Heaven

khfacdgku

Seven years ago I was asked by a friend if I was "religious and if I believed in God?" As a (formerly) practicing agnostic I quickly answered:"no." However, I defended myself by explaining that I lived my life according to universal principals of "right and wrong" (as I understood them). Because I believed that our deeds create a lasting effect on the world, I felt confident in my everlasting future. In other words, I wasn't worried about there being a heaven or not. I told my friend that when I die, I am banking on knowing that my impact on the world will be ever lasting. My "heaven" will ultimately be the creation of the the sum total of all my actions.
. i9 q$ u+ i( {/ R9 d$ }
$ ^% ]  M1 W2 Z I will never forget my friend's response: he looked at me with glassy eyes, and told me how deeply spiritual I was. I didn't see it. It took five more years to see what he meant. Such was the inspiration of the following poem I wrote.

Heaven
& x7 g4 _  v3 j' T( v& P& s The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
1 X- W- I  q% K" Q  _ An accidental offspring of a boulder
5 O/ C  ^9 L8 H' T. b But just a very small stone.
7 j- F& `  [5 M! n0 Q
6 S, \0 I/ u( a0 [' K The pebble's place in our world
1 r5 z- y, y1 J7 A) {+ M) Z Is neither understood nor appreciated
2 v' j# ?* l6 }) K9 r4 h: N' v But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
" J0 E1 P' h- ^/ R4 r# O2 o7 Q Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

! M: L% \# E0 I1 n, M The instant the pebble kisses the pond
$ I8 O8 P, q" b% q6 [ Its signature of concentric ripples
6 l1 B. l  g% ]7 v Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
7 G- V0 Z, Z) R5 D6 I/ e* F. y# v: H. N Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

) v: C0 c$ @: A The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# c( F1 o$ S8 S. k1 Q- M/ A Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
& s+ Y; B7 l+ {- l) e0 D0 }4 r
2 g2 A2 p" f! q6 k  ] Aren't we all pebbles?
- G+ f. J/ U* M$ I4 @& S2 E: ~" Z! R Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
: _2 h5 d$ h: ^9 w& G on a path into ourselves.

( C/ e6 _! m- Q# L$ o# L: f It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
' i  L* Z4 p' m4 z3 v" I' p& ^: X that leave unique mark on our world
; T0 Q7 v) u4 Z1 x Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
2 {% ?/ C' X  c7 J But because of actions.
9 O0 y9 c% I  {( d6 a6 j9 v7 K
6 Q( l7 ]4 j* u- R: @ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
- b3 u, Z9 u5 W7 { No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ {3 b; m  G/ J: O/ \. N. Y& Y- V: E Changes the course of the lives
) f) s: ~- T  A/ W2 s* B Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
8 w8 p. N8 G3 j7 k4 Y% K  _ The world will never be the same.
( z0 r3 o7 C1 @3 m
$ a/ ~8 ?1 z1 G2 k! R And then we have heaven …
- X& f' t- t5 g5 h9 A+ h2 l
, K( v3 X# ]) n0 g. h5 I$ t Ross Rosenberg
3 T+ o' \5 F2 w 8/18/03