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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
! T$ t- g: p1 h3 s" j A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 M) y: a, `% j* i* n. { A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
5 F; |' h8 E: [; w; o But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
7 T' M$ h4 ~/ H  c( W  [9 u Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
6 p$ S3 r$ @6 p- d2 A* G8 Y Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
$ S, h7 ~  F4 Z- ?
  w9 e  e/ \9 Y5 }' q* S6 M The instant the pebble kisses the pond
  c# d: z' w2 u Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

: t6 Z6 o8 k4 S The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
6 I9 W- Y" f( |" m! R2 _ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
( L  N+ A$ s/ ]- }# V Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

& \4 d* b4 s: u3 @+ a4 {  P Aren't we all pebbles?
+ u" y! X' |/ _- [* s! q Feeling small and insignificant
: {- i8 C/ v7 D9 j  \9 c But ultimately recognizing
* m+ c3 B) K( ?  ^7 a. x That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
, |) n" z/ b: s+ `/ _ on a path into ourselves.

6 J$ A: B9 {0 z% u It is true then:
Our everlasting future
. K6 t8 J5 x* U& @8 {& T; p Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
! O; s4 m/ I' @9 e  N; l Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
/ @/ T* C* z, b. b5 w Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
& ?- S1 c3 N: D( b7 { But because of actions.

2 C& m: ]& m7 I) v, t8 c; x& h" C1 j% E Our life's prayers our answered
! h) \" v+ w8 D0 e) H7 x& Y( V; _ Because even the smallest pebble
) F3 a7 r1 O: z) u. p No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
" K  c: o/ U+ F2 D8 a& |" A  j Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
! ^& x$ _( E( G6 E3 D6 K; r beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
% t7 K- a7 s6 g. ~8 |* L  M1 R With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
: m3 {& ^& y& U6 v The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
. C! z; U( [. u- v. B3 X
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03