Dear Friends,
The paperback of Have a Little Faith is available in stores today. But it’s not just a soft cover version of my latest book. For me, this new edition represents the monumental change, unmitigated hope, and unforeseen heartbreak that have defined the last eighteen months.
The journey began nearly ten years ago, when Rabbi Albert Lewis first asked the question that would change my life forever. “Will you do my eulogy?” I was stunned. The man who sent people off to heaven had asked me to do just that for him. I didn’t think I was qualified, but how could I say no? So we began to meet so that I could get to know better the man behind “the Reb.” Our friendship brought me back to my faith, and opened my mind and heart to a friendship with another man of God.
Before founding the I Am My Brother’s Keeper church, Pastor Henry Covington was a drug dealer, an addict, a thief and an ex-con. Having given up that life, he lived in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in Detroit, preaching in a decaying church that had a huge hole in its roof, through which rain and snow poured in during services. He tended to the homeless, took them in to his church and gave them food and warmth. He showed me the power of faith in action. He showed me how the depth of friendship can cross denomination, color, and creed.
When I first sat down to write Have a Little Faith, I knew the book would end with a eulogy. I never expected it would need two. Henry’s unexpected death this past December shook me. I miss him every day, but am grateful for the opportunity to honor him in the paperback’s new epilogue.
When I first shared the story of these two great men, I asked whether faith didn’t separate us, but could bring us together.
You answered.
When the gaping hole in Pilgrim’s church needed to be repaired, you gave to A Hole in the Roof Foundation. One shingle and box of nails at a time.
When an earthquake toppled Haiti, and an orphanage needed our help to rebuild, you came. Together, we built new bathrooms with flush toilets and real showers when they had none before, installed a new electrical system, enclosed a kitchen to protect against bugs and provided the first ever sink, refrigerator and freezer. Amidst the rubble, we built it back up and better than it was before.
When the children of the Have Faith Haiti Mission needed a school, three meals a day, and access to basic medical care, you offered. In just a few weeks, you gave enough to cover the operating budget for an entire year.
One life touches another, and another. Can faith unite us? It did.
It still does.
Thank you, as always, for your faith and support.
Mitch
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