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.

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.
! P1 m  a& ]; }' p4 u7 z
# I+ _% O4 d  `& U0 D Heaven
: Q- e" }$ }  p0 k The pebble is worn smooth
  o- N  S2 Z0 Q, n Made small over time
  J9 [  q; b5 a A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
$ e3 k9 f: M/ P! a$ B A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 ~8 [; J4 ?( w5 l+ ` An accidental offspring of a boulder
: p; w: u( r6 Z+ Q: C7 o- R/ Q But just a very small stone.
  b$ P. ?+ h/ N" b
/ W" A# m/ g4 \  t The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
" U; b, ~- h+ S) k But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
( j7 x3 w! y$ h+ i. w: Y8 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.
7 ?* L- F2 S/ A Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
$ g/ ]# d; o3 O" ~7 D
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
5 {1 }: c  u# G- I! P# K) R By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
" n& m! @* B  v8 l Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
0 M0 I/ u) O  U9 \% P4 m
. L8 }; }! S0 }! i) y$ Q& P Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
: p! @0 F' m  s5 B$ h) t7 V- [4 M But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
% v# M& c" X) K( Y3 Q3 e. V# f* C Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

1 s) n' W& [& y, \) A$ _ It is true then:
" S' G5 n( y4 p  A9 M" ~. R Our everlasting future
7 p" i6 x3 e5 @ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
+ u1 S+ E  Y& Z( ] Creating ripples
- e: t/ ?- o6 U6 D* { that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
3 F. S3 D6 [. o2 K, ?2 G/ p# s But because of actions.

; x' _+ V8 n* L, @. p Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
$ H* s. R9 G. W: U  i No matter how seemingly insignificant
: ?, A6 S: o/ _  X( F2 ^ Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
5 t+ r  h4 n$ d1 N( g$ R
And when the icy winds of death
/ D, W/ v; D$ T7 r/ s+ f+ E5 r beckon our lasting attention
5 _0 W' t3 O* B, N' K( q0 U We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
5 F! K+ N+ q, Y, A$ w5 w The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
: ]/ l, [3 D5 B0 I2 _5 A1 s
Ross Rosenberg
) ~8 B( N9 I8 P 8/18/03