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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
/ G8 X1 ?8 ^- E6 | A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
* ~  N" A# Y/ G3 S) B: o0 x2 ^$ \ An accidental offspring of a boulder
8 w, u& S; I# g/ ] But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
* T' b5 A) X- r- p But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
" R7 @' S( s7 v. m( @ Its insignificance is transformed
9 a' R" v2 F# Z  D/ w Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
- b8 b3 C, ~* A8 C
4 w- H5 C* l0 M  y The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
/ A. `" n  u) O$ t5 b0 X5 r Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
. M1 i( D5 j2 `5 ^
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
4 k# ]! w5 M$ C+ n  ? By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
) C& j) s. |2 g% u
/ u; d2 s# e, N5 E( I5 x) Z- i Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
4 H: Z5 H5 m8 `) S( M7 o Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
  e, @5 s% K' P* l Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
8 \& r( g4 w  a, c! Q0 q But because of actions.

& }$ a* _2 {0 Y6 i! @ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
% }8 B* X  e; n; j) ~: ?1 o' e; Z No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
9 @$ N, g2 t6 J; T! C We will gently leave this life
; r: ]" B' k/ S) G0 D: g7 F With the knowledge that
. |$ w5 N7 [) x% B7 K5 I+ D because of that one pebble
8 V5 W8 |& B/ _9 c- Q The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
. W$ |+ K9 \3 M) q' e  Y1 o/ I4 x
# {' x2 b/ i' n" m# M! y2 E4 F+ t3 \) D Ross Rosenberg
9 @1 J1 {, I6 e* T+ P$ M& W: @6 `& O) c 8/18/03