Generous, Big-Hearted and Open-Minded

Quincy Jones turned 80 years old in March 2013. In America he could have retired about two decades ago. Instead he has chosen to take his career focus from performer and producer to manager of new musical talent. He is managing Blush, a five-member, Asian, girl band, Emily Bear, an 11-year-old piano prodigy, Alfredo Rodríguez, a jazz pianist, Justin Kauflin, a blind jazz pianist and others (James C. McKinley Jr., May 22, 2013, The New York Times article "Latest in His Hyphenate? Manager Quincy Jones, After Years as a Performer-Producer, Now Scouts Young Talent.")

Permanent retirement of the elderly is not Biblical. God teaches us to fight the good fight of faith for all of life and to take periodic rest periods of worshiping Him through service. One Sabbath is to take place for one year every seven years. Leviticus 25:3-7 New Living Translation says, "For six years you may plant your fields and prune your vineyards and harvest your crops, but during the seventh year the land must have a Sabbath year of complete rest. It is the Lord’s Sabbath. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards during that year. And don’t store away the crops that grow on their own or gather the grapes from your unpruned vines. The land must have a year of complete rest. But you may eat whatever the land produces on its own during its Sabbath. This applies to you, your male and female servants, your hired workers, and the temporary residents who live with you. Your livestock and the wild animals in your land will also be allowed to eat what the land produces."

Jesus interprets the Mosaic Law and the Prophets in a way that gives God the highest glory and people the greatest good. If they had a one-year Sabbath in the Old Testament, how much better should it be since the birth of the Christian Church?

How to pay for one-year and more of paid employment leave? Here's some ideas:
** All leave balances accrued should be portable from one place of employment to the next.
** Some may prefer increased paid-leave benefits instead of a 401K match.
** Some may prefer increased paid-leave instead of a monetary increase for merit performance.
** Some may desire a customized benefit package.

Elderly people should not be discriminated against or forced out of the workforce nor should elderly who are no longer able to work be denied the help they need to live well. Governor Mary Fallin signed into law HB 1403 The Nondiscrimination in Treatment Act of Oklahoma which protects the elderly, seriously ill and disabled by preventing medical providers from denying individuals life-saving treatment based on their quality of life. The Nondiscrimination in Treatment Act of Oklahoma will take effect November 1, 2013.

Elderly people have more life experience than other human beings. An African proverb says, "When an elder dies it is as if a whole library had burned down."

God wants our library to be full of a life well lived. John 10:10 Amplified Bible says, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."

Perhaps if we listened to and obeyed God about the one-year or more Sabbath, more creative and compassionate solutions to social problems would be found and implemented. Families need more quantity and quality time together. Singles and others need to serve people more. Perhaps we would see more diversity in everyday life. For example, perhaps a way to build more restaurants with African food and food from the peoples of the African diaspora would be in suburb and rural places. More consistent and comprehensive coverage would be found in the media of the disability community, African countries and peoples of the African diaspora. One in six Africans is a Nigerian, but media coverage of Nigeria is rare. Way more coverage exists of the European Union than the African Union.

A Chinese proverb praises the "generous, big-hearted and open-minded." Paid employment leave and diversity exemplify these qualities and are good for everyone.  

Write to:
Michele F. Jackson
P.O. Box 2106
Woodbridge, VA 22195

Follow Michele F. Jackson on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/michelelove30.