Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

Posted: October 17th, 2013

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Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

Introduction

‘Have a Little Faith’ by Mitch Albom is a story of three men one of them being the author who is trying to gain knowledge about the personal lives of the other two men. When a reader gets the chance to read the book, there are many impressions one gets from the book beginning with the cover of the book. Additionally, from the title there are several literal devices that a person is expected to find. Albom’s aim is to establish the type of man his clergy, the Rabbi, is so that he can be able to write the eulogy. Therefore, the book revolves around the life of the author in such for the true personal life of the Rabbi. In the paper, a critical review of the book ‘Have a Little Faith’ is done in depth.

Discussion

Before beginning to read the book, readers have the opportunity to observe the cover to predict what to expect in the book. When viewing the cover, there are certain characteristics that make the reader think that the book is of a religious nature. When watching the Christians movies one notices, a certain brown color is found in almost all the scrolls. This color is similar to the cover of the book giving it the religious touch. Secondly, the sides of the cover look like a diary. This signifies that the book give details of chronological account of events of a person. In addition, it can signify that this book is a true story since people write the daily events in their diaries. Therefore, when a reader takes the book to read some of these things are going through their mind.

The second point a reader notices after having a view of the cover is the title of the book. In Christianity, Jesus used to tell the different congregations ‘to have a little faith in God and their prayers will be answered.’ This shows that the book is of a religious nature since it similar to this quote by Jesus. Therefore, the readers think that they are going to find many terminologies or symbols of religion in the text of the book. Moreover, the readers can guess that the book is about the Christian religion. However, it is convenient to note what is written in the cover is not always, what is written inside in the book. In this case, these are just predictions of what is written in the book.

Inside, the author has used clear language to explain the story. It is a story of how the Rabbi asked the author to write his eulogy when he dies. To the author surprise, he does not have any knowledge concerning the private life of the Rabbi. In the process, he makes it his duty to find about the personal life of the Rabbi. Based on what the readers had expected after viewing the cover and reading the book, it can be noticed that there are no biblical or any religious symbols or terms used by the author. The only thing is that the author has touched a few things about the Jewish and Christian faith, but he has not indicated the process followed in this faith. Henceforth it is true to say that do not form a judgment of a book by the way it looks.

The author touches on the life of three different people in the book. The first person is the Rabbi who is almost dying from a disease. The other person is the Rabbi’s friend, the priest, who was offered with another chance from the life of a crime. The last person in the book is the author. The author has written the lives of this three people in a chronological order that is easier for readers to follow through from begin to the end. This makes this clear for readers to able to follow the story from the being to the end without difficulties. On the other hand, the reader does not get bored figuring out what is happening in the story because the story is easy to follow.

From the many expectations, the readers have of the book; the characters involved in the book are expected to be religious since they are clergymen. However, according to book, this is not the case. For instance, the Rabbi has never been that religious, and he is still not that religious despite the title he holds in the society. The author has clearly indicated this by showing the readers the different situations or encounters of the life of the Rabbi. This is the opposite of what the title and the cover of book portrays. Therefore, when the readers are reading the book learn that the book is not a religious book but a life story of characters involved in the book.

In telling the story, the author has created emotions to the readers who are reading the book. For instance, the author has shown the readers the church the pastor was preaching to the congregation. Secondly, the author has created emotions in describing the congregation that the pastor was delivering the word of God. These people are poor, some of them are homeless, and yet they still have little faith in God. According to the title, it is true this people have a little faith because, despite the different trials and temptations these people are passing through, they are able to attend the sermon and have a moment to listen to the word of God.

What is fascinating about the book is two religions working together to help the poor. In the life of the Rabbi, he met the pastor who was preaching in a dilapidated church. The pastor was running the church like a social centre for the needy. The two have come together to help these people despite being at the helm of leadership in their religions. All this has been because of the faith the two had. The book shows the readers that a little faith can make a significant impact in the society. In this scenario, the readers are taught to have faith.

If the readers of the book are old and are about to die, they might be shocked if the author knocks at their door. This is because the author creates emotions in the book where those people who are about to die are made to have faith and believe. Additionally, the young reader is made to believe and have faith in whatever they are doing. The book creates hope to the lives of many people who have the chance to view and read it. This is because the author has created the heart in people by showing the trial people pass through. In this case, the reader sees that there are far much bigger temptations than his own trials. For this reason the reader, gets encouraged and has faith to continue with what he or she believes.

The book can be used, by any group people, to teach about faith. This is because it does not touch any religion, and it is not condemning those people who are sinners or are not in any religion. Additionally, the book is a personal story as compared to a sermon that should be preached in churches. Moreover, it does not contain any religious symbols of a certain religion thus affecting another religion. In this situation, the book can be used, by all religions, to teach people about faith. Furthermore, the characters of the book are not religious thus making it an all round book. Henceforth, it can be used by all ages, denominations and schools to teach people about faith and to believe in themselves.

The book has also taught the readers why people believe. A good example in the book is the homeless people who attend the pastor sermons. If man was left to think alone, these people do not have a reason to have faith because they have no hope as compared to the rich people who have every reason to go to church. In this case, people do not have the knowledge that the homeless people are living because of the mercy of God. This part has shown why people do have faith and do what they do despite the trials. Therefore, the book teaches the readers why people have faith and why they act like that.

The book also shows the readers to give life a chance. There are people who need to live but they are ailing in hospitals asking God to offer them an opportunity to help the society by making change where other have not and they have the ability. On the other hand, there are people who do not see any problem with life. They tend to miss using their time in life with meaningless things. When a person gets that chance to read the book, it offers the reader with the opportunity of knowing how life is valuable. Additionally, the readers can know the different activities they can do so that they can be able to help the society. It shows the readers that with faith life has a meaning and a chance.

Finally, after finishing the book the reader can learn that the two lines in the cover represents the two religions. The way they are inverted it shows that the two religions have met, despite all odds, and a difference to the society. This is because the two clergy come from different denominations, have different characteristics but because of something little like faith they have come close together and made a difference in the society. This book shows the readers that faith goes beyond all boundaries.

Conclusion

Religion is among the most common things passing through the minds of the readers when they are beginning to read the book. However, to the amazement of the reader, the book is about a story of three men, two of them are clergymen and one is the author. This book shows the personal lives of the clergymen apart from their religious character. The climax of the book is the heart of emotions, faith and believes the readers are taught to be. The readers clearly see how poor, homeless people have faith creating meaning in their life. Additionally, the book shows the readers that faith has no boundaries. It brings the unexpected people closer together making a change in the society. Finally, the book can be used by all religions, ages and schools to teach people about faith.