I think this praise of personal empowerment over personal sacrifice creates a moral ambiguity. I don’t wish to criticise Steve Jobs, in many ways his life was praiseworthy. It’s simply a commentary on our culture, which lacks a cadre of saint like figures, to gravitate toward the cult of personality. Often its the cult of dysfunctional personality a la Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, etc.

Regarding proximate deaths, another stark contrast was the funeral coverage of Princess Diana and Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

I agree, there are serious issues with the priorities, and it starts sadly with the media, has THEY seem to be telling the people what is important.

However, I do disagree with the anti-capitalism sentiment posed in the other post. I am quite certain, (although I have not researched properly, nor care too), Mr. Jobs probably has done quite a bit of philanthropy over the years. And, just because it did not go through the “government” to help with “social justice” issues, does NOT make him a bad person. The last time I checked, is it not part of our call, to discern our vocation and put our God-given talents to work?

Then I think about our consumerist society and the values of the world. That sentence sounds more smarmy than I want it to, but what else can I say?

We have made a god out of products and materials and while they can change our lives (note, Mac Book Pro here too and it *has* changed my life) , in what ways and how?

So by making a god of products and commerce too, we do put Jobs in this place by virtue of our missteps as a people.

With no disrespect for a truly remarkable person who has died, I was reminded as I listened to Marketplace (NPR) last night that despite it looming large, Apple products have relatively small market shares. This is a reminder – for me anyway, maybe you too – that we put on the false self all the time. I know I do and this is the ultimate representation of that in many ways.

Shuttlesworth on the other hand reminds us of what we are meant to acquire – dignity, justice, hope. Those things cannot come out of a shiny metal box of any size other than through the words, thoughts and actions of humans who might be seen and experienced in those boxes.

But we would rather love the shiny box and notion of transformation through it rather than the much less appealing idea of what we give up and what we gain through humanity.

This turned into a rant that I had no idea existed in me… In any event, rest and peace for Fred Shuttlesworth and consolation for all who loved him. He too changed the world, just far more anonymously and may his legacy live on.

I’m typing on a MacBook, and Steve Jobs was 56. I’ve heard about Steve Jobs during my childhood because my Dad has been a Mac user for years. It’s very surprising to me that Steve Jobs died. I expected the media to cover it.

I’ve never heard of that guy and he was 89. I don’t expect the media to cover it. In fact the world might never notice. But his friends and family knows what he has done and more importantly God knows what he has done and will reward him accordingly. I’m no bible scholar but isn’t there a passage that who ever gets recognized on Earth has received there reward but whoever doesn’t God will reward?

The media is praising Steve Jobs now but tomorrow it will forget and the day after that it will be saying Apple makes garbage. If this man is half as good as you say he is he will be remembered regardless of how much “airtime” he gets. But it doesn’t matter either way, God never forgets a good deed.

What what about the billions who have never yet had access to virtually any media. It seems that these men, women and children have not been touched by any of these wonderful toys.