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.

* T" o- x( [# b1 g' T) e! L6 b5 A2 V 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.

8 l: Y3 R; e0 f$ Y* e; ~! I Heaven
  s/ o! ?5 I4 z* E5 h* {4 v( L The pebble is worn smooth
1 F4 z+ x0 r( U& ] 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
- `3 h- J* t+ R& ]( x% m But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
" `# i) E/ Q2 o5 u Is neither understood nor appreciated
2 {# }  q5 F6 w7 _% F But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
; |6 o. G; u- h& _9 R" V Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
* n4 G( A( o7 p; j3 H Spiral outwards
3 q1 h5 I6 }3 v7 m6 `; d Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

" d3 `$ }- f* ?8 u The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
% O& S# W& }7 z1 h& z0 ] Into a dueling force of action and reaction
! b: ]! C9 u( y" p Creating karmic energy
# G9 c1 X# v' @& C2 P+ e' X6 ^9 A1 n Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

" b+ x) y) f1 m- e  \ Aren't we all pebbles?
6 M; _7 N- v; h$ D0 g& V* s" Y Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
6 T( c+ |7 t' f; p$ a( J$ K1 r 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
Creating ripples
$ @4 V: F% ^  c' k0 N that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
. b1 T- A2 c+ Z/ u0 W/ f not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
# o. k- ^4 d5 \  `/ ]0 S: k
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
7 O% G. e$ G& Z9 X: @* A No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 H! f3 m: f- {) s- S Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

9 {! h& w$ C0 H6 c And when the icy winds of death
, z$ n  c# K+ O4 l beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
' L/ b3 n+ G' u because of that one pebble
0 C4 L8 z. n# E: R$ o0 U2 W+ o The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

% j6 \3 o$ v, }) k0 [' a. F Ross Rosenberg
: ]1 [9 `0 b) Y) N( F 8/18/03