iraq and toppled the dictator, Saddam Hussein. Why were we right to ignore the views of the international community?

Fast forward to the current century and turn the microscope onto Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt and several other countries in the Middle East. The west – principally the UK and the US – either bludgeoned its way into these states or used its influence to grossly destabilise these sovereign nations and topple regimes that were not sympathetic to the west's agenda and values. Were we right to do this?

SEEKING SUPPORT: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (right) meets his German counterpart.

For as long as I care to remember, NATO and the European Union have been doing their very best to undermine Russia by deliberately provoking Putin and the Kremlin. Indeed, within the last five years, NATO has attempted to persuade Poland to site missile sites that targeted Moscow!

And then we have everything that has been going on in Ukraine in recent years, with the west using this country of 25 million souls to prod, poke and antagonise the Russian Bear. I know little about bearbaiting, other than if it bites you are in big trouble!

CHURCHILL MOMENT: Boris Johnson has now got more turbulence to deal with.

Presiding over all of these things have been our politicians, who, by any standards, are weak and something akin to a rabble that's low on wit and clout on the international stage. If Putin was going to show his hand, he couldn't have chosen a better time.

What the Russian President has done is wrong. Fact. But when you look at the bigger picture, it is understandable. When bears get angry, they lash out. The west has done it. And now Russia is following suit, and the UK, US and EU has to take a significant dollop of responsibility for everything that is about to unfold.

When we do that and desist with the bearbaiting, maybe Putin will be prepared to sit down and negotiate. I pray it is so, and I pray the moment arrives sooner rather than later.

Tony Yorke is the Deputy Editor of Sorted.

Finding peace in a storm

Every picture tells a story...

Everyone who is a regular reader of Sorted magazine appreciates the wonderful work of our very talented illustrator, Andy Gray.

For several years now, Andy has been our resident man with a crayon, who can quickly bring topical moments to life on a piece of paper – and help turn a good yarn into a great one.

Last week, he had a moment of inspiration in relation to the Super Bowl clash between Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. His drawing has made all of us in the Sorted editorial team have a good chuckle – but boy, have we struggled to come up with a caption!

So, we thought we would throw open a challenge to you, our wonderful readers. Can you come up with a caption to this image that will grace the pages of the next edition of Sorted?

It's a simple concept – albeit very unscientific: the caption that makes us laugh aloud the most will be printed in the next edition of the magazine – and we'll also be crediting the author. For good measure, we may also throw in some of the other submissions that brought a smile to our faces.

If you fancy taking part please drop a line on our Facebook page, or send your suggestion directly to tony@sortedmag.com

We hope to hear from you soon.

A black year for referees

Every time you turn on a televised football match or go to a live game, there is at least one moment when you ask yourself: who'd be a referee and subject themselves to the kinds of direct abuse they receive?

I certainly wouldn't want to attract that kind of attention or vitriol. 

It is a sad fact that the men in black are the butt of hurtful jokes and much worse. Alas, things seem to be reaching a new low as some new research suggests top-flight refs are really getting blasted from all sides by impatient and intolerant fans.

The new findings reveal there were more than 295,000 negative comments made online towards England's top-flight referees during the last 12 months– and that's just in the UK.

TOP OF THE PILE: Premier League referee, Anthony Taylor, leads the way in terms of global abuse.

Among the most shocking of all the findings was the confirmation that:

• 79% of all negative comments are made by males
• 18-24 years olds are the worst offenders, with 53% of negative comments made by this specific demographic group
• On Twitter, only 10.6% of conversations about match officials were found to be positive

IN THE MIX: referee Mike Dean is never far away from controversy - or abuse - on a matchday.

The data is part of a wider study into negative online comments made about 600 referees, umpires and officials from each major sporting league around the world. Given the passions football evokes in supporters, six Premier League referees make the top 10, making the world's most wealthy and widely supported competition the most toxic global sporting event.

And while six of English football's top referees find themselves in the top tier, a further four increase the English quota to 10 when identifying the 20 most trolled officials in the world. Of these, Anthony Taylor has received more abuse than any other official over the last 12 months. The Liverpool v Chelsea tie on 28 August 2021 caused the brunt of this abuse, with over 3,000 negative comments being aimed at him directly.

UNWELCOME STATISTIC: Super Bowl umpire, Sarah Thomas, got the second-highest level of abuse.

Martin Atkinson and Paul Tierney also make the top-five list. Atkinson’s worst game was West Ham v Manchester United on 19 September, when he received over 4,000 direct negative comments, whilst Tierney’s was Spurs v Liverpool just before Christmas. On this occasion, Tierney performance attracted over 3,100 negative broadsides.

But it’s not just the Premier League that gets a raw deal. Sarah Thomas, a female umpire in the NFL, boasts the second-worst online trolling record with 6,288 abusive comments – most of which were sent after it was announced she would be officiating at the recent Super Bowl.

IN THE FIRING LINE: Paul Tierney is the fourth most globally abused match official.

The world's most abused match officials

1. Anthony Taylor (Premier League referee): 10,141 abusive and negative posts

2. Sarah Thomas (NFL umpire): 6,288

3. Martin Atkinson (Premier League referee): 6,153

4. Paul Tierney (Premier League referee): 4,080

5. Scott Foster (NBA): 3691

6. Mike Dean (Premier League referee): 3,491

7. Michael Oliver (Premier League referee): 3,135

8. Chris Lee (National Hockey League referee): 2,886

9. Ruddy Buquet (French Ligue 1 football referee): 2,562

10. Craig Pawson (Premier League referee): 2,557

NO HIDING PLACE: even NHL referee, Chris Lee, can't escape being hounded by online trolls.

To collect the data, research (via 'social listening') was conducted between January 2021 to January 2022.

Over 600 referees, umpires and officials were analysed from each major sporting league around the world. Each official was analysed through the social listening tool, to reveal the number of posts made and the percentage of which were negative.

Tony Yorke is the Deputy Editor of Sorted.

Get fit the disciplined way

 

It's a fact: approximately eight out of ten of us will have failed to keep whatever new year resolutions we may have made before the second week of February. And this is particularly true when we make promises about improving our health and fitness.

So, before you swap your bicep curls for a pack of chocolate swirls, let me give you the key difference between those who hit their fitness goals and the majority of people who end up in worse shape than they were 12 months earlier (and it has nothing to do with your genes).

Here is the difference: those who succeed put in place disciplined systems to help them get from where they start (unhealthy) to where they want to be (healthy).  

DISCIPLINE AND RIGOUR: it's the truth – your body will feel and look better if you invest in it.

Remember that book from your favourite life coach who told you success always came from a SMART goal? Sorry chief, they were wrong! Goals are good for setting a direction, but systems are best for making progress. Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there. In other words, you do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.

Think about the man who has a stressful job and a family to run. Perhaps you can relate? He may start the year motivated to lose that three stone and fit into his 32-inch jeans. For a few weeks, he may squeeze a few gym sessions into his already busy schedule. Perhaps he even makes his own meal when he gets home instead of his usual time-saving takeaway. But what happens when the motivation goes (and it always does)? He, like most people, will go back to his destructive, yet easier, behaviours.  

BROKEN PROMISES: 80% of us have returned to the bad old ways by mid-February.

Thankfully, there is a smarter way.

Create a good system that removes the barriers to you doing your good habits. For example, if you don’t have time to cook every night, spend an hour on Sunday doing a batch cook of lean meats and veg that last for the week. You can walk through the door after a long day and simply heat up your healthy, good-to-go meal.

Another system hack is joining a gym that is on your way to work. You will literally have to walk, cycle or drive past it twice that day. You should also pack your gym bag the night before and put it in front of your front door. That way, no second or third snooze will stop you.

TOUGHENED UP: good news – a Marine-style fitness regime helps to lose weight but isn't essential.

The opposite also works. Make it hard to do bad things. I always recommend not buying junk food that you can store in your kitchen. That way when you are hungry at nine o'clock at night, the only way you can eat that big bag of crisps you are craving is to get out in the cold and go to your local store. Oh, and before you go and get all smart on me, I always ask my clients to download an app that blocks access to the home delivery services that will do that for you!

More than anything, be confident. Believe you can achieve your health and fitness goal, even if you want to quit as you read this. Just be smart. Take the 'hard' out of hard work and watch the pounds drop off.

Ex-Marine, Mark Ames, is the director of Taunton-based Pure Performance Personal Training.

Weak Joe undermines us all

Get a taste of Father Stu...

Check out Mark Wahlberg's latest movie – about a mouthy, down-on-his-luck boxer who joins the priesthood after a near-death experience – at sortedmag.com. 

Based on a true story, Father Stu is an unflinchingly honest, funny and ultimately uplifting drama about a lost soul who finds his purpose in a most unexpected place. It hits British cinema screens at Easter (from 14 April).

When an injury ends his amateur boxing career, Stuart Long (played by Wahlberg) moves to Los Angeles. dreaming of stardom. While scraping by as a supermarket assistant, he meets Carmen (Teresa Ruiz), a Catholic Sunday school teacher who seems immune to his bad-boy charm. Determined to win her over, the longtime agnostic starts going to church to impress her.

But surviving a terrible motorcycle accident leaves him wondering if he can use his second chance to help others find their way, leading to the surprising realisation that he is meant to be... a Catholic priest.

Despite a devastating health crisis and the scepticism of Church officials and his estranged parents (played by Mel Gibson and Jacki Weaver), Stu pursues his vocation with courage and compassion, inspiring not only those closest to him but countless others along the way.

Father Stu is written for the screen and directed by Rosalind Ross, and stars Wahlberg in the title role, alongside Oscar winners, Gibson and Weaver. The convincing Ruiz (who starred in Narcos) also makes a significant contribution to this most compelling of films.

Sad, gripping and inspiring

“My face is my trademark,” says Tammy Faye Bakker at a poignant moment in the remarkable biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

This fine-looking young woman and her handsome husband, Jim, were two of the most recognisable, influential and powerful people in the United States in the 1970s – even gaining the ears of world leaders.

But don't be fooled by the glitz and razzmatazz: this is a story about how the mighty fall, how corruption takes its hold and ruins people – and the lessons we can all learn from such a diabolical situation.

When Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye (brilliantly played by Jessica Chastain) met at the North Central Bible College in Minneapolis in 1960, there is little doubt both were motivated to spread the word of God for good, sound reasons.

TAMMY FAYE AND JIM: the couple started off on the right path, but then took several wrong turns.

Both sincerely believed their Maker had big plans for them. After their marriage, a year later, this photogenic and charismatic Christian couple began to pursue those dreams.

Jim, faithfully played by Andrew Garfield (main picture), and his wife set up a travelling ministry and quickly became popular with Church congregations. After a meeting with Pat Robertson, a televangelist, they were to find a platform for their message (which involved powerful preaching, melodious singing, and the use of props, such as puppets), and quickly become household names in the US bible belt.

The Bakkers went on to launch their own TV station, build homes for the poor and open a Christian theme park. Theirs was a story of rags to riches – all in a good cause. Or so it seemed.

TURNING POINT: a meeting with the televangelist, Pat Robertson, was a game-changer.

Alas, there was a serpent in the garden, and when temptation reared its ugly head, Jim and Tammy Faye succumbed. Both had affairs, Jim began cheating on his tax, and he would eventually be revealed to be gay. Meanwhile, Tammy Faye’s insistence that the Church should embrace the LGBTQ community didn’t go down well with conservative evangelicals.

The ride had to end, and it did – spectacularly: their reputations were ruined, their marriage ended in divorce, and Jim would spend eight years in prison for his financial misdemeanours.

Michael Showalter's film tells that remarkable and tragic story very well. 

DAZZLING PERFORMANCE: Jessica Chastain delivers a faithful portrayal of Tammy.

Garfield and Chastain give remarkable performances and The Eyes of Tammy Faye holds the viewer's attention for more than two hours. Throughout, it appeals to our emotions and tells a compelling story.

I am sure this film, which can be viewed at cinemas throughout the UK and on digital platforms like Amazon Prime, will gain a wide audience and be appreciated for the powerful story it tells and the high calibre acting of its main characters. But I also hope those that watch it will ask questions about the motives of anyone asking for large amounts of cash to fund their Christian work.

Sorted film critic Andy Godfrey is a founder member of the Mark Kermode Appreciation Society.

Why we must ban porn