In my last blog, I wrote that wealth is relative. However, when it comes to the super wealthy —the billionaires — I believe that most will agree that these few individuals are wealthy and they are spotlighted in the media, whether they like it or not. Money attracts attention. Family and friends treat the super wealthy differently than the masses. Nonprofits chase them for donations and those that do donate receive awards and praise for their generosity. Politicians appeal to the super-rich for campaign donations and graciously open their offices. Massive wealth attracts people like bees to the hive.
However, there are downsides to being a billionaire, as hard as this is to believe. They must hire expensive security services for protection. People violate their privacy, for both good and bad reasons. A meal out with the family or a run in the park can quickly turn into a mob scene. Politicians rant about billionaires not paying enough taxes and when there are public concerns, subpoenas are issued for a public political grilling. When negotiating purchases or sales, the opposite party will assume that the super wealthy will pay more or accept less because they have so much money. Their every publicly spoken word gets heavily scrutinized. When mistakes are made, little grace is given.
A few years ago, one of the world’s richest individuals, Elon Musk, moved to Austin. Tesla built a new manufacturing plant in southeast Austin and moved their headquarters to Texas from California. I don’t know where he lives and only encountered him once in my neighborhood when his Tesla truck, along with his security escort, sped near my home on a quiet Sunday morning as I returned from church services.
Elon was born in South Africa to parents who raised him in the Anglican church. He went to a Jewish preschool. He once joked: “I was just singing ‘Hava Nagila’ one day and ‘Jesus I Love You’ the next.” The Wall Street Journal published an August 17, 2024 article on Elon’s faith (Elon Musk’s Walk With Jesus: The billionaire has been invoking Christianity as he discusses core beliefs, written by Tim Higgins). Elon never expressed his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior but likes Christian tenets: “I believe in the principles of Christianity like love thy neighbor as thyself (have empathy for all) and turn the other cheek (end the cycle of retribution).”
Like many people, Elon can’t make the leap from humanistic reasoning to faith; the belief that a human can also be divine is a theological step too far. He believes that asking the right questions is more important than finding the big answers. “The answer is the easy part. The question is the hard part. If we can expand the scope and scale of consciousness then we are better able to figure out what questions to ask about the answer that is the universe and … maybe we can find out the meaning of life or even what … the right question is.”
Elon is extremely curious and wants to expand our understanding of the universe. This is a positive trait and compatible with the Christian religion. “Surely God would want us to see Creation?” It sounds like he is a believer in God, the Creator. But when asked directly if he believed in God, Elon did not respond.
When it comes to Jesus Christ, he sticks to Jesus’ humanity. “Jesus taught love, kindness and forgiveness. I used to think that turning the other cheek was weak and foolish, but I was the fool for not appreciating its profound wisdom.” He described himself as a “cultural Christian.” He seeks greater understanding. “That is my religion, for the lack of a better way to describe it, it’s really a religion of curiosity. The religion of greater enlightenment.” His statements remind me of the religion of Thomas Jefferson who removed all the parts of the Bible that defied human reason, such as raising the dead or performing miracles.
Theology is faith seeking understanding. Asking the right questions is important along with understanding the complete Gospel message, not just picking the ones that match your human experiences. I commend Elon for his curiosity, trying to ask the right questions, and elevating Jesus’ teachings. But Jesus asks his followers in Mark 8:29, “But who do you say that I am?” The correct answer was “You are the Messiah.” This answer led to the cross and suffering. To divorce Jesus’ statements about loving and forgiving your neighbor from the cross misses the whole point of the Gospel message. Jesus never claimed to be a philosopher. He brought the Kingdom to earth and showed the way to eternal life for all people, including billionaires.
