The world does not have a real-life Tony Stark, but Elon Musk sure seems to be the dollar store version. Although Musk does not have a suit of armor and will not be saving the world from an alien invasion, he is a billionaire whose companies are currently hailed as the way of the future. From SpaceX to Tesla, it seems that Musk is at the forefront of multiple new frontiers.
Musk has been parodied on YouTube as having moments of going into “God mode,” an irreverent slang term for being cool and/or considered the best-of-the-best at one’s vocation. [2]
In some sense, it is not a stretch to say that our increasingly secular nation views him as a kind of savior.
But obviously, Musk is not a god.
In an utterly bizarre interview with the Christian satirical website Babylon Bee, Musk was pressed on his views of Jesus Christ and stumbled into saying, “hey, if Jesus is saving people, I mean, I won't stand in His way…Sure, I'll be saved. Why not?” [3]
It is not the place of a Christian to judge the sincerity of Musk’s statements. Nonetheless, this odd interlude ought to serve as a reminder that even a man that secular America hails as a kind of tech-geek messiah recognizes that the higher power of the Gospel trumps his own meager efforts.
This should remind us all of the warnings of Psalm 146:3-4 “Do not put your trust in princes, in human beings, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day, their plans come to nothing.” Human beings are not like The One True God. They are not omnipotent, omniscient, or omnipresent. They are not innately just, loving, or faithful. If a human being wanted to describe themselves as a deity, they would compare poorly to the divine Creator God; they would have to describe themselves as similar to one of the so-called Greco-Roman “gods.”
These gods were far from wise or just; they had affairs, caused the deaths of innocent mortals, and engaged in all forms of self-indulgence. [1] In this way, Elon Musk, the marijuana-using, perpetually eligible bachelor, is not all that different from these Greco-Roman deities.
Such a personage pales in comparison to the perfection of the Lord of Lords.
The book of Psalms describes the Lord’s glory, repeatedly declaring: “The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength; indeed, the world is established, firm and secure.” (Psalm 93:1)
Such a view of God is far more enthralling than the fallible and all-too-humanized Greco-Roman gods. It is far more enthralling than the foibles of a single man.
Christians should be careful not to fall prey to a misguided desire to seek out human beings to save them. Whether those human beings are CEOs, scientists, politicians, or even religious leaders, only Jesus Christ can save us from the power of death, hell, and the grave.
We must never forget the true source of our salvation.
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