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
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
- o+ E& ]( y1 X8 v& I2 L But just a very small stone.
5 K( v! ^! P6 p: ]! b
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
2 h8 Z, S! g/ ^ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
5 \- o2 y" V) W# \' L- z* q8 k+ d3 V Spiral outwards
+ n2 k8 Y3 v. P8 K! n5 K& J1 l Moving far beyond itself.
5 q( b0 e7 }9 o3 s5 R4 @ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

/ h# n9 t  S6 M" P1 W8 A The pebble creates its worth and meaning
- L3 f' E+ k$ y/ s( ^; C" X1 f By unleashing its unimagined power?
/ m, c9 n& I! i& L/ n) c/ N Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 G9 ~' I: K3 \" T% x Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

& }4 I- S. [- Z' D$ C+ }4 U9 s1 ` Aren't we all pebbles?
2 X  o# Y4 e+ p+ d5 ^ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
: F: q3 h5 t2 D That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
' a4 k$ R% A- `3 m on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
, X/ K  n) `6 d6 V Our everlasting future
) o6 x# _& t, n Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
0 u+ V+ j! d0 ^' D' e4 k, M3 j. } not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
& [$ n/ d9 J$ }7 ]
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
3 Y1 `( o% C# H5 S) R% |7 q No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ A" R+ c8 j- P" C$ w: T Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

: }4 y( ^: |! |2 o0 t- j# R And when the icy winds of death
5 M% [! Q4 P5 K/ W5 ?3 u1 W2 p beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
& C/ Z" j7 a& X5 `3 Q With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
' _/ n, U* b6 ~$ {8 _; c" u
Ross Rosenberg
' o" e9 |, P+ s  W3 A 8/18/03