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.

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
3 M4 \9 ~, v3 S" B6 Z- I The pebble is worn smooth
( c& i) U( v- v$ `1 M Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
1 C8 Z7 q5 B7 [2 l, z) h% i/ w; B A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
- ]# t0 N' d, J An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
3 k. b3 Q$ @8 H Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
; W2 x  _' R* Y6 Y# n4 ?. f4 b Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
# X! f5 ^: v( s' l/ H; A
; k; @! w0 k' }3 [6 v The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
1 p) e; s- e! I
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
$ R7 ?5 C. U& a0 m0 {+ P. ]! Z( U; H3 d4 U Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
) e4 T; y2 B% ]7 i% T
Aren't we all pebbles?
! w, I  @! ]# h* x# R3 K% ~+ @ Feeling small and insignificant
& F' W3 {8 J2 d3 G0 ?) b0 I But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
# |% B- f$ t3 F# c& l on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
# {: C1 s0 o: P Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
: k2 Z* r: G/ e9 `8 U8 l. Y, y Into the pond of life
# q; M2 ]+ _; c% b Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
' l' [" Y# l, l* L9 c7 @2 } Not because of thoughts
& ^6 M# I  }8 ?  s" c0 N not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

4 L" j/ W5 i( H& O Our life's prayers our answered
% Y* }6 N- t- ~$ h' i! R# r Because even the smallest pebble
% d$ N) Y2 x/ d* i No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
% S/ T5 R; }* y  @6 [' K
And when the icy winds of death
; e0 e' W0 K1 q6 K beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
. i$ N0 @; _5 @* W9 W
: n* B, S) y6 Z1 i( @2 F2 D, L And then we have heaven …
  s- J9 c' r, o5 g* q- b& B9 o
Ross Rosenberg
, w+ F% c0 r7 P- R 8/18/03