Of Steve, and Faith, and Dead Batteries

I sit down to write this post on my mac computer with my i-pod charging nearby.

Steve Jobs was undeniably one of the most influential men of our time. His death and the subsequent release of his biography has put him much in the national conversation lately. He was also merely mortal. A couple of days ago I read with interest his view of Christianity. Steve correctly identified the one thing that sets Christianity apart from every other religion, faith.  Then he rejected it.

He said, "The juice goes out of Christianity when it becomes too based on faith rather than living like Jesus or seeing the world as Jesus saw it ... I think different religions are different doors to the same house. Sometimes I think the house exists, and sometimes I don't. It's the great mystery." (http://www.businessinsider.com/best-steve-jobs-quotes-from-biography-2011-10?op=1#ixzz1c0EZhB3g)


Steve Jobs wanted Christianity to be just like every other religion, teaching people to do the right things, and have the right world view. He was put off by the fact that Christians don't try to work harder, do better, improve themselves. Faith seemed to him to be an abdication of responsibility. 

While Christians do want to live like Jesus and see the world as Jesus saw it, we know this is impossible without first being transformed by faith in Christ, righteousness from relationship. The apostle Paul said, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord...not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ." Philippians 3:8-9 ESV


Trying to "live like Jesus and see the world as Jesus saw it" without faith, would be like trying to dance to music on my i-pod when its battery is dead.