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.

6 J8 X6 ]) P! m+ d- }0 ?- U. y' E9 g Heaven
2 `4 X( v: ~' {  |- U# u8 H The pebble is worn smooth
7 H; ~/ K1 A# I Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
+ [* n5 {1 S2 f An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

( Y0 I' L( G7 b2 f5 H" I* @ The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
' Q: \$ L6 t9 {+ S But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
6 n; r* h) I" v* u& I. F Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
, _4 O, S& M0 `9 s, z3 @* A1 A Its signature of concentric ripples
+ X( T2 \+ w+ y1 s  D. @ Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
$ @" R6 M# ^  M  a+ t/ [ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
0 y; z' o$ q' ]8 Z3 S
* c+ D% |/ U9 i The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' F9 J7 I0 Z+ I6 _- I By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
' A6 H# ]* ^8 H$ l3 ~" c Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

8 m7 L# a' f) f9 s) S# X: I Aren't we all pebbles?
6 ^1 A" y# p5 w5 w Feeling small and insignificant
- J3 n0 Q% D2 ~/ I# s3 ~( [; V But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
6 [  }% d# {; g- x8 d, o on a path into ourselves.
5 q5 i7 V& {7 f% N
& o: L$ {6 l, } It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
& r- U( t, C6 o4 B Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
0 |' V6 u1 a- a that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
+ X* ^3 F) Q$ Y( m But because of actions.
. x  W& Z. {2 h" ?. C% ?* P7 `
Our life's prayers our answered
2 y$ r1 F* u+ A3 l  B2 ?6 | Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
$ A4 G' W4 ^8 H/ ?. `$ P Of those we touch.?
/ [: N, O3 ]' p1 q2 C5 s* {: D
And when the icy winds of death
: N6 Z$ {+ [- `* ^; m0 {1 I* E beckon our lasting attention
# u7 D. m/ J4 V/ q8 A5 f We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
  f; W! [+ _8 I because of that one pebble
) b* K' k& X( H# g The world will never be the same.
7 {2 x8 j7 Q( d. n" c
And then we have heaven …
, Q# T9 u  a' [" I8 i2 [
, V* j; |$ ]( K1 W. E Ross Rosenberg
+ T/ \5 }' \1 A6 j4 R: M; k 8/18/03