I don’t use social media, although it is a popular way to quickly communicate to the masses. Sadly, there are individuals who disrespectfully write on social media that most people would never say directly. Acclaimed author Joyce Carol Oates (born 1938), the Princeton University Roger S. Berlind ’52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing, recently wrote on X:
“So curious that such a wealthy man [Elon Musk, born 1971] never posts anything that indicates that he enjoys or is even aware of what virtually everyone appreciates—scenes from nature, pet dog or cat, praise for a movie, music, a book (but doubt that he reads); pride in a friend’s or relative’s accomplishment; condolences for someone who has died; pleasure in sports, acclaim for a favorite team; references to history. In fact, he seems totally uneducated, uncultured. The poorest person on Twitter may have access to more beauty & meaning in life than the ‘most wealthy person in the world.’”
If Oates and Musk had been introduced at a private dinner or forum, I feel very confident that they would have been cordial, even if they had reservations about their respective character and opinions. Her comments must have hit a nerve because Musk quickly posted that Oates’ post was “demonstrably false” and described her as a “lazy liar and … an abuser of semicolons!” Then he posted an insult: “Eating a bag of sawdust would be vastly more enjoyable than reading the laboriously pretentious drivel of Oates.” To add to his point, Musk wrote that Oates “must be a real downer at parties.”
Social media repartees are now the common means to air one’s grievances instead of respectfully listening and understanding. Stephen Covey, the author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, stated it best: “Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood.” Oates has no idea what books Musk reads. He was bright enough to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in physics and a BS in economics. He was accepted to Stanford University graduate school but never attended because he decided to work for a web software company.
Oates and Musk have led very different lives. Oates is a prolific writer who spent her career teaching and publishing in academia. She was born during the depression and grew up on an upstate New York farm. She fled to Canada to escape the Vietnam war. Musk grew up in South Africa to wealthy parents and escaped to Canada to avoid the apartheid mandatory military service. He loves reading sci-fi books which propelled him to invest in SpaceX. These two famous people have some common threads and could learn from each other. Perhaps they might find enough mutuality that Musk would endow scholarships in sci-fi creative writing and Oates would send innovative quotes to Tesla’s marketing department which might synergistically leverage their respective gifts.
I love reading books, primarily nonfiction. I am a slow reader, more for content that flowery prose. I struggle reading the classics, sometimes reading books twice when the first round did not resonate. For example, I read Augustine’s The City of God and am now slowly reading it again. There was just too much information in Augustine’s +1,000-page book to fit into my small brain. There is no comparison between my writing skills and Oates. It is like comparing my running speed with sub-four-minute milers; I get lapped after only three rounds on the track.
But the truth is, God doesn’t care. If one enjoys reading or doing some activity, why downgrade another’s love, for example, of software development or creative writing? We all have God-given gifts and passions. God does not love anyone better for their individual gifts than others with different gifts. Oates mentored budding creative writers and published many award-winning books. Musk created an electric car company and developed private space technology. Oates and Musk have benefited society. Both gifted individuals are serving their community differently.
I run because I feel alive, even as I age and slow down. I went to seminary because I wanted to dive deeply into theology, a subject not offered at my engineering school. There was no financial gain to doing either activity, yet joy flows when I undertook them. I don’t downgrade those who are gifted in other pursuits that benefit the individual or surrounding community, although I don’t always agree with their values or choices.
This past Sunday, our minister preached on Luke 21:5–19, the weekly lectionary text. Jesus describes the chaotic end of the age. Jesus was preparing his followers for these times: “You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.” (verses 17–19) Instead of responding to demeaning messages, listen. Seek to understand first and respond in love. A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. The faithful are commanded to respond in love.
