a question that took me 8 years to answer.
- Mitch Albom
"Will you do my eulogy?" that was his question.
My question was more blunt, why me?
I was a writer, a sports writer.
I've never done anything like what he was asking.
But as he walked down that hallway,
although I didn't know it yet,
I was already following.
- Mitch
This is a story of believing in something,
and the two very different man, who taught me how.
One was Alber Lewis, who follow the traditional path.
He's studied, was ordained, took a position at her temple, and never left.
The other, was Henry Covington.
He came to faith in a more round about way.
He starting with a things he saw as a child in the early 60's, in Brooklyn.
- Mitch
Someone once said that children are proof
that God has not discouraged.
But what keeps a child from losing faith?
- Mitch
Albert knew when funny was the right medicine,
and when not so funny was the right medicine.
- Mitch
Later that night I said to my father,
I says, it's not fair their family's not religious
but they have money.
We're religious and we don't.
- Rabbi Albert Lewis
What profits a man if he gains the world that loses his soul.
- Mitch
They say that power gives you the praise of man
but weakness brings you to God.
- Mitch
Albert: So, maybe faith is the same.
Many trees, the branches are all going to him.
Mitch: Have you looked at the world like...
The trees are attacking each other.
Albert: That's not faith, that's hate.
Mitch: Engaged in the name of a religion.
Albert: At wrongly.. "though shall not kill; honor thy neighbor."
If I mean these things, and the other guy means these things,
what do you get?
Mitch: Peace on earth.
Albert: You get orange juice, the big one.
I gonna go buy it.
Do for others.
Isn't that a half most man of God challenge us?
And it begins with the understanding the pain,
of those around you.
Sometimes the pain of strangers,
and sometimes the pain of those closes to you.
- Mitch
My friends, if we tend to the things that aren't important in life,
if we are right with those we love,
and behave in line with our faith
we will never wallow in the agony of
"I should have, I could have", no.
We can sleep in the storm.
- Rabbi Albert Lewis
"If you tacka my space
I breaka you face."
- Rabbi Albert Lewis
Albert: He who saves his single life is as if he saves the entire world.
Mitch: Who said that?
Mitch's wife: It's the talmud, Mitch.
Albert: Your faith.
You never know the moment when a eulogy goes
from something you think about
to something you require...
This was not that moment.
- Mitch
Grant me atonement.
Those were his last three words on the pulpit.
Then he took the seat of the back row of the sanctuary.
His sermons were now complete.
- Mitch
I used to think I knew so much
I can look down on a scornful things, even faith.
But I realized that night that
I am not better or smarter than anyone,
only luckier.
The man sleeping on Henry's church floor never look down.
They only looked up, to find comfort and love.
And I realized that in looking at Henry Covington,
I was seeing the rarest defends, a changed man.
Keep trying that you're glory.
- Rabbi Albert Lewis
I realized later it's not, about having the answers in life.
It's about the search for the answers.
The choosing to believe in something bigger than your self
that makes the journey of faith, so challenging, yet so worthwhile.
Whether it's sitting with an old rabbi and talking about God,
or replacing a churches riddled roof hole
in something a little more inspiring.
You share this world, we can share it well.
And there's nothing quite like different people
finding common ground to fix the holes in their lives.
- Mitch
In the beginning there was a question,
in the end their question getting answered.
God sings, we hum along.
A simple, beautiful, song.
- Mitch
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