Moderator Mardi Tindal at COP17 Interfaith Rally, Durban, South Africa.

One of my tasks here at COP17 is to pray for courage.
 
It takes courage to listen humbly.

In her opening words to the COP17 this morning Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) quoted Nelson Mandela, “It always seems impossible until it is done.”

Desmond Tutu was at his best yesterday at the Interfaith Rally here in Durban. As one new friend put it, “Tutu is liberation in human form” – an apt description as the ‘retired’ Archbishop compares the struggle to end apartheid with the struggle to mitigate climate change.

For those of your on Facebook, Trinity-St. Paul's United in Toronto invites you to share your support for faith leaders involved in the climate change issue. On November 27, please change your Facebook status to say,

‘We have faith’ is displayed boldly in every corner where the Faith Secretariat has a considerable presence here at the COP17.

The first and only other time I’ve visited Africa was in 2000, in Ghana representing The United Church of Canada at a gathering of African lay centres. And as soon as I stepped onto the continent again yesterday, memories of witnessing the deep faith of Africans were rekindled.

This morning as I finish packing for Durban, South Africa, where the United Nations climate talks will take place over the next two weeks, I’m cherishing the encouraging words in a message from one of our United Church ministers:

As I prepare to join faith leaders from around the world at the United Nations climate change conference in South Africa (COP17), I am watching the cascading effect of our Canadian faith leaders’ statement and efforts of last month. Here are a few of the things that have happened since then:

Over the past several days I have been in Ottawa speaking with other faith leaders and political leaders about the moral and spiritual challenge of climate change. On Sunday evening I participated in such a panel at a fully public event hosted at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, and the following morning, in a full-day Interfaith Forum.