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
  U6 m. D6 t1 A# I2 \" H# @# M The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 r. {3 `$ {  U' p! ?5 z An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
4 p& Z1 L/ o. b3 g! C* F
7 r, U" M. E  _6 _8 h$ X! s0 U The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
+ r* K/ m. F; L; q+ v* u Its insignificance is transformed
& v& [0 t- q9 e Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
2 `- [2 V" C) Y' s) G+ `" G9 m Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
7 A8 [, p: _4 _8 p4 U) }" S Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
; a2 t. n& l' b By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
8 x+ w% @" g7 M. _ Creating karmic energy
/ d* D. u6 E0 e$ ^  J6 d: | Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
5 T% e) K+ b0 Z
/ M: a4 T% q' w% O Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
8 L5 Q3 x& X. e But ultimately recognizing
3 Z5 K  i0 R1 V- w# g That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
" A/ J  c7 J9 I$ O" Q! K Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
0 z3 v8 k- Q5 {! h' X Into the pond of life
+ e. V# h" a. ]0 o- _1 a' Q Creating ripples
- S6 K9 c9 I" j# |2 k that leave unique mark on our world
9 g  G- l7 S, c3 T Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

9 o2 D# [' \3 s4 y( Y! j/ U Our life's prayers our answered
! |; u/ X: Y8 S Because even the smallest pebble
+ l, h- N5 a3 V1 s No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
/ N' f$ @+ x* e- w$ ^ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
: D% t+ z" ]/ x% N; C% a; R* K because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
+ s8 |* R9 h- K" Y  k- G4 u! N
0 r  E3 B7 @& j. t" W# c And then we have heaven …
6 B" C4 ?5 I0 Q
Ross Rosenberg
9 E9 c: {  d, `7 T1 t9 y  [. o 8/18/03