Have a Little Faith: A True Story

During his teenage years, Henry committed various crimes, including armed robbery. When he was 19, a rival attempted to frame him for murder. Wanting to implicate his rival, Henry claimed he was present but did not participate in the murder. In reality, he had nothing to do with it. After he was charged with manslaughter, he accepted a seven-year prison term following a plea bargain.

Over the three years following Albom’s interview with the Reb, even after collecting enough information for a eulogy, Albom continues to visit the Reb, who survives various health challenges in good spirits. With each visit, he is impressed by the Reb’s optimism and faith. Unlike many of his colleagues, the Reb chooses not to move away after retiring from giving sermons, instead preferring to sit humbly in the congregation.

In an excerpt from one of the Reb’s sermons, a girl comes home from school, excited to show her mother a drawing she made. After failing to get her mother’s attention, the girl accuses her of “not listening with your eyes” (58).

Following his conviction, Henry was incarcerated at Rikers Island, where he witnessed rough behavior among the inmates. A month later, he transferred to Elmira Correctional, where his misery and boredom was broken when he stumbled across a Bible.

During one of Albom’s visits in the present timeline, the Reb shares a childhood memory of his. When he was about to steal an apple, a voice that sounded like God warned him not to, although it turned out to be a neighbor’s voice. The Reb compares the experience to living in a congregation, where each member looks out for the others.

When he was younger, the Reb frequently visited people in their homes. Now, he mostly connects with members of the congregation through phone calls on important dates. He shares a recent experience when a Christian nurse called him to comfort a man whose wife was dying.

Albom shares a few anecdotes to illustrate the Reb’s efforts to build goodwill among people of different faiths. When the Reb first arrived in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, in 1948, the synagogue where he taught was a converted home in a predominantly Christian area. The Reb made a point of visiting local schools and churches. On one occasion, he let an inquisitive boy feel his head to verify that he does not have horns. On another, an Episcopalian priest the Reb invited to address his congregation publicly pleaded for the Reb to accept Jesus to avoid going to hell.

Once, on a Jewish holiday, a Catholic priest became angry when members of the Reb’s congregation parked near the Catholic church. He told one man, who previously spent three years in a concentration camp during World War II, “They didn’t exterminate enough of you” (70). The priest later apologized and invited the Reb to walk arm-in-arm with him around the schoolyard during recess at the nearby Catholic school. The two eventually became friends.

While in prison, Henry boxed competitively and studied, earning an associate’s degree. After he was released, he married his longtime girlfriend, Annette. Following the death of a newborn son as well as financial struggles, Henry began dealing drugs. He made a lot of money, but he soon became addicted to cocaine. Once, he stole money at gunpoint from an elderly couple, but they failed to identify him in the police lineup. Henry felt that God was giving him another chance.

While attending religious high school, Albom was struck by a passage from a Talmudic commentary in which the Israelites were commanded not to celebrate their enemies’ downfall, since “those were my children, too” (76).

During a visit in the present timeline, Albom asks the Reb why he believes in God, despite scientific progress that resolves many of the mysteries of the universe. The Reb explains that, where humanity’s knowledge ends, “God begins” (79).

When Albom asks why God allows bad things to happen to good people, the Reb simply explains that no one knows. The Reb recalls visiting his atheist doctor after the doctor’s brother died. The doctor blamed himself for failing to save his brother. The Reb suggests that believing that God allows bad things, even for unknown reasons, is preferable to blaming oneself.

When Henry was 29 and desperate for a fix, he stole drugs and money from some dealers he used to work for. Then, Henry realized that the dealers knew where he lived and might retaliate. He spent the night hiding with his family behind trash cans, praying for Jesus to save him.

During a visit in August 2003, with the Iraq War dominating news headlines, Albom discusses war with the Reb. The Reb laments the folly of war, explaining that mankind, not God, is responsible. He also highlights a moment of kindness that he witnessed after a car bomb exploded while he was visiting Israel: Out of  respect for the victim, volunteers helped collected scattered body parts.

The Reb also shows Albom an Arabic schoolbook he picked up from the ruins of a destroyed house while visiting Israel in 1967, which contains photos of a family. He kept the book to honor their memory and doesn’t think of them as enemies.

In an excerpt from one of the Reb’s sermons, a farmer, desperate for help, hires a man whose letter of recommendation reads simply, “He sleeps in a storm” (93). When a storm strikes, the farmer calls for help, but he is surprised to see that the new worker already prepared everything to withstand the storm.

Hiding behind the trash cans, Henry waited all night for the drug dealers to appear, but they did not. The next day was Easter Sunday. After turning down an offer of heroin, Henry drank NyQuil and slept for three days to begin detox.

In the present, the Reb is admitted to the hospital after a fall. Albom visits him, finding him in good spirits. Seeing an ad on the hospital TV for antidepressant pills, Albom reflects on the nature of happiness. When he asks the Reb about happiness, the Reb explains that gratitude, not materials possessions, brings lasting happiness.

As Albom leaves the hospital, the Reb’s daughter calls him and tells him something that the Reb failed to mention: He has cancer.