Have A Little Faith - Book Review

Have you heard of Mitch Albom, or his popular book Tuesdays With Morrie? I read Tuesdays With Morrie earlier in the year, and really enjoyed it (I mentioned it here). So when I found out that Albom had written another true story, and that the library had it, well, I borrowed it of course. :) I had a slight hesitation about Have A Little Faith because it’s obviously a spiritual book, but I wasn’t sure if the author was a Christian, so who knew what kind of religious stuff he would be putting forward. But, I started reading, and basically devoured the whole book in a day or two.

Have a Little Faith begins when his childhood rabbi asks Mitch to take his eulogy. Mitch finds the request strange and decides he has to get to know the man before he can hope to do his eulogy when he dies. So their friendship begins. Doing business for his charities, Mitch also comes across the leader of a church in need. This pastor has a colourful past, and a passion to help others physically and spiritually. Mitch finds himself in the middle of these two stories, learning, considering, finding out more about himself, life, God, purpose, and passion. 

Have A Little Faith was a page-turning story, and had a message that made me think. It was easy to read and follow, and written in an engaging style, but it was also so much more. It’s deep, it shares knowledge, and truth, and insight. It’s satisfying, and challenging. I wish there were more books like it. It’s deeply spiritual, but it’s not preachy, it’s not in-your-face, it’s not trying to prove anything. I don’t agree with everything in there, but nothing is present as the one-and-only truth. It’s just tells the story, and you feel like a kid at grandfather’s knee, taking it all in. For example, this discussion between the author and the rabbi: 

“'You know, we have a tradition. When you go to a funeral, you’re supposed to stand by the coffin and ask the deceased to forgive anything you’ve ever done.'

He made a face.

'Personally, I don’t want to wait that long.'” (page 210)

Or this one:

“How do you not get cynical?

He [the rabbi] stopped.

'There is no room for cynicism in this line of work.'

But people are so flawed. They ignore ritual, they ignore faith – they even ignore you. Don’t you get tired of trying?

He studied me sympathetically. Maybe he realized what I was really asking: Why me?

'Let me answer with a story,’ he said. ‘There’s this salesman, see? And he knocks on a door. The man who answers says, "I don’t need anything today."

'The next day, the salesman returns.'

'“Stay away,” he is told.

'The next day, the salesman is back.

'The man yells, “You again! I warned you!” He gets so angry, he spits in the salesman’s face.

'The salesman smiles, wipes the spit with a handkerchief, then looks to the sky and says, “Must be raining.”

'Mitch, that’s what faith is. If they spit in your face, you say it must be raining. But you still come back tomorrow.'” (page 47)

Or this excerpt from a sermon by Pastor Convington:

“'The same thing with Paul… They saw him… they couldn’t believe that this man’s from Jesus, because they looked at his past-'

‘That’s right!’

‘They just looked at his past. And when we’re still looking at ourselves through our past, we’re not seeing what God has done. What He can do! We’re not seeing the little things that happen in our lives-‘

‘Tell it now.’” (page 192)

I can't portray it accurately, or tell you exactly why it’s so amazing, but basically: Have A Little Faith is excellent; read it first chance you get! And then tell me what you think. :) In the meantime, have you read any of Mitch Albom’s books? What books have you been enjoying lately? (And can you believe 2015 is almost over?!)