Have a Little Faith: A True Story

This book, in my opinion, is a must read. It was well written, educational, spiritual, inspiring, entertaining and engaging. Realistic and heartwarming from start to finish.

"Have a Little Faith", by Mitch Albom, is basically two different stories about three men, two religious leaders from different faiths; Albom's childhood Rabbi (Reb), Henry a Christian Pastor from the inner city of Detroit and the author Mitch Albom. The story places Albom into two different religions, two different cultures and the worlds of those who have and those who have not. It is the tale of his encounters with these men and his skepticism of all religions. The story starts with Mitch Albom's childhood Rabbi asking him the favor of writing and delivering his eulogy when he passes after service one day. He is caught off guard by rabbi's request because he no longer lives in the area and is not a regular participant at services. Finally he agrees to the request with the condition that he gets to know him better as a man. Reb agrees to his condition and this makes Mitch a bit uncomfortable because he know it will put him back into his synagogue and faith he left behind years ago. He begins his weekly trips back and forth from Detroit to visit the Reb, with many health scares over the years and learns the life story of Reb and the strength of his faith thru many of life's trials. He nick names him the `singing rabbi' because of his love for song. Mitch begins to develop a relationship with Reb that becomes unexpected to him and it opens his eyes to his upbringing and the faith he never understand. Closer to home in Detroit, Albom is looking for an organization to support and encounters Henry a Christian Pastor, a reformed drug dealer and convict. Henry, the leader for "I Am My Brother's Keeper Ministries" preaches to the poor, cares for the homeless, criminals, addicts and anyone who needs him, for free because his church comes first. With any religion Albom is skeptic, but he is very skeptical about Henry's motives and his faith. After several meetings Albom finally decides to visit Henry's church without telling him and he discovers that even with a hole in the decaying church's roof Henry stays positive and faithful that God with take care of it when the time is right. Obstacles will not stop him for caring for the needy and doing the job he promised God he would do in His name. As he goes between the worlds of these two men he knows how different each is yet he sees how similar they are in their survival, faith and trust in God. Reb embraces his retirement, health issues and his own death as it approaches and Pastor Henry trusts that his mission for the needy will be met and his church will remain open. He doesn't understand it and is suspicious at times but as the years go on he sees how their faith transforms their lives. The ending is exactly what is expected, Mitch Albom giving Reb's eulogy, but what isn't expected is how the lives of these two different men change how Mitch Albom sees his own upbringing, his faith and the trust people place in God. It transformed him and fulfilled a part of his life that was empty. This is an easy read book and not a religious book by any means. It is the true, honest story of Mitch Albom's journey of regaining his faith and losing his cynical outlook on religion. It is the touching story of an ex-convict who changed his ways to help others and the story of a rabbi who enjoyed his life to the fullest to the very end. It is a book of experiences. Mitch Albom did a wonderful job with this story and I highly recommend it. Once you start reading you won't put it down and it will make you think once you begin to close the cover on the final page.

Mitch Albom wrote one of my favorite books of the past 15 years, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE . . . I don't know if his latest effort, HAVE A LITTLE FAITH (see also Sections 2, 4C, 10 and 11), tops it . . . but it is definitely up there with any list of current books that I'd strongly recommend. FAITH begins when Albom is summoned to deliver the eulogy of the rabbi from his New Jersey hometown . . . though the rabbi is still living, he has chosen the author as the man to do the job in the future . . . Albom accepts, but only on the condition that he gets to conduct a series of interviews with the rabbi to get to know him better. Around the same, Albom also becomes involved with a Detroit pastor who also happens to be a reformed drug dealer and convict . . . his church has its own problems; i.e., it is decaying and there's a hole in its roof. The writing repeatedly moved me . . . to cite one such passage where that was the case: * . . . and I am in my religious high school. The subject is the parting of the Red Sea. I yawn. What is left to learn about this? I've heard it a million times. I look across the room to a girl I like and contemplate how hard it would be to get her attention. "There is a Talmudic commentary here," the teacher says. Oh, great I figure. This means translation, which is slow and painful. But as the story unfolds, I begin to pay attention. After the Israelites safely crossed the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after them and were drowned. God's angels wanted to celebrate the enemy's demise. According to the commentary, God saw this and grew angry. He said, in essence: "Stop celebrating. For those were my children, too."Those were my children, too. "What do you think of that?" the teacher asks us. Someone else answers. But I know what I think. I think it is the first time I've heard that God might love the "enemy" as well as us. Years later, I will forget the class, forget the teacher's name, forget the girl across the room. But I will remember that story. In addition, I liked the several stories that were interspersed throughout, including this one: * A man buried his wife. At the gravesite he stood by the Reb, tears falling down his face. "I loved her," he whispered. The Reb nodded. "I mean . . . I really loved her." The man broke down. "And...I almost told her once." The Reb looked at me sadly. "Nothing haunts like the things we don't say." Lastly, the book got me viewing life through a different framework--something I like to do from time to time . . . here Albom describes a realization that he came to while driving home one night: * That I am neither better nor smarter, only luckier. And I should be ashamed of thinking I knew everything, because you can know the whole world and still feel lost in it. So many people are in pain--no matter how smart or accomplished--they cry, they yearn, they hurt. But instead of looking down on things, they look up, which is where I should have been looking, too. Because when the world quiets to the sound of your own breathing, we all want the same things: comfort, love, and a peaceful heart. Even though the holiday gift-giving season will have passed by the time you read this review, I still recommend you purchase HAVE A LITTLE FAITH . . . not just for you; it also makes the ideal gift for any man or woman of the cloth that you know.

Do not think twice buy this book

This is a lovely book. Short, easy to read and inspiring. Many stories in the book will stay with me for a long time.

Tuesdays with MorrieのAlbert Lewis版に置き換えたノンフィクションです。 Mitch AlbomにはやはりNon fictionを書いてほしいと思わせる良い作品です。 Eulogyとは、お葬式で死者に対して生前の人物と業績への賛辞を語ることです。 この本は、Albert Lewis牧師から「eulogy」を依頼されて(2000年当時82歳）から、 牧師（本の中ではRebと呼んでいる)が亡くなるまで(2008年、90歳）のAlbertとMitchの 会話が、骨格です。Morrieの会話が重なってイメージされました。 もう一人の登場人物が、Henry Covington。 彼は典型的なチンピラで悪いことをやりほうだいの人物ですが やがて教会でHomelessの支援を行います。 Morrieには「死ぬということはどういうことか？」と質問したように、 Albertには「神を信じると言うことはどういうことなのか？」を、素朴に 質問するようになります。 Why do bad things happen to good people? (P80) But so many people wage wars in God's name.(?) (P91) 心のヒーリングに関する本や、成功物語の本は沢山出版されていますが、 それ以上に癒される本です。 特に、Tuesdays with Morrieに共感した読者に対しては癒す作用が 強く働くと思いました。 もちろん、最後に6ページにわたるEulogyが記述されています。

We transport between two cultures, two faiths two men of God . And find that though they do not preach to us, God is shown living through and with them.

Das Buch spricht eine Seite des Lebens an, die wesentlich ist. Man kann meinen, sich noch so sehr von Gott entfernt zu haben, wenn eine echte Sehnsucht nach Leben in Wahrheit vorhanden ist, benutzt Gott wundervolle Wege Sein, Gottes Wesen, bewußt und lieb zu machen und Vertrauen in IHN zu stärken..Der Autor vermittelt das durch sein Leben und die Art wie es schreibt sehr gut.