The New King
Once upon a time in a world far, far away there was a king who ruled over his country. He was a new king, his father had passed away and on that day his father’s advisors appeared in the prince’s room and brought him to the throne. “You, My Lord are now the king.” They said as they bowed before him.
All the previous kings were strong leaders but many said they were mean and nasty. But the new king did not want to be like that, so he started to look for the best way for him to lead the people.
He went on a long journey through the Kingdom to seek an answer from the people.
He stopped one day at the cobbler’s house. He was the one who made shoes. He asked the cobbler what do I need to know to be a good king. The cobbler was working on a new pair of shoes and he was using a wooden hammer to pound the leather so it would soften.
“Well, Sire,” the cobbler began as he continued his work. “You need to be harsh with the people, to teach them that you are the authority.” He said as he brought the mallet in his strong right arm down hard on the leather on the bench. “You need to be harsh and strong, otherwise the people will walk all over you.”
The king thanked the cobbler and left, but he did not like his advice. He returned to the castle and decided to try again the next day.
The next day, he visited the baker. The baker was baking all the loaves of bread for the day, so he asked the baker what he needed to know to be a good king. The baker was kneading the dough for his famous french bread that people liked. But everyone knew that the baker charged lots more for his bread than he needed, but he was the only baker in the land.
“Well sire, you have to teach the people that you are the king and they must support you. You need to raise their taxes mighty high so they will know that you are their leader and deserve their total support even with their money.”
The king thanked the baker and left, but he did not like his advice. He returned to the castle and decided to try again the next day.
The next day, he was on his way to visit the Doctor when he came upon a little old lady feeding the pigeons with old bread she bought days before.
He decided before he asked the doctor he would talk to this little old lady as she sat and dropped bread crumbs on the ground.
Well, your majesty,” she started. Do you see what I am doing for these pigeons.
“You are feeding them, my lady.”
“No,” She replied. “They can find their own food they don’t need me to feed them.” She reached into her bag of crumbs bringing out another handful and tossed them towards the awaiting birds.
“I am loving them.” she said.
“I come here everyday and I let those birds know everyday they are loved.” She continued. “Sometimes the birds will fight over one piece of bread and I yell at them, but when I yell they know that the one who loves them told them to stop. I don’t know if they understand, but they know that the one who loves them told them to stop.”
“So,” the king started. “All you do is show them your love?”
“Yes, and that is how they learn they are loved.”
“But madam,” The king began again. “How do you learn to love.”
The old woman stood up and pointed to the sun. “Do you see that sun, your majesty?”
He stood and followed to where her finger pointed to the sun in the sky.
There was not a cloud in the sky and the sun was bright and right overhead.
“God created that sun to keep us warm, to grow the plants to bath the animals in warmth and light and to show us his presence in one of many ways every day. “
“Do you see that Church over there, your majesty?” he followed the direction of her pointing finger and looked at the big steeple and crucifix.
“God led people to create that Church so that we could worship Him through His son, Jesus and learn about much Jesus gave so that we could learn of his love.”
She then sat down and grabbed more bread to give to the birds.
“I learn to love, by learning that God loves me and he teaches me to love Him back.” She stopped and looked directly into the king’s eyes. “You need to ask God to show you His love for you so that you can love all your people. They you will be a great leader.”
The king went home, he never did visit the doctor and he began to pray to God to teach him how to love and he learned more about his son Jesus and asked him to teach Him how to love.
The lived a long life and when he died people realized not only did they love the King, the learned to love one another and that is why their kingdom was the most peaceful Kingdom in all the land.
