St. Paul’s Adult Forum
Spring 2010
Have a Little Faith
May 2, 2010 - pp. 66 - 103
These pages contain a wealth of short little stories that have profound messages. I have identified some of them below - which caught your attention the most?
Background of the New Jersey synagogue
The first pages of this section describe what it was like for Rabbi Lewis when the synagogue was first established in a suburban town in New Jersey in 1948. There are several examples demonstrating how challenging this was (the petition to keep the synagogue out of the neighborhood, the story about the "horns," the words of the Episcopal priest when he was a guest speaker, the Catholic priest’s anger about parking).
 | What was your reaction to these stories? |
| How did Lewis respond? What does this tell us about his character and his faith? |
| How does this all connect with Albom’s memory of the Red Sea story on p. 76? |
Henry
Henry’s story continues. We learn that he became a good boxer and student while in jail and that he eventually got out and married Annette. Their first son’s death turned Henry back to illegal activity and later to drug use, but eventually he realized he had to change.
| When Henry escapes arrest when the victim cannot identify him, why do you think he thought this was an act of God? Why do you think he didn’t listen to God at that point? (p. 75) |
| What did you make of Henry’s prayer when he realized the significance of his theft from the drug dealers? Why do you think he seems to have turned a corner at this point? |
Albert Lewis
Throughout Albom’s conversations with the Reb in these pages, we learn a lot about the rabbi’s sensitivity, his character and his faith.
| What stands out most to you from these pages? |
| What was your response to the conversation about God (p. 79)? |
| How does Lewis respond to the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" What was your reaction to his response? |
| What are Lewis’ views about war and violence? Why does he use Abraham as an example? (pp. 89 - 90) |
| When Albom visits Lewis in the hospital, they have a discussion about happiness. What are Lewis’ thoughts about this? Why do you think they resonate with Albom? Do they resonate with you? |
For next week: Read pp. 107 - 139 and try to identify as many places of worship in Wallingford as you can.