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.

3 t5 a+ h! o3 y8 ]% x' q+ L Heaven
& k" a" @' B, x The pebble is worn smooth
% @) V: U% A$ ^, v# A Made small over time
! @  x; j! ?  \! U" g A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 D/ _, g1 L6 X# G4 n" Y* [8 q An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 f- n  v( t* M But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
/ a; T3 J. h: M( w% F& N Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
  r$ a+ d" G3 d2 k% [' d9 ? Gently affecting everything in its wake
* Z* O& f4 g" y4 ?/ P( O Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
5 w( ?( \& @' G/ O6 |9 d; G
  @& U1 U- k/ n- }6 B/ e The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# w! L2 R! Y* F' [1 k+ g$ K Creating karmic energy
# h+ Q# m; F$ { Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
0 f0 k  }1 G. U: V2 b
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
3 [  U' E. y7 o& F) m  l! d, _3 x But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
, R6 }, _, H9 j9 B on a path into ourselves.

# }( h0 h% j0 D; I It is true then:
Our everlasting future
9 s3 Z9 z1 d( C, `2 p Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
. g2 w2 b' |9 k) u+ w+ K/ w Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
9 b6 k$ Q6 l( C3 E, L But because of actions.

8 `0 Z. a( v1 g. A3 L% L Our life's prayers our answered
/ q! E& H0 D) h* i0 L Because even the smallest pebble
1 P$ p: Q1 X2 a; _; m, E; E( Q No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
  ^1 g( W/ n2 X$ O1 ? beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
* w' V7 X  ?# K8 t+ G because of that one pebble
4 H  _$ m& g/ N) O The world will never be the same.
% Q( c! N  k5 C+ y' Z/ F% D
: {: E6 h8 v2 D7 j And then we have heaven …
2 P1 R5 }7 o0 [0 N$ H- J- I9 p
Ross Rosenberg
  K: L* \2 k, O! y0 V+ i+ j' [& X 8/18/03