Archives article 51

“ Stay hungry – stay foolish ” – Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

The news of the decease of this brilliant and innovative leader shot around our world from West to East like lightning. Everywhere, within a few minutes, the very instruments of communication which he had created were flooded with messages of thankfulness for his unique contributions to the world of computer technology. From America to China the adjectives used to describe his immense and unusual giftedness were of the type “magician”. “Guru” and even “spiritual leader”.

In some ways the clever phrase which our local town newspaper highlighted, captured the importance of his innovations with the words: “The three apples which changed our world: Adam’s, Newton’s, and Jobs”. The articles which appeared in magazines and newspapers all concentrated on way his relatively short life had brought extraordinary innovations into our world of communication: “From the very first pc to the latest Iphone of Macbook: a revolution of ideas”. And this influence wasn’t limited to a town, a county, a country, or even a continent – it was worldwide!

It was the awareness of the shortness of life that compelled him to dedicate so much energy to the developments of his gifts and cleverness with such passion. In what is now his famous speech to the students at Stanford he told them to not limit their efforts to following or imitating someone but rather to the realization of their own abilities: “. . . time is limited, so don’t fritter it away living for someone else or by their rules. Stay hungry and stay foolish”

“Whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst” – Jesus (died aged 33)

Thinking about Jobs’ life I couldn’t help but think of another man who left an indelible mark on our world, Jesus Christ. His life, too, was very short. He, too, was highly motivated by the shortness of life and of urgency in all He did. He, too, was a man in mission. “I’m with you for only a short time”, says it all. But His words of wisdom were the exact opposite to those of Jobs: “He who comes to me will never go hungry”

So what’s the difference between the two? The first is an invitation made by a man to men: the second is by God to men!

The life of Jesus Christ left more than a “dent” (Jobs’ word) in our world. It was not like Jobs’ influence which, like his life, has already passed into history. His life was more than sheer humanity. He was “(God) the word become flesh” and in His own person he had a power that no tomb could even hold. Every word of Jesus looked beyond the tomb: “whoever eats this bread will live eternally”

We’re all thankful for the fantastic creativity of Steve Jobs’ contributions. We are, however, even more grateful for Jesus Christ who came, lived and died so that we could actually have new lives – starting now but going on into eternity!

Paul Finch, pastor

p.s. the bible texts quoted are from the Gospel of John in the New Testament – chiefly chapters 4 and 6 . . . but to really capture the full sense its best to read the entire passages!