WE ARE ALL JOB SEEKERS: LET US STOP FOOLING OURSELVES- Saviour Chishimba

WE ARE ALL JOB SEEKERS: LET US STOP FOOLING OURSELVES There is a fashionable statement among politicians, “I am not looking for a job.” Let us stop fooling ourselves. If you form a political party because you want to govern, you are seeking a job. If you contest the presidency, parliament or council, you are […]

WE ARE ALL JOB SEEKERS: LET US STOP FOOLING OURSELVES

There is a fashionable statement among politicians, “I am not looking for a job.” Let us stop fooling ourselves. If you form a political party because you want to govern, you are seeking a job. If you contest the presidency, parliament or council, you are seeking a job. Every one of those offices has duties, responsibilities and a job description. Even the President has a job description prescribed by the Constitution.

Jewish thought has taught me to look at this differently. Every morning that the Almighty allows you to open your eyes means that you still have work to do. The first words traditionally uttered upon awakening are Modeh Ani (gratitude to the Almighty for restoring the soul). Before beginning the business of the day, a Jew acknowledges that life itself has been returned for a purpose. We DO NOT take anything for granted. We are loyal servants of the Almighty and His causes.

Then comes the discipline of the morning. We wash our hands. We attend to the needs of the body. After using the toilet, we recite Asher Yatzar, thanking the Almighty for the extraordinary fact that the human body is functioning as it should. Don’t take going to the toilet for granted. If you take this for granted, go to the hospital and see patients with catheters. Then come the morning blessings, recognising things human beings easily take for granted, namely, life, the soul, clothing, strength, freedom, the ground beneath our feet, and the ability to stand and walk. Judaism begins the day by teaching gratitude, responsibility and purpose.

The Torah contains 613 mitzvot (commandments) given to the Jewish people. What are commonly called the “Ten Commandments” are known in Hebrew as the Aseret Hadibrot, the Ten Statements or Ten Utterances. Jewish tradition teaches that these Ten Statements encompass the entire Torah and its 613 mitzvot. There is even a beautiful traditional teaching concerning the 620 Hebrew letters of the Aseret Hadibrot, connecting 613 of them to the Torah’s 613 mitzvot. The principle is that life comes with obligations. We have things to do. Waking up is therefore not merely the beginning of another day. It is the beginning of another assignment.

That is how I understand public responsibility. If you accept an assignment in government, parliament, a council, a company, a political party or anywhere else, take it seriously. Be loyal to the assignment. Do the work with integrity. Do not behave as though you are doing somebody a favour. From the Jewish perspective, honest work itself can become part of serving the Almighty. Hashem sees what human beings may never see.

So yes, we are all job seekers. The farmer has a job. The entrepreneur has a job. The teacher has a job. The President has a job. The minister has a job. The permanent secretary has a job. The member of Parliament has a job. The councillor has a job. Even when you employ yourself, you have given yourself a job.

There is no shame in seeking responsibility. The real essence is not whether you want a job. It is what you intend to do with it once it is entrusted to you.

Our collective job now is clear. Let us build Zambia, grow Zambia and serve its people. That is the tone President Hakainde Hichilema has set. Let us therefore stop speaking to citizens as though seeking public office somehow means we are above seeking work. Leadership is work. Public office is work. Service is work.

We are all job seekers. The only people who no longer have work to do in this world are those whose earthly assignment has ended and we bless their righteous memories with the hope that they will resurrect in the world to come.

Saviour Chishimba
President
United Progressive People (UPP)
UPND Alliance Partner