Saying Yes to Life - A Talk by Dr Ruth Valerio

Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book for 2020

Hosted by The Very Reverend Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark

Saying Yes to Life lifts our focus from every day (and perfectly natural) concerns to issues that are impacting millions of lives around the world. As people made in the image of God, we are entrusted to look after what God has made to share in the joy and creativity of God in making a difference for good.

Ruth Valerio imaginatively draws on the Days of Creation (Genesis 1 - 2.2) in relating themes of light, water, land, the seasons, other creatures, humankind, Sabbath rest and resurrection hope to matters of environmental, ethical and social concern. 

Foundational to the book are what it means to be human and, in particular, to be a follower of Jesus during Lent. Voices from other continents are heard throughout, and each chapter ends with discussion questions, a prayer, and specially commissioned art to aid action and contemplation.

Dr Ruth Valerio is Global Advocacy and Influencing Director at Tearfund. An environmentalist, theologian and social activist, she worked previously at A Rocha, UK. Ruth holds a doctorate from Kings College London, and honorary doctorates from the Universities of Winchester and Chichester. She enjoys living sustainably practising what she preaches and inspiring others as she does so on a housing estate in Chichester with her husband and two daughters.