Have a Little Faith: A True Story

In an excerpt from one of the Reb’s sermons, a small girl at an airport whose family is moving leans on her belongings. A woman expresses her sympathy, assuming that the girl does not have a home. The girl retorts, “But we do have a home […]. We just don’t have a house to put it in” (110).

The doctors decide it would be too risky to remove the Reb’s tumor from his lung, so he returns home. During a visit three years after the diagnosis, the Reb shows off his new walker to Albom.

Albom reflects on the Reb’s humble lifestyle. The Reb grew up in a poor family. When his father gave him a new suit for his Bar Mitzvah, he was embarrassed to learn that it was handed down from rich relatives. Under his father’s guidance, he learned not to place too much value on possessions.

Now in his later years, the Reb enjoys simple pleasures and remains a bargain shopper out of habit.

Touring Henry’s church, Albom notices a large hole in the ceiling, with buckets placed to catch falling rain. As he learns about Henry’s criminal past, Albom wonders if people can really change. Henry invites Albom to the Sunday service before admitting that the only time he visited a synagogue was to rob it.

Albom attends worship services with his parents on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. Later, he meets with the Reb, who complains that his doctors want him to eat when he feels morally obligated to fast. When Albom asks why the Reb no longer gives sermons, he explains that he doesn’t want others to see his frailty and worry about him.

Turning to the subject of death, the Reb explains that fear of being forgotten is almost as significant as the fear of death itself. The best way to avoid that outcome, according to the Reb, is to maintain traditions of faith in one’s family, which allows one’s influence to continue through generations. As the father of four children, the Reb finds comfort in his family connections and memories.

Albom reviews Henry’s history. After a bishop of the Pilgrim Assemblies International in New York noticed and trained him, he was ordained a deacon. In 1992, he was sent to Detroit to help build a new ministry. After serving under three pastors, Henry became a pastor and stuck to his plan even after funds ran out.

After additional meetings with Henry, Albom attends one of his services. The service opens with a prayer by church elder, Anthony “Cass” Castelow. During Henry’s sermon that followed, Albom notes that the call-and-response pattern with audience participation differs from the more solemn services he is accustomed to. After leading the congregation in song, Henry expresses his conviction that, despite the hole in the roof, the church remains a holy place of worship.

His interest piqued, Albom begins to read about other faiths. Among other things, he learns about the Hindu celebration Kumbh Mela, the world’s largest pilgrimage.

The Reb first met his wife, Sarah, while he was principal at a religious school where she applied to teach. He hired her and eventually summoned the courage to court her. A couple of years later, they married, and they went on to enjoy a decades-long partnership.

On the subject of marriage, the Reb tells Albom that communication and values are key to success. He adds that marriage can be challenging at times, but it is worth the commitment. As Sarah says goodbye to the Reb before going shopping, Albom observes the depth of their affection.

Albom reflects on his marriage to a Christian woman, which involves some complications.

Henry first met his future wife, Annette, while both were teenagers, as she was gambling. By the time Henry was incarcerated a few years later, Annette promised to wait for him, and she visited him in prison almost every weekend. They were married shortly after Henry was released.

Within a year, Annette gave birth to a child, who died; their boiler broke; and Annette lost her job. Over the next few years, as Henry dealt drugs, both became addicted. When Henry finally decided to turn his life over to God, he and Annette supported each other through recovery. A few months after the two discarded their drugs, the police searched Henry’s home and narrowly missed a notebook recording various drug transactions, which Henry burned soon after.

In the present, Albom attends Henry’s services a few more times. He learns that Henry has a habit of preaching and giving away food outside on the street. He also learns that the only thing Henry stole from the synagogue as a teenager was a box of envelopes.

Looking through a box of the Reb’s old sermons, Albom is surprised to see a sermon from the 1970s that includes appeals for donations to help repair the synagogue’s leaky roof.

After Albom moved to Detroit, he avoided religious expression, feeling self-conscious.

In November 2006, Albom visits the Reb and tells him about his newly founded charity; the Reb applauds his efforts. The two go on to discuss the tensions that exist between differing religions; the Reb expresses his view that diversity is beautiful and worthwhile, so long as adherents of different faiths respect one another. Albom is surprised to learn that the Reb even interviews one of his home health aides about her Hindu beliefs.

Albom shares a Buddhist story about a farmer who passes through a series of fortunate coincidences as well as setbacks. Each fortunate happening later has negative results, while each setback has unexpected positive results.

Albom stops by the synagogue to pick up some files, and the secretary also offers him the file on himself; he accepts and reads it while flying home. Seeing mementos from his youth, he reflects on the value of a sacred community.

Back in Detroit, Albom remains unsure whether to fund Henry’s shelter. He does purchase a tarp to cover the hole in the roof.

One night, Albom observes the services Henry offers to people without homes. After leading the attendees in prayer, he helps serve them a warm meal. From Cass, Albom learns that the building’s utilities were turned off as the ministry fell behind in payments; the situation was worsened by the hole in the roof, which increased heating costs. Henry thanks Albom for the tarp, which gave hope to the congregation. After the meal, Cass distributes mattresses and blankets for the attendees to sleep on. As he leaves, Albom is moved to see Henry watching over the sleeping men.

Albom receives a call from Gilah, the Reb’s daughter, who informs him that the Reb suffered some kind of medical setback. By the time Albom arrives, the Reb is back home from the hospital, but he is incapable of expressing complete thoughts.

Meditating on loss, Albom describes a significant loss in the Reb’s life. When his twin daughters were four years old, one of them died following a severe asthma attack. For a while, the Reb was angry at God. Following a monthlong mourning period, the Reb gave a sermon in which he explained how he found a degree of comfort in the mourning rituals, even as his faith gave him hope of seeing his daughter again. From then on, the Reb was better able to comfort others who were grieving.

Discussing his daughter’s death, the Reb shares a legend stating that Adam gave up 70 years of his initial 1,000-year lifespan to King David, who otherwise would not have been born. The Reb reads a psalm by David and expresses his gratitude for the time he had with his daughter.