The Steve Jobs Paradox

Editorial by Gary Gibbs

With the invention of the iPhone, Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, revolutionized the way the world communicates. Yet, days before he died, Jobs wept as he confessed to his adult daughter, Lisa, “I didn’t spend enough time with you when you were little.”

In fact, Jobs avoided Lisa for much of her life, and for a long period even denied she was his child. Mysteriously, he wouldn’t even respond to Lisa’s phone calls or emails during his last 10 years. It wasn’t until the last week of his life that he revealed the reason: she didn’t invite him to her introductory day at Harvard University. When Lisa asked him why he didn’t tell her this earlier, Jobs shrugged and paradoxically said, “I am not good at communication.”

You and I are called to be excellent communicators of God’s love and truth (Rev. 14:6). “The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love” (Ellen White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 416). The world needs to discover in us and our churches that we love people, spend time with them and practice accepting their behaviors. Anything less is a paradox.

Gary Gibbs serves as the president of the Pennsylvania Conference.