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.

: V! O& l) |* }# K8 [! e 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
# E# D1 Z  l  T3 C 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
+ e3 E8 U( }% z8 C1 Y But just a very small stone.

! x5 a: |- r# d The pebble's place in our world
* t7 ?7 B7 x+ w5 o" S$ b, ? Is neither understood nor appreciated
& N$ U4 k$ E" y% d. \ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# N9 I6 ^- Q! E: Y; n Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

/ I5 E0 i1 C0 {+ r' E The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
% [( z- o9 B6 X% y* G/ E Spiral outwards
  W2 J, `" A7 ?+ V; y Moving far beyond itself.
- x* I: D5 C: k9 Q4 T3 u! \ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

; i* Q9 k! H: T9 W The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
/ f. a4 L" q( x* X$ g Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
) @, b- X3 C- S
) p2 m% Z2 q9 Y$ J% ?. ]$ Y0 {' E Aren't we all pebbles?
8 @% P7 M7 R) y0 Q4 A+ R* ]4 N Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
; [; j7 H  U  J, ^! D* n9 s Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
% o+ F/ G* L, I
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
+ P* h- k" u7 l% u Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
6 A# }  e4 \" A- l Into the pond of life
% l( Z+ H' V0 d$ Q! x Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
( v5 N' h* g2 p3 r& j) ]; ~ But because of actions.

- s/ a- o& G- j4 {) C7 _) { Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
# B% }3 J/ t& O5 Z) R2 n7 U Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
& D$ B* b7 ^7 M
And when the icy winds of death
1 S2 n6 ?$ w0 g5 F beckon our lasting attention
5 B. p2 F6 n2 ?1 c6 ^4 F, D We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
- Y- P. J8 W# x8 r- O because of that one pebble
/ _( o% \- C7 P The world will never be the same.

3 V% g4 Z$ A' ^" r0 R And then we have heaven …

0 H9 ?4 r% @5 l7 d Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03