Have a Little Faith: A True Story 小信仰

Whatifourbeliefswerenotwhatdividedus,butwhatpulledustogether.InHaveaLittleFaith,MitchAlbomoffersabeautifullywrittenstoryofaremarkableeight-yearjourneybetweentwoworlds--twomen,twofaiths,twocommunities--thatwillinspirereaderseverywhere.Albom'sfirstnonfictionbooksinceTuesdayswithMorrie,HaveaLittleFaithbeginswithanunusualrequest:aneighty-two-year-oldrabbifromAlbom'soldhometownaskshimtodeliverhiseulogy.Feelingunworthy,Albominsistsonunderstandingthemanbetter,whichthrowshimbackintoaworldoffaithhe'dleftyearsago.Meanwhile,closertohiscurrenthome,AlbombecomesinvolvedwithaDetroitpastor--areformeddrugdealerandconvict--whopreachestothepoorandhomelessinadecayingchurchwithaholeinitsroof.Movingbetweentheirworlds,ChristianandJewish,African-Americanandwhite,impoverishedandwell-to-do,Albomobserveshowtheseverydifferentmenemployfaithsimilarlyinfightingforsurvival:theolder,suburbanrabbiembracingitasdeathapproaches;theyounger,inner-citypastorrelyingonittokeephimselfandhischurchafloat.AsAmericastruggleswithhardtimesandpeopleturnmoretotheirbeliefs,AlbomandthetwomenofGodexploreissuesthatperplexmodernman:howtoendurewhendifficultthingshappen;whatheavenis;intermarriage;forgiveness;doubtingGod;andtheimportanceoffaithintryingtimes.Althoughthetexts,prayers,andhistoriesaredifferent,Albombeginstorecognizeastrikingunitybetweenthetwoworlds--andindeed,betweenbeliefseverywhere.Intheend,astherabbinearsdeathandaharshwinterthreatensthepastor'swobblychurch,Albomsadlyfulfillstherabbi'slastrequestandwritestheeulogy.Andhefinallyunderstandswhatbothmenhadbeenteachingallalong:theprofoundcomfortofbelievinginsomethingbiggerthanyourself.HaveaLittleFaithisabookaboutalife'spurpose;aboutlosingbeliefandfindingitagain;aboutthedivinesparkinsideusall.Itisoneman'sjourney,butitiseveryone'sstory.Tenpercentoftheprofitsfromthisbookwillgotocharity,includingTheHoleInTheRoofFoundation,whichhelpsrefurbishplacesofworshipthataidthehomeless.