Heaven

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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.

2 O+ j8 f: p( V3 S3 \7 j 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
  u# _' m8 q2 t7 q The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
) k' k% v. G7 Q A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 n; ]1 Q& }4 T8 M An accidental offspring of a boulder
- G6 F8 o5 `+ N3 m! O% w( Y But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
. i2 o" o1 ^; v; s Is neither understood nor appreciated
& o! Q! O' y( ]5 V/ G4 D But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
! D) J4 M& _- b Its insignificance is transformed
  X# ^$ |8 P& u8 \ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
" N. {6 K9 I7 i- D8 F2 |4 w Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
& s% j, K( }9 @6 w* B. G' S
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
# p: C) }+ V. r6 ]' r8 p9 D  w By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
' e0 i- o( Q5 u) M4 P8 l Creating karmic energy
: T5 `* l0 ~9 Y; P$ R Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
$ A/ ~! |, K* M
  w) Y6 X- ~3 Y- i4 ?6 F Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
' ?8 j( T( w; r' e$ A$ K- } But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
- q- U4 J& E8 e9 G6 ^) S& a Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
' \5 k  N0 J, U. y' Z  U9 J Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
$ D+ Q7 @2 K: d$ {! z" @  d Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
) ]) ^& W8 L: a5 m* Y3 H But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
3 }- H4 _- e- ?+ X4 x  S" ~ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
8 g1 W% a4 |! E. c Of those we touch.?

2 E! i/ n! R- D  M2 U And when the icy winds of death
4 V/ s% G8 T7 G8 A beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
2 I+ ~( c, B) b9 U, h With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
  ^' Z( c9 c% T7 m. v
( t( u' v. F; }5 K7 _9 e$ c And then we have heaven …

% j- T0 W8 r. G+ k- F2 N! d Ross Rosenberg
3 ]  L% @" `0 w" b) J. X 8/18/03