Have a Little Faith: A True Story

Holes in roofs, especially church roofs, appear as a motif throughout the story. The first such hole is found in the roof of the I Am My Brother’s Keeper Ministry in Detroit. Mitch Albom notices the 10-foot hole during his first visit to the church, but it is unclear how long it has been there. Since it is too costly to repair the roof, the church members simply place buckets under the hole to catch falling rain as necessary. However, the hole poses further problems, as it increases the cost of heating the building to the point that the utility company turns off the gas as the church falls further behind in their payments.

Albom learns of a different hole as he examines the Reb’s old sermons. This hole appeared in the roof of the synagogue in the 1970s, and the Reb’s sermon included an appeal for donations to patch the hole; presumably, the church received the funding it needed to make the repairs. Comparing the two experiences reveals differences between the two organizations, with Henry Covington’s ministry serving a poorer demographic. However, the coincidence also enables Albom to see a connection between the two churches for the first time, setting him up to increase his involvement at Henry’s ministry.

Albom also refers to holes in roofs in literary and figurative contexts. He cites a scriptural reference about men who cut a hole in a roof to approach Jesus. Later, he muses that “in some ways, we all have a hole in our roof, a gap through which tears fall and bad events blow like harsh wind. We feel vulnerable; we worry about what storm will strike next” (244). From this perspective, a hole in the roof symbolizes the challenges we face individually or collectively which may require faith to overcome. As the book concludes, the hole in the roof of the I Am My Brother’s Keeper Ministry has not yet been repaired, but Albom expresses his resolve to see the project completed. The hole was, in fact, closed in December 2009.