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.

# T# ^; b+ l; `: d6 M9 | Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
9 u4 l5 J& ~5 u9 U* y Made small over time
" `' h( Y& b+ B A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
1 G/ d0 Z1 P# w3 O% P$ l' \! J A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 S8 |0 }& l( x6 {% b An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

3 N; N1 B+ }% G- b The pebble's place in our world
4 Z; e$ O* O' M$ G Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
8 Q9 B' p' e% N! d0 G  L+ K" {$ [ Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
4 G( M) R, u8 B( R$ w
2 v: B$ ~: R, S6 L3 T The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
2 @% y1 g3 ~, ]  j' A8 i2 b Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

) ^1 p9 E, t; U! H/ K7 H The pebble creates its worth and meaning
7 P  P8 s8 t7 ^" ] By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- `: v, S) M/ {0 V Creating karmic energy
( W6 ?$ C9 d0 O3 A+ {8 @ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
% w# y9 _: a  Y: r$ K But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
. o$ o6 ]: f# _6 W on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
7 }+ v. O6 E% T; r2 ]6 f Our everlasting future
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 B: T2 O" F7 r% G5 R not because of well meaning plans
, F& D9 ], D6 M9 b+ F+ D2 V& o- o8 | But because of actions.
+ y# ~* z1 X$ I
/ Y6 c! \+ r2 G. o1 X Our life's prayers our answered
7 i; K' }* r* {/ l1 I% u Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
( [; o1 C  t- [8 ` Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
- Y) h7 u$ \7 J1 n2 R
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
% x& h. D! T" ?' `% C We will gently leave this life
* H5 @: `' E8 R With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
7 N6 z1 M4 {0 t, p1 I) ?$ h The world will never be the same.

7 }6 M+ i( ~7 a& ` And then we have heaven …

$ A0 h' e9 ~: `1 G  N- F6 C Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03