Henry's Financial State of Affairs
As a drug dealer, Henry turned over an enormous amount of money and at one stage was making over a half a million dollars a year. Now, having turned his life around and become a preacher, he makes almost nothing, and his church is falling to pieces around him. The irony of him having no money now that he is helping others instead of helping them to kill themselves with drugs is pointed out to him by Mitch during a visit to the dilapidated church during a rainstorm.
The Rabbi's Take On Faith and Rewards
As a young man, Albert was wearing a suit when visiting his well-to-do cousins, and his older cousin laughed at him because he was wearing his old hand-me-down suit. Albert had believed the suit was new, and never realized it had once belonged to his cousin. He is angry and humiliated and asks his father why they are pious, and respectful, and honor God, yet have nothing, whilst his cousins do none of these things and seem to live the high life. The irony of this angers Albert but his father becomes angry when it is pointed out to him and this is Albert's first lesson in understanding what is truly important.
Mitch's Religious Knowledge
Mitch spends much of his school week as well as his school vacations attending religious school and after years of study, projects, papers, speeches and recitations knows his religion better than most secular men, but ironically chooses to walk away from it when it is no longer mandatory. A second irony here is that without his realising it, his determination to walk away has led to fewer meaningful connections with people and less familiarity with family.
Mitch's Realization That He Was Lucky
Mitch used to look down a little bit on the people who clung to their faith even in times of extreme catastrophe, believing that he had it all figured out by relying on himself and working hard. It is not until he meets some of Henry's parishioners who have nothing to speak of, but who feel like that they have been blessed by God because he sent Henry to them, that he realises the irony of his former belief, as he was not superior, or "above" it all - he was just luckier than they were during his life.
Mitch and the Rabbi
Mitch believes that his meetings with the Rabbi, and the friendship that developed from them, are the Rabbi's way of letting Mitch get to know him, and teaching him about his life and why his faith is important in it. Ironically, it is actually the opposite; their meetings, conversations and discussions are designed to teach Mitch more about himself, and to show him why his faith is important, and to lead him back to it.
Doing Good By Prevention
In the eulogy that he writes for the Rabbi, Mitch tells him that he did good, just by preventing them from doing anything bad. This is ironic because to "do good" one is normally expected to "do" something (whatever is needed at the time) but with this observation, Mitch realizes that in order to do good the Rabbi did not have to do anything at all as his words, sermons and example set over the years prevented them from doing anything that was bad. Good was done, even in the act of doing nothing.
