The Zimmer Zoo

I was going to do this as a book review…but it’s so much more than that. READ THIS BOOK!!! have a little faith by Mitch Albom is absolutely wonderful; and so, so thought-provoking. I’ve never read anything by Albom before, but you can bet your sweet a$$ that I’ll be picking up his other books soon (like, Tuesdays with Morrie).  I LOVED his writing style!

First of all, I think I would have really liked the Rabbi (The Reb). And it doesn’t matter that he’s Jewish and I’m Methodist. That was his point – everyone needs something to believe in … who am I to judge if who (or what) they believe in is right or wrong? As The Reb states, I’m pretty sure that almost all religions have something somewhere along the lines of “Love thy neighbor” … it shouldn’t matter if that neighbor has a different religion than I do.

There were two spots in the book that made me sit up and take notice (and no, these shouldn’t be too much in the way of spoilers…)

The first is when The Reb says “It’s far more comforting to think God listened and said no, than to think nobody’s out there.” WOW. I’d never really thought about that before, but he’s spot on! I can’t even imagine not talking (in my head) to God at times…and who else can you ‘blame’ when bad things happen – like if a child passes away (which is the context of this quote)?

The second is actually a story about The Reb’s wife. From the book:

They truly were a team. From the pulpit, the Reb might zing her with, “Excuse me, young lady, could you tell us your name?” She would get him back by telling people, “I’ve had thirty wonderful years with my husband, and I’ll never forget the day we were married, November 3, 1944.”

“Wait . . .,” someone would say, doing the math, “that’s way more than thirty years ago.”

“Right,” she would say. “On Monday you get twenty great minutes, on Tuesday you get a great hour. You put it all together, you get thirty great years.”

I think that’s just wonderful … and a great reminder that life – including marriage – is not all sunshine and roses. Nor is it supposed to be! You need a little rain to achieve rainbows.

I really wish all religious leaders – or even all people! – could be as accepting as The Reb. We’d have Holiday parties that include all aspects rather than ones that strip so much away there’s no meaning left for anyone. We’d have no anger or awkwardness if someone happens to say “Merry Christmas” to a non-christian. They could perhaps simply say “Happy Hanuka” back if they’re Jewish, and both people could just smile and feel that warm, tingly feeling when you wish someone a happy day. (By the way, can someone tell me why it’s not right to say “God bless you” to a Jewish person?) And why is it “Our God, Your God” ?  …what if it’s all the same being – just called a different name by the different world-wide religions?  …in the US alone there are 4 or 5 different terms for a big sandwich (Sub, Grinder, Hero, etc.) …why is having a different name for your spiritual being so different than that? (Did I really just compare God to a sandwich?? Hm.) ANYWAY…I’m by no means a religious scholar, there could be many reasons why it’s way different. I’m just saying – what if it IS the same being (or beings in some cultures) and there’s all this discomfort for absolutely no reason.

Anyway. Read the book. I really, really enjoyed it. And it’s a very fast read!

I did not receive this book from anyone – it’s simply one I read for my book club.

Filed under: reviews | Tagged: book review, God, have a little faith, Mitch Albom, religion |