"What sense does it make to leave tons of money to our children when they won't have air to breathe or water to drink!?" These were the words of Refeek Hassen, Director of the Islamic Inter-Faith Research Institute (IIFRI). He was speaking at an inter-faith morning devotion where faith leaders gathered to share their thoughts on the COP17 diliberations and offer up prayers for the road ahead.

I began my Tuesday morning with this group. They discussed many of the issues they felt connected us all, as beings created by God and linked together in our common purpose. They met to ensure that a faith perspective is brought to the table at this year's COP. As I sat and listened to each person speak I found myself moved by their candid nature and sincere expressions of hope and dispair. Many offered personal stories of how their own people have begun to suffer the effects of climate change in their local communities. Massive floods, droughts, hurricanes, cyclones, and mudslides have killed thousands upon thousands in recent years and left millions more homeless, reeling from the loss of all they knew and held dear.

This is clearly NOT a Christian issue or a Muslim issue, a Jewish issue or a Buddhist issue. This is not an issue for a single group of people, any certain faith or country or land. THIS is a HUMAN issue. And yet, as the calculated debates continue to swirl at Durban's International Conference Centre (ICC), one key element is missing...the HUMAN element. It is the most important element of our interconnected life here on earth and should be at the core of this debate. Sadly, it is the bottom line, the economic crisis, and the selfish self interests that remain the dominant motivation in the global political process.

This blog is not about LUCSA putting up a soapbox to deliver a political message. It IS, however, a forum upon which to look at the stark realities of these meetings from a faith perspective. We cannot pretend that the gospel lacks clarity on these issues, in fact, quite the contrary. It is the words of Jesus that should ring loud and clear at this critical moment...It is our role, as people of Jesus, to heed His call!

We must not leave it there though, but instead take it one step further, to understand it in the context of our interconnected nature. No matter what faith we hold in our hearts, we were all created by the same heavenly Father, that is a truth we must acknowledge. Because of this, it is in our interest and the interest of our children, to look at two key themes in our lives, as members of humanity:

1) That which connects us

2) The challenges we face together

If we look at these two themes we will be emboldened with the strength and ability to take on the greatest challenges of the world, including climate change. Refeek Hassen also spoke about the need for a complete paradigm shift, a collective shift towards satisfying humanity's needs and away from fulfilling it's greed. This has been a theme woven throughout the past few days of inter-faith meetings and one that has struck a particular chord with me. Dr. Naidoo spoke of it on Monday in the sense of a grassroots "Green Revolution". The Occupy Wall Street movement has found its way to COP, people from around the globe have begun congregating near Speaker's Square, opposite the ICC. "This is very real, and very possible", said a member of the movement I spoke with from Australia. She continued, "This is about more than just Wall Street or COP17, this is about a complete global shift in the way in which we operate as humanity, we are fed up...the greed will end now!"

Humanity has come to Durban. It has come from every corner of the globe, from every inhabited continent, from every faith group, and from every socio-economic sector. The seeds of hope of which I spoke on Monday are being sown here despite the gridlock at the ICC. They are being watered with the prayers of many faiths and the light of justice is what shines upon them. Much of the world lives in comfort, but it is a comfort bought with the suffering of millions.

Tahirih Matthee of the Baha'i Faith community in Southern Africa may have put it best when she made the following statement on Tuesday:

"If your lifestyle is built for the ego you are only doing something for yourself, only looking inward. However, we must come to a new reality, one based on the interests of others. The international bodies must begin to operate on a level of true selflessness for the planet's sake."

No matter what happens in Durban know that the true power lies within each and every one of us. It has been a unifying message of hope within the inter-fath delegation here but must spread beyond us. We must all put humanity back in our lives, for the sake of each other!