Best TV Show of the Week

Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith on ABC

By catherine Nailog

ABC’s broadcast of Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith, which aired on Sunday, November 27, at 9:00 p.m. (ET), has been given the honor of Best TV Show of the Week. This program is an inspirational movie about two different men, a rabbi and a pastor, who taught a novelist/sportswriter how to believe in something greater than himself.  The three men’s lives were forever changed when they crossed paths.

Rabbi Albert Lewis asked Mitch Albom, a sports writer and former member of his temple, to do his eulogy.  Though Rabbi Albert wasn’t dying, he wanted to be prepared.  Mitch wondered why he, a non-religious person, was asked, and furthermore he had no clue on how to write one.  In fact, he thought religion was “so over the top.”  Nevertheless, he decided to do the eulogy for Rabbi Albert, and visited him on numerous occasions to learn more about who he was, which served as the basis for the eulogy. As Mitch began to learn more about Rabbi Albert, who often would burst into song, he became enlightened on what faith was truly about.  After four years, Mitch felt he had enough information to write the eulogy, but he continued to visit Rabbi Adler, as he was drawn to the man.

Rabbi Albert also inspired Mitch to write about something more important than football.  One night, Mitch decided to sleep at the local homeless shelter.  It was there that he realized the men were grateful for even the basic things that many take for granted: food to eat and a place to sleep.  He wrote a well-received article on the homeless shelter, and even began a charity.  He then visited a dilapidated old church, I Am My Brother’s Keeper, which he often passed on his way to work.  He recognized a man standing outside of the church as the man who sold peanuts at the football stadium.  The man was an elder at the church and his name was Brother Cass.  Brother Cass let him inside the church, which was in desperate need of repair.  The walls were cracked, stained, chipped and torn from rain damage.  Tarp covered pews to protect them from the rain, and aluminum pans were placed underneath roof holes to collect rainwater.  An even larger, gaping hole appeared on the roof of the church.  Mitch met Pastor Henry, and told him that he wanted to help Henry’s church.

Pastor Henry Covington had grown up in the tough streets of Brooklyn in a violent household.  When he was young, his mother was sent to jail for shooting his father.  His hustler father told him, “If you want something, you take it.” While a young adult, Henry was wrongfully arrested and jailed, which made him bitter and disillusioned with the world.  Once released, he married and began an exterminator business.  While he and his wife were at a party, he noticed Donnie, the sharply-dressed neighborhood drug dealer.  Henry admired Donnie’s taste in suits and wanted one of his own.  He then began to work for Donnie, and a life of drug dealing and crime followed.  Drug dealing provided a lifestyle of sharp suits and luxurious goods, more so than the exterminator business.  By then, Annette and Henry were expecting their first child.  Annette wanted Henry to stop drug dealing as soon as the baby was born.  But Henry, while dealing at a party, started to use the drugs that were meant for sale and became addicted. Realizing that Henry was hooked on drugs, Donnie stopped giving him drugs to sell for him.  With no income and the baby on the way, Henry felt robbery was the only means to survive.  One night, Annette felt a great pain in her stomach.  She and Henry lost their baby son.  They couldn’t even afford a marker for their son’s grave.

Henry started to rob liquor stores and people on the street. He was arrested one night, but the man he robbed wouldn’t identify him as the robber.  Annette told him it was a sign, and Henry scoffed at her.  Henry then went and robbed Donnie of drugs.  Out of fear of retaliation by Donnie, Henry prayed to God for help.  He said, “If you get me through this night, Lord, you could have me in the morning.”

Pastor Henry was first suspicious of Mitch’s intentions.  He told Mitch about his criminal and drug past, as well as the deal that he made with God.  He then invited Mitch to a Sunday service, but Mitch had mentioned that he was Jewish, which didn’t bother Pastor Henry one bit.  Mitch attended Pastor Henry’s Sunday service on a very cold and rainy day.  He sat down in a pew where raindrops slowly fell on his head.  He was a little lost during the service.  It was different from when he went to temple.  Mitch was distracted by the rain that fell around him, and surprised when people would suddenly stand in praise of God during moments of Pastor Henry’s sermon.

Initially, Mitch was suspect of Pastor Henry, his criminal past and his close relationship with local drug dealers.  He asked Rabbi Albert if he believed people could change.  Rabbi Albert responded, “If I didn’t think that, I shouldn’t be in this business.  I’ve seen people change. It can be inspiring.”  Mitch realized his suspicions of Pastor Henry were unfounded.  Pastor Henry was trying to counsel the drug dealers out of their lifestyle.  Mitch observed that Pastor Henry did what he could for his congregation with very little resources.  Even with no electricity, he continued services by candlelight, and watched over the men of his congregation as they slept on the floor of his church.  Pastor Henry neither gave up hope for his church nor in other people, and Mitch was amazed to have met such a changed man.

Mitch gave Rabbi Albert’s eulogy, eight years since it was first requested.  It was heartwarming and truly depicted the essence of Rabbi Albert: his love of faith, of his congregation, of his family and even of song.  And following Rabbi Albert’s advice of finding his glory, Mitch wrote an article on I Am My Brother’s Keeper Church for his paper.  Mitch visited Pastor Henry at his home to give him copies of the article.  But Pastor Henry wanted to meet Mitch at the church as well.  Outside the church, Brother Cass told Mitch his personal story on how Pastor Henry saved him from a life of drugs and crime.  Pastor Henry then met Mitch at the church, which now housed donations of clothing, toys, and numerous items, and also included the power being turned on -- all because of Mitch’s article.  Mitch also showed Pastor Henry Rabbi Albert’s obituary, which included a picture.  Pastor Henry recognized Rabbi Albert as the man he had robbed who wouldn’t identify him.  Pastor Henry was grateful for the kind act that this man did for him many years earlier.  Mitch eventually wrote a book about Rabbi Albert and Pastor Henry, which caused financial donations being sent to the church.  Through these donations, the old church roof was then repaired.  A year later, Pastor Henry died, and Mitch gave his eulogy as well. 

Best TV Show of the Week

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