HAVE A LITTLE FAITH

Title: Have A Little Faith
Author: Mitch Albom
Publisher: Hyperion
Place and year of publication: New York, 2009
Number of pages:  249
Where I found the book: At home

Faith, the foundation of every belief and the center of every day life is the theme of the book " Have A Little Faith". The true story begins with the journey of the author, Mitch Albom, to write the eulogy of his Jewish rabbi, when he discovers the true meaning of religion. The title "Have A Little Faith" is a calling to people of all nations, tongues and races to see beyond everyday life and believe in the power of faith.

" Will you do my eulogy?" was how it all began. To Mitch Albom, a sports reporter, it was a big surprise. To go back to his New Jersey temple and speak about the "Man of God"  that he barely knew was a huge task. But one that he can't refuse either. So, he decides that it is time for him to know Albert Lewis [ his rabbi ] as a friend and not as the figure of Judaism that he long abandoned. To Mitch, Judaism was a religion of long rituals and conservative life that he did't need. He was fine and healthy, rising the social ladder with a thriving career and making money. What else did he need? God?

Yet eight years later it's 2008, and he is still meeting with the rabbi. He had become his friend. Albert Lewis no longer reminded him of his childhood memories in the synagoge. Mitch saw the man in a new light. No longer as a man of religious authority that he saw on Saturdays. The meetings with Albert changed his life and perspective on Jewish faith and opened his eyes to other faiths too. In fact, he even met another man of faith like Albert Lewis called Pastor Covington. Henry Covington wasn't your average church leader. He accepted Christ behind a garbage can in a New York alley begging for God's mercy from the drug dealers who were out to kill him. But when Mitch saw the peace and love in Albert's and Henry's hearts something deep down changed in his life, something that he never had experienced before.

A year later, as he stood in the synagoge in memory of Albert Lewis, he realized what this journey had taught him. The value of his life isn't tied to his materialistic accomplishments, but to making this world a better place. After seeing Albert Lewis and meeting Henry Covington he regretted all the times that he didn't appreciate his own faith. The times when he walked away from his culture, his heritage, and most of all when he walked away from God. But this time he learned his lesson well, he wasn't going to leave God again. Both of these men had left the world a better place than it was before them, and for that their legacy of love and faith will live on.

Christian Perspective:

In my opinion, this book is not written from a Christian perspective, but from a Jewish perspective. Mitch Albom uses his Jewish background throughout the book to convey his ideas. Most of the conversations with Albert Lewis recorded in the book included a lot of Jewish morals and ideas. But, Mitch Albom himself acted in a Christ-like manner by trying to help Pastor Covington's church and by being at Albert's side until the end.

My Thoughts:

 This book is incredible. I enjoyed reading every chapter and connecting with the author's thoughts and ideas very much. I was amazed to discover that some of the Jewish ideas conveyed in the book are similar in a way to Christian beliefs. I was also impressed to see that the author talked about the way Christ had changed the life of Henry Covington eventhough he personally did not believe in Jesus. Even more, I  like the fact that Mitch Albom wrote this book from an open-minded perspective, and  did not judge the beliefs of others. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in faith and religion, since it provides a great variety of ideas and perspectives that really are worth looking at no matter what you believe in.