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.

8 j: V$ n2 l0 ]8 D Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
' v; n4 T7 r! e A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
9 G* K7 R2 a* E A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
  O* ]/ r; S/ y
The pebble's place in our world
, ?! J9 T; K7 i  ^1 h/ H Is neither understood nor appreciated
1 ]" H6 @: G& a% G" R% C) E But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
6 D6 h% t$ Q# U; N& h7 B Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

6 g1 q5 g: h& U- i5 A# H$ B; k) \ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# x% f. R+ G6 h+ Y5 s Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
7 c8 S! v0 [+ N, c6 O3 D Gently affecting everything in its wake
; @. X- P5 ~8 T7 ?7 _ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
# g. n: ~+ }  C+ x, G0 B By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
+ q; l5 y" R+ L) k
+ T' E1 `5 z2 }! [" C* d Aren't we all pebbles?
7 S& O, z& E  j Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
6 W" t3 A" t/ L+ w, t# Q Can never be measured in isolation
. ]# b' H  Q6 z- Z, @* \, Z! F on a path into ourselves.
% X+ Q; ?. H* f: @" Z' K2 z  D
It is true then:
  w( u3 v9 d( F# s1 r5 ~ Our everlasting future
/ y" T* v3 \% E% m0 J5 |/ p; {" j0 _ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
% G$ J" e+ W) I1 S" V Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
5 ]# R8 w7 N# [: b1 Z( u Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
3 C$ J  J# s$ \7 i+ z0 V But because of actions.

% U: m6 D$ J, y7 d5 b2 R" i0 F Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
( h7 T; P! H2 O Changes the course of the lives
$ ~. u  H2 e6 u' F. F Of those we touch.?

6 }# G8 A0 Q$ L And when the icy winds of death
: s8 F; ]. J1 k: x* f3 M beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
5 a1 A  J: N2 F8 L% N because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
5 y( c) b7 P: S- {6 j* R' r4 M
6 Y) x+ ?$ n6 ^  c* `, R5 \ And then we have heaven …
4 f/ i8 H6 a2 B% q4 h
Ross Rosenberg
' N# W) E4 w7 C8 h9 _% c" T 8/18/03