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.

; P0 L$ N' t, s$ v* B7 R 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.
- H6 F/ Y6 s7 d/ ^( W6 Q9 S+ g4 ~$ {
5 z2 v6 ^- O; A! R" B Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
  F3 S0 K+ [( a. J Made small over time
. w+ M' c# o/ n/ |! S9 c A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
0 Y7 d, i+ A" m5 ^* j But just a very small stone.
6 i* }9 A/ ?0 v. v8 R
/ p* X" P* K5 a' j, q1 o' N: c The pebble's place in our world
' T0 R& j# {5 Z5 M' V Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ F1 x! v% G) t4 @, L But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
9 O3 n- X# N0 z Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
# D8 L  u, g& m4 ?" R% H* i
8 F( u% R8 K/ M  t: I5 l+ I" @ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
' G% A3 {- h! W' e+ n Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
: |! r, P( b& ^& S; W& d- h4 ^ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
# M/ {1 J$ B$ [6 ?/ Z  t
  J3 i' n0 Y  f; L0 C+ a! } The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  Z9 y; p5 q0 N" |: i" V Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
2 h. S& G7 r6 Y* C But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
+ \/ M% z! @, Y! V+ Y- W
2 g7 T# \9 t/ _9 u$ P8 R6 j" c$ ` It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
: j$ _- a* L8 i' a' t Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
  ^  E- W- t5 N7 b Not because of thoughts
% z% r. x; S9 y: m not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
( N- }  H# m- H" k- |, u% ?/ \ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 U2 n/ F! _( d; i! u9 n Changes the course of the lives
* \) U- V8 |& W, F. O! B Of those we touch.?

2 \/ _; r. V8 q# b& ~' H! X And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
- K1 e- d8 O$ X, n; t, s% |: n With the knowledge that
  w/ ~' D$ X, u% F because of that one pebble
6 s* N; B9 D5 ~$ ] The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
, I6 w9 m! [" ]' B: Q
* w% a+ u$ C5 M3 _. O Ross Rosenberg
5 u" E( o0 f0 J8 r+ T, P7 c 8/18/03