There once was a great king named Cyrus. Cyrus had unbridled power in his kingdom, and no one thought or attempted to cross him. His power was absolute, and he wielded that power with impunity; he was known as “the humiliator of his enemies.”; he was feared yet respected far and wide.
Cyrus had one son who was called Isa. The king’s dream was that one day his only son would follow in his footsteps and lead the kingdom, yet Isa had other plans. He never understood his father’s lust for power and money, and he shuddered when he considered what lengths his father had gone to acquire so much.
“Father, you have accumulated much in your life but at the expense of others. You have hurt many people in your acquisition of wealth and power. If you ever want to find peace in your life you must give away everything you have to the people of the kingdom.”
“My dear son, you couldn’t possibly understand how this world works. You’ve been spoiled and now you bite the hand that feeds you.”
“Father, if you continue to hurt people, I can live with you no longer.”
Cyrus became angry at his young son, and he cast him out of his castle.
“If you know so much and feel so deeply for my subjects then you must leave this castle and go live amongst the people. When you see how mistaken you are, I demand that you come back to me and apologize, and I will consider allowing you back into my kingdom!”
Isa left the castle, and he found a beautiful tree a short distance from the castle; he sat down in silence and stared directly at his old home. Hours passed; hours turned into days; days into weeks; before long a month had passed. Neither father nor son blinked during this standoff.
Word began spreading around the kingdom that Isa was standing up for the people against King Cyrus. Finally, one brave soul, a petite young girl who had just come of age named Odelina decided to venture to Isa to inquire about his intentions.
“What are you doing?” Odelina asked.
“I am protesting how my father is treating his subjects,” Isa responded.
“Why are you doing this?” Odelina asked Isa.
“Because ‘subjects’ are not ‘objects’,” Isa replied.
“What do you mean?” Odelina asked, confused.
“There can be no kingdom without the people and if the kingdom is not serving the people, then it becomes our duty to stand up and demand our rights as Children of the Divine.”
Odelina liked Isa’s answer; she sat down and joined him in his silent protest.
The rumors around the kingdom grew as the story of the protest slowly began making its way through the entire kingdom. Before long, the crowd began growing larger around Isa. Ten turned into twenty; one hundred became two hundred; when the assembly reached five hundred people the king took notice of the large group of people who had united to reclaim their sovereignty.
King Cyrus called upon his most trusted warrior, Armando, to investigate why such a large crowd had assembled outside the castle. When Armando arrived at the gathering, he noticed it was Isa who was sitting silently, front and center, at the head of the group.
“Isa, what are you doing?” Armando asked.
“I am protesting how my father is treating his subjects,” Isa responded.
“Isa, come home with me now. Your father has had enough of your show. He wants you to return,” Armando replied.
“No. Not until the rights of the people are fully returned.”
Armando could tell that he was not going to be able to convince Isa to return to the castle. When he delivered the news to the king, Cyrus was incensed.
“Go and bring him back. If necessary, use physical force.”
This troubled Armando greatly. He had known Isa since he was a young boy, but he was being ordered by the king and there was nothing he felt he could do to defy such an order. Armando returned to Isa who was still sitting peacefully silent. He demanded that Isa return with him to the castle or else he would use physical violence to get him to return. Isa didn’t move.
“No matter what you do to me physically, you can never change what is in my heart and my mind. You cannot take my personal sovereignty. My heart belongs to the Divine,” Isa replied.
Against his heart, Armando struck a hard blow against Isa’s face and blood spewed from his nose. Isa remained steadfast in his stoicism as the blood dripped down his face. Instantly, Armando was stricken with grief.
“I’m so sorry,” Armando cried.
Isa remained silent.
In his grief, Armando understood his transgression. Under orders he became something he never intended to become and in an instant, Armando understood that he must join the congregation in rejection of being ruled in this way. No words were spoken between Isa and Armando.
King Cyrus waited for Armando to return; time passed, and his curiosity overtook him; he made the pilgrimage towards the gathering of his subjects. When he arrived, Isa was sitting at the head of the group.
“Why do you make this stand against the kingdom?” King Cyrus asked Isa.
“I don’t make the stand against the kingdom. I make the stand against the person leading the kingdom.”
“Come back to the castle now!” King Cyrus demanded.
“I will come only if everyone is allowed to come.”
“Isa, come back to the kingdom now!”
“No,” Isa said steadfastly.
Finally, the king relented and sat at the front of the congregation with his back towards the people, indicating he was still the leader of this group. Isa stood strongly resolute in the face of the king’s passive aggression.
“You may sit with us,” Isa said. “But you must face us if you stay.”
“What are you saying to me, Isa?!” the king roared.
“Turn and look us in the eye.”
The king reluctantly turned towards the entire assemblage.
“Father, you are king only because we allow you to be the king. The moment, we the people, decide you are no longer our leader—your power is forever dissolved. We make you the king and you are our subject, not the other way around,” Isa proclaimed.
“Well, if the people decide who is king then let’s allow the people to decide!” King Cyrus challenged. He turned his gaze to the congregation. “Who is your king?”
A murmur descended upon the crowd as whispers of “Isa” could be heard. The chorus grew louder until finally the king hushed the congregation. King Cyrus stared directly back at Isa, knowing that the kingdom had forever changed. Slowly, the king removed his crown and placed it at the feet of his young son.
“Remember this day always, father. For the true power will always lie with the people.”
This is how Isa became king.