A Kingdom Rebuilding

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a wonderful city. He looked out of his palace at his city, and remarked how great it was. Industry and economy were beginning to thrive. The countryside was beginning to take shape. Tall buildings were built, and it was starting to look like a great city. Sure, there was some grumbling by the people, but the king paid no attention. After all, things were beginning to pick up and the economy was booming. The concerns should be squelched in no time. The king was beginning to enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Suddenly, the queen came before him and said she was leaving. The king was stunned, albeit not completely surprised. He knew she was unhappy, but with all of his duties and his focus on building the city, he didn’t know what to do about it. He had dismissed her complaints too, assuming they would also be assuaged when things began to take shape and flourish. The king ran after her, begging her to stay, but to no avail. As she approached the door, a bomb exploded, blowing the door wide open. She walked out, taking from the kingdom as she left.

For a long time, the king sat in stunned disbelief. He returned to his room, not believing what had happened. He would not admit that his perfect city was damaged. But the problem continued. For you see, the explosion from the door did not stop there. While the king’s palace was made of stone and did not burn, the rest of the city was not so fortunate. There were dilapidated houses which immediately caught fire. There was new construction that stood no chance. Soon it became evident that the entire city was in peril. Paralyzed with fear, the king didn’t know what to do. His usual resources now seemed woefully inadequate.

He thought about the nearby cities. He could call for help. But what would they think of him as a king? Shouldn’t he be able to protect his own city? How would this affect his relationships with the other leaders? He didn’t know them well, and rarely talked with them. But he knew he needed help. He had heard that one of the nearby cities had a fire several years before. Surely they would understand. He went to the queen of the city and told her of the disaster. The queen dispatched her own people to help the city. The king began asking other neighboring cities for help. Slowly at first, but as the responses soared, the king began to get revitalized. More and more cities came to help and before long, the fires were put out. The king returned to his palace and threw himself on his bed. He was relieved that it was over. He breathed a sigh of relief.

He began to think about the city, and went out to survey it. What he saw amazed him. The king was no longer looking through his rose colored windows at the city. He now saw for himself what his city was like. His great tall buildings were now a pile of rubbish and a big hole in the ground. He discovered that in the haste of his construction, shortcuts had been made. Beautiful facades had covered up inadequate materials and poor craftsmanship. But now the facade was gone, and the truth was laid bare. Foundations were poor and sometimes non-existent. The king soon realized that it was far from over. It was now time to rebuild. And the rebuilding would take much longer. He was going to do it right this time. He didn’t want to loose his entire city again.

Many of the nearby cities who had helped put out the flames, now helped with the rebuilding. The king also found a nearby country full of cities who were ready and willing to help. They brought him supplies and support. They shared ideas and formed a community.

The king could hardly believe it. In his wildest dreams, he never could have imagined a city like this. Buildings strong and firm. People content and happy. He discovered people living in his city that he never even knew existed, even though they had been there all along. And the relationship with the other cities continued. They would visit each other frequently. And the king even helped some of the other cities with their own problems. His was no longer an isolated city, independent and sufficient to itself. It was now part of a community.