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.

' h) |& K! u- O' B0 q( e+ `3 Z 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.
( [. F8 t( @# W# M: o( ]6 I
# T  i3 |; i; o# Y- U 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
7 ^9 U( E% v$ B6 t An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

7 F1 R. L# b: x0 s: D% r+ P The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
" c6 W& v( K- d; Q2 X- y* \9 F% R But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
/ `) [: G8 e# o4 p9 Z' J! K4 i
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
/ z! D9 y/ ^9 K. e, l# o Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
5 I$ q$ f  ]  r Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

8 P/ x' ]6 J' M1 I& X# A( | The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 v' X. w! ^% {8 c Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

" E7 l8 Z% t( h( L, _. T! C Aren't we all pebbles?
8 B. M* q' ^$ V6 u7 t Feeling small and insignificant
0 a6 H- }9 @0 O& a# _ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
1 T, D: C" S7 O$ e0 _4 q
It is true then:
5 y. ~. p  x% c Our everlasting future
4 ~' o! v3 w: m# M Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
6 T" ^1 p/ Z0 G, ]* L5 J* o Into the pond of life
4 z( ^1 j% |4 q, { Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
7 J  T! j$ n# H% E Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

8 K8 {( d$ I. l2 ^$ J2 }! r Our life's prayers our answered
' W$ y  |5 A; H: L Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
5 a5 T5 _% l7 J Of those we touch.?

& h) y5 A: y# \6 F; ~9 W6 x  q And when the icy winds of death
$ u3 Z8 g  C3 U, W" p beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
1 a6 l' G4 [6 f- e6 c( l2 l! a% B3 Y( } With the knowledge that
& H. C3 z9 p; D because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
1 {/ q" D/ ]0 ]* s0 y
6 w  A) w! p3 x" f5 S And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
% T8 F% W  i2 |9 U; j& i, |& S' c6 ` 8/18/03