Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Have a Little Faith


Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

Yes, it's surprising that I picked up Mitch Albom's latest because I thought Tuesdays with Morrie was too cheesy and not at all sincere and The Five People You Meet in Heaven was, well, boring. The premise for this book intrigued me and it's being discussed a lot at my church so I gave it a "try." And three hours later, I've plowed through the entire book and ended up crying legitimate tears at the end, and I actually believe Albom was crying his own tears. It's a beautiful, completely moving story about a rabbi with a 60-year career in the synagogue and a Christian preacher who creates a church in the most impoverished area of downtown Detroit after a life of crime and breaking every one of the Ten Commandments. Albert Lewis (aka The Reb), the Rabbi, was likeable from start to finish and his stories of tolerance and hope and love were inspirational, not totally hokey as I'd feared. Henry Covington, a man who essentially grew up in the streets of rough Brooklyn and spent time in prison, is much harder to warm up to. However, as Albom moves the story along and we see how Covington strives to turn his life around, he is redeemed in my heart and it gives hope that we call can find the way to a "good" life. Through it all, the story-teller as well as the spiritual leaders stress that it doesn't matter what your religion is or how you practice. It's just that you "Have a little faith." But as The Reb tells Albom and both the strong men in this story show, "Faith is about doing. You are how you act, not just how you believe."

Beautiful, beautiful story that I would recommend to anyone who needs a pick me up and renewed faith in the human spirit.

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