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20 Faith & Spirituality
JOHN SENTAMU’S ‘AGAPE LOVE STORIES’:
Mojatu Director, Valentine Nkoyo featured in the Book
By Elizabeth Addy & Dr Mike Calvert
https://youtu.be/jboQdMArpV4
way to a Christmas Eve service in
Sheffield in 2012.
Richard Taylor, father to Damirola
Taylor commenting about his
contribution in the book
John Sentamu’s Agape love Stories
On 1 December 2016, the
Archbishop of York Dr John
Sentamu launched his book
‘John Sentamu’s Agape Love
Stories’ at St Michael le Belfrey
Church, York.
The book contains 22 stories of
God’s love changing lives including
contributions from Jean Vanier, Tiki
Raumati and Muthoni Kanga. The
book also features a chapter from
a young Kenyan woman who went
through female genital mutilation
and now speaks out against the
practice.
Among the contributors who
shared their personal stories at
the launch was Richard Taylor
whose 10-year-old son Damilola
was murdered in London in 2000,
and Maureen Greaves, whose
husband Alan, a church organist,
was attacked and murdered on his
The
contributors
have
all
experienced great challenges in
their lives from those who have
lost loved ones to murder and
natural disaster, to those who
have overcome extreme personal
challenges and others who have
devoted their lives to the service
of others.
Archbishop Sentamu said: “These
remarkable stories show us the
Holy Spirit at work and how real
transformation is made possible.
When we know God’s self-giving
love for us, we are on a journey to
walk the way of Christ Jesus and
become love to others. Life isn’t
simple but loving help makes all
the difference”.
Mrs Greaves forgave her husband’s
killers, and said: “I have lived with
God’s forgiveness all my life. It
could not be on that night that I
would not forgive them.”
Speaking at the launch the
Archbishop thanked those who
took part in the book, and for their
work and bravery in speaking out.
The 22 stories in Agape Love Stories
stand as inspiring demonstrations
of Christian faith in action. Among
the contributors are people who
have lost loved ones to murder
and natural disaster, some who
have overcome extreme personal
challenges and some who have
devoted their lives to a God-given
calling to the service of others. Their
stories, with accompanying words
of wisdom and encouragement
from John Sentamu, are witness
to the life-transforming power of
God’s love.
Speaking at the launch, Dr Sentamu
said: “Agape is a Greek word for
love. These agape love stories
are really about the transforming
power of the God who came to us
in a little child called Jesus.”
Soroush
Sadeghzadeh,
a
contributor, shared how he came
to the UK 12 years ago as an
asylum-seeker fleeing religious
persecution in his native country,
Iran. He now lives in Teesside where
he manages the Middlesbrough
Foodbank. Mary Kolu Massaquoi,
a contributor, explained how she
was ready to hear God’s call and
follow it – and of her experience as
a nurse in a civil war and fighting
the Ebola virus. John Senior MBE
TD reflected on the bravery of the
RNLI crew, and of prayers said for
the new Shannon lifeboat, at the
Scarborough Lifeboat Station.
Jill Quinn, who founded the
growing North Yorkshire charity
Dementia Forward, is another
contributor. She said it was
humbling to be involved in the
book, alongside such powerful and
inspirational stories.
https://youtu.be/jboQdMArpV4