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Have a Little Faith Rating: 7 on a scale of 10 Review This is a fun book. This is a book about relationships. It is a story about the author and his relationship with two men, one a Rabbi, the other a Christian pastor, both of whom are referred to as the "Reb". This is a book about the rewards and benefits of long term relationships in life. The author, a sort of self-described back sliden Jew since he left New Jersey for greener pastures and excitement after high school, finds himself asked by his former Rabbi to do his eulogy for him when he dies. As a person who lives in a distant city and only shows up to the synagogue on "big days" a couple times per year he is quite surprised by the request. But, he takes it to heart and wants to do a good job. He decides he needs to get to know the Rabbi. Somewhat in the flavor of his prior book, Tuesday's with Morrie, he begins what turns out to be a very long series of meetings with the Rabbi over about ten years. During this time he develops a marvelous relationship with the Rabbi and begins to understand his own faith and spirituality through his interaction with this man. I am not Jewish, but I always marvel at the quality of Jewish thought and feeling. This book is a wonderful walk through the intimate life of an aging Jewish Rabbi, his work, his life, his attitudes, his certainty and his confusion. And, it is about how all of this reflection affects the author. There is a parallel stream occurring in which the author gradually reveals to us the life of a black Christian pastor. Once again, he does a marvelous job of story telling. We find there is no less of a story here either. The two stories are about committed people who take a stand in life and immerse themselves in the spiritual care of their congregants and their neighborhoods. It is a book about two people committed to God and the amazing outcomes created by such a commitment. The eulogy is written in the back of the book, but I think the book is a better eulogy than the speech. This is a short book, that is very engaging to read. All opinions are those of Curtis Climer, MD Copyright 2010 |
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