This November, I had the great privilege of traveling with Rev. Tafue Lusama from the South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu for

Rev. Tafue Lusama is an unassuming man, quiet and contemplative with a subtle sense of humor. Meeting him in passing, one would never know his incredible passion, strength, courage, and resolve. You see, for Rev. Lusama global warming is not just a distant problem we might have to address sometime in the future. Global warming is threatening the very existence of Tuvalu, his small, low-lying, south pacific island home. Faced with an unprecedented amount of storm surges and cyclones; an accelerating rate of coastal erosion, flooding and sea-water rise; the complete salinization of the underground freshwater table; extensive coral bleaching and depletion of fish stocks; and the consequent increase in poverty and public health issues such as water-born diseases, the people of Tuvalu are often referred to as the first casualty of global warming.

Rev. Lusama‘s fight to stop global warming is, in essence, a fight for the very existence of his homeland, people, and culture. It is also a fight to revive two key tenets of the Christian faith- justice and stewardship of God’s creation. The people of Tuvalu did nothing to contribute to this problem. And yet they are now suffering, as the western world stands by and debates if, when, and how we should solve this distant problem. Unfortunately, Rev. Lusama and the people of Tuvalu do not have the luxury of distance and time. 

It is this message that Rev. Lusama brought to Christians across the United States on Restoring Eden’s “Ankle Deep in Reality Tour.” From Sunday morning church services, to nightly presentations at churches and colleges, to meetings with national congressional leaders- he pressed on, sharing his story and pleading for help from his fellow Christian brothers and sisters in the United States. “Jesus came to fight for justice and stood with the poor and vulnerable,” Rev. Lusama reminds his audience, calling on the American church to stand with the people of Tuvalu- a nation that is 99.9% Christian. The trip was difficult and tiresome, but incredibly successful. Rev. Lusama left with great hope and faith that Christians here had heard his message and will respond to the plea of vulnerable communities being harmed by global warming. I hope he is right, and though the fight to stop global warming will continue to be difficult and tiresome, Christians across the United States will stand for justice and stewardship with the people of Tuvalu, and be met with grace and victory. 

Article submitted by Anna Jane Joyner. Anna Jane is a 2007 graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and current co-coordinator for Renewal. She fell in love with God's creation while studying in New Zealand, and has since been inspired and driven to protect it. Being a pastor’s child from the southeast and knowing little about the subject, when she returned home she eagerly began studying Christian perspectives on environmental stewardship. Since graduating, she has dedicated her life and work to engaging the Christian community in caring for God’s amazing and life-sustaining creation. Her recent endeavors include co-authoring the Sierra Club report 'Faith in Action' and teaching environmental studies at a Christian high school. Anna Jane lives in North Carolina and enjoys hiking, travelling, frequenting independent bookstores, listening to bluegrass and writing poetry.