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.

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
Made small over time
: v9 g/ g( M; f2 y4 S% V A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
* n" s; @2 F! ^8 E$ z5 | An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
* m3 l, Y) s+ A1 T9 F
8 ^* K( T6 C% T The pebble's place in our world
8 y5 j% t- h. E4 @ Is neither understood nor appreciated
! }# i: _- U* L( g6 S1 \/ B But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
2 v# g. x$ C) j9 f; a9 K
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 N6 p+ e- p2 R/ I0 D: V2 e6 k Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
! P' p- b8 ~6 e# N# W0 Z Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

, I# s. I! [$ f; E3 B The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: s5 D+ d$ b9 K9 Y. _1 I By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
& X- v9 V. m, ?$ P/ S/ U- j+ c5 W5 q Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

% `+ F0 |9 U" t Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
& m7 ?4 R$ Y# M. x( e9 d7 s Can never be measured in isolation
  \  m# j" h3 D8 x7 ^( @ on a path into ourselves.
- A4 g9 O* E: _5 k2 ]6 X
It is true then:
2 j; a9 |$ \" V( s; ?* c) _ Our everlasting future
' B- R+ R0 O+ i- e- c Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
0 l! ]0 q1 A( ~" l Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
4 l' j7 I  C# n4 G+ K$ f But because of actions.

1 ?  {7 ?6 F: W Our life's prayers our answered
1 f3 V% ]# o& {9 e- O Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
* d2 G! @( t5 \' m; L% g Changes the course of the lives
) U9 F, J. \! m* C% P7 f Of those we touch.?

  |7 }- p. H" f And when the icy winds of death
) \5 z& v. _! Z/ p6 U$ N/ B; c beckon our lasting attention
7 x# q8 |1 t5 ~/ b! n% J  ] We will gently leave this life
4 g& a! z4 _4 d! {% Y With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
, d& I6 f) Q- q. h- i' f
And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03