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
) j9 e( T% [1 P+ S, T4 b Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
: [6 X; R/ g7 n5 D8 V6 n4 s; {" B. p. ?
1 H7 Y* f) q9 ` The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
; ^- Y4 m! u$ s( B$ I' |) X But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
% @& o# V7 t  \: C+ {; ~7 k3 S Its insignificance is transformed
; {% M0 w4 ?8 \+ ?" k0 L7 S Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ I( s/ i5 D& Z3 e, B0 [ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
9 Z- p. K+ `0 \0 \% w
% e; K1 ?+ _- _) q The pebble creates its worth and meaning
& J- q! R  |- o$ _: L2 [8 { By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
" O2 j+ `" A. J7 Y8 O Creating karmic energy
. S7 Y' a, b; M8 p. T Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
8 y9 n/ k4 @8 T4 f
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
, y' d1 x' J) Y; A6 W But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
4 Q0 l* l' X1 p) |! z+ Y" O0 d Can never be measured in isolation
* X( K9 o8 \, m  J  m2 e; ? 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
- f9 `% ?, x" U5 y9 b: X Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
8 [8 A' M; D4 P/ U: k not because of well meaning plans
  W# l/ O0 [' C3 a But because of actions.

# }0 `" M: W0 L8 l- d4 e+ ] Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
3 R3 R5 q- W0 o6 X0 `: T/ G) N2 } No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
4 j* Q; `) Y  n7 a1 R; w/ E: A' a  s3 M beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
. {, }$ L5 \6 ~9 a8 D' U( q With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
6 m9 R: X3 [! Z" `* Y# I! Q The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

7 H9 {& J/ c# Q3 c9 v* R Ross Rosenberg
) ^. v( J/ G% a' x) G# f 8/18/03