I recently watched a 60 minutes interview with Bill Gates. During the interview, Charlie Rose asked Bill about his 
relationship with Steve Jobs, which led to discussion about their conversations late in Steve’s life.
“When he was sick, I got to spend time with him,” Bill said.
“That must have been tough,” responded Charlie.
“No he was not being melancholy….it was very forward thinking…he showed me the boat he was working on and talked about how he was looking forward to being on it even though both of us knew there was a good chance he wouldn’t get to be on it.” according to Gates.
“He knew that and he went on ahead and build a boat,” queried Rose.
“Sure, thinking about your potential mortality isn’t very constructive,” countered Gates.
That last comment struck me.
While I think I get to some extent what he meant, my mind immediately went to the words of another great man. Moses said – “Teach us to number our days aright that we may present to you a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 David echoed those thoughts in Psalm 39:4-6 “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the pan of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro; He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.”
Quite a contrast to what Gates said. These men believe there is value to seeing our potential mortality – obtaining a heart of wisdom in the process. This wisdom was so important to them that they each cried out to God to drive this reality home, their cries implying that without God’s help we just don’t see it.
Bill Gates statements reinforce that we don’t see it, in fact we don’t want to see it.
However, the truth is, whether we are like Steve Jobs with a serious disease or not, we all live with potential mortality.
The question is not whether this reality exists but what do we do with this reality. We can listen to Bill and declare it is not constructive to think about it or listen to Moses and cry out to God, looking for this wisdom.
