As you plan to worship and pray tomorrow, Sunday, December 4th, please consider joining your prayers with ours as faith leaders at the COP17 climate change conference in Durban, South Africa.

‘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.

Too many responses to the Oslo bombing and Utoya Island shooting are, predictably, adding to the kind of hateful sentiments which give rise to such attacks. Remarkably, some have responded with a strength of heart and faith that gives energy to the way of love, as distinct from ways of fear. It appears that those who call themselves Christian are included in both groups: both those incline to perpetuate division and violence with their responses, and those who have allowed their broken hearts to open and embrace the pain of 'the other.'

A 10-year-old boy rocks from one foot to the other in right field. The thought of a ball flying through the air at great speed toward him terrifies him. His fear of dropping the ball and failing in front of his team and his father sitting in the stands paralyzes him. Please don’t hit the ball to me. Please don’t hit the ball to me. Please don’t hit the ball to me. The batter knocks a grounder to the shortstop. Phew! Thank goodness.   

Earlier this week, Ray Como of Alberta fell into a combine. This piece of machinery, for those unfamiliar with farm equipment, harvests grain crops. It cuts the stalks and separates the grain kernels from the straw. The grain stays in a holding tank while the straw shoots out the back onto the field to be baled later. To do such work, the inside of a combine is a complex arrangement of rotating blades, wheels, sieves, and elevators.