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.

- P) \8 ~) b; w+ q3 I' I1 E 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
The pebble is worn smooth
  \& g0 @; P% s' M  ^* t& j3 A Made small over time
8 u- J; F) N, z! ] A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 b5 Z6 R8 L9 W, F$ p2 u  [: z3 x An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

6 |5 ^) z) t; R9 e7 q; V. w8 h1 ^" c The pebble's place in our world
2 n" E& \% C/ e% p# K8 S Is neither understood nor appreciated
0 k9 W' a' `; M But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
; e& _0 R9 t; H& `2 T  P; z Its insignificance is transformed
+ @6 L+ @$ p1 J& D/ Z' }7 p0 [9 o Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
% }, ~; e) R" z7 Q
: f$ d( D' ?9 o: ^ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
: }5 h* O' E* s Spiral outwards
0 C2 d. [4 W: A/ o: { Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
' @" p7 l' Q+ S& Y, ^4 w) f0 O
+ z. j, M/ Y4 z& f* X9 d; H& [ Aren't we all pebbles?
8 o' x. i' @# w, O7 n% [ Feeling small and insignificant
# b" s# M/ w* @$ w1 K But ultimately recognizing
7 j8 S0 {% X0 V4 v0 J That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
- B' _) `3 F2 J9 `3 l on a path into ourselves.
# H/ @/ [! c( n- `! f# J
7 L7 s) m' x0 O& P* ^* e9 r7 }6 I It is true then:
* |! \4 z: F2 Q: k% w0 `( y: q Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
9 h  \' G! N- a& i' l2 ~ Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
1 F- v/ G. E4 A0 g1 N not because of well meaning plans
$ P0 I: h) e6 C0 _" K( [ But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
) ~: n: _$ \* u+ \- Z2 ` Because even the smallest pebble
+ o8 R+ C6 _$ o' r No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
+ k5 z$ p4 g0 w( U$ ?! a" M Of those we touch.?

) F2 Q$ k- u4 H5 s8 k0 S And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
$ ^  l5 V( V" d! G We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
- |  @5 p1 j, n" J9 m0 C because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
3 H3 Q% V8 }* b$ j/ q3 A
And then we have heaven …
+ E5 N/ Z( M. Y* |2 k% B
Ross Rosenberg
( Z% M) z* Z" b9 n2 f/ ]9 m 8/18/03