The paparazzi had gotten out of hand. And the queen was pregnant. At the same time, due to global pressures communicated loudly through social media, the little colonized country had decided to transition from a monarchy to a democracy.
But the king and queen were nervous to pass over leadership. Their family really did make it their profession and passion to run this nation better than anyone else. They schooled themselves from the experts in everything from history to politics. And for generations, those they married into the family were considering heavily for their skills to make the kingdom better.
The pushy international news media and paparazzi had flown in for the dissolving of the crown. They were especially blood-thirst for the drama of a royal baby being born during such a tumultuous transition. Would the royal family use their power to manipulate one of their own into the presidency? The family was known as the flawless beloved leaders but when had such a rooted legacy give up peacefully?
Since the royal family wanted to be above reproach, they did something tricky. A month after they had peacefully handed over power to a democratically-elected president, and two weeks before their baby was to be born, in the middle of December, they disappeared.
For generations the nation had celebrated the youngest royal birthday as nation-wide no-work holiday. And so the due date of the baby, December 25th became a holiday.
About that time a young woman gained notoriety. Throughout school she had been at the top of her class in grades and athletics. In high school and college she was quickly elected as class president, and then she did such a remarkable job she was pushed into politics at the city, then province level. In debates she proved herself to be exceptionally versed in economics, international politics, diplomacy, philosophy, and even defense. It only took a few minutes of listening to this young woman for people to have faith that she could lead better than the contenders that they knew of.
By age 25 she was in the running for president of the small nation, the nation which had gone downhill drastically since the days of the throne.
And the older citizens, still remembering what it was like to have such a worthy person leading their country, saw the sharp contrast in her ways to the others who now contended for the role of president. The others were maneuvering, charismatic manipulators, in warring parties that fought for enough power to overthrow the other side.
She had grown up in normal schools, playing normal sports and being in community that all looked normal, other than the fact that her parents were basically unseen. This gap in her history was the media's strongest argument against her. What was she hiding? But one voice rang out above the others as questions about her ran through the media. An old advisor to the throne, the throne that now symbolized the glory days, simply said, "I will follow the one that proves themselves most worthy. Look at their fruit."
As election day neared, festivities were prepared. Not only was it election day, but they had changed election day to be on the unknown royal child's birthday from 25 years ago, because they needed a purpose for an otherwise meaningless holiday. And it was on that day, as the young woman readily won the president's seat, that she gave a speech. And in the speech she subtly mentioned she was twenty five and her birthday was today.
Those who remembered the kingship from a quarter century prior, smiled wryly and nodded their head that all had been made right again. And when all the juice-thirsty paparazzi asked what those old men what they thought of it, they simply repeated what the old advisor had said, "I will follow the one that proves themselves most worthy. I look at their fruit."
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In Numbers 17, the leaders of all the tribes of Jacob are grumbling against Moses for not letting them do some of the things God had designated only the priests to do. To settle the argument God told Moses to take a staff from each of those 12 tribes, leave them in the tabernacle overnight, and the one that sprouts would be from the tribe God wanted to lead. Aaron's staff bloomed with leaves and olives.
Often I think we need to look at the fruit to know which way we should go, the thing we should be doing. The blooming wooden staff was also a picture of the future Jesus who would show remarkable fruit in miracles and good deeds. And like the wooden staff he was dead on a stick, later to bringing life from that death, proving himself the very most worthy to lead.
