Heaven

khfacdgku

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.
) Y! C! H' z1 {/ Q; c
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.
0 f9 @: `" L; q
% h( ^6 y4 R4 r; i$ a Heaven
& j1 `. M5 B  F. t The pebble is worn smooth
( ^9 s; e( p- M6 b; U Made small over time
0 {0 k: u2 n( R: N0 ]9 x A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 D3 N- k  O8 j0 e6 W An accidental offspring of a boulder
* K+ u/ N' l- `- y. h+ b2 Y But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
& o  H3 }' E  a% h. e Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
- [# o9 d, u8 v/ Z1 y Its insignificance is transformed
& y) |; }4 h) b+ B/ o% J: ?; ` Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

) V/ K4 `0 I/ c The instant the pebble kisses the pond
3 S9 O1 w  ?5 D) C; | Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
9 J) J6 @# ^7 G; b  {& x% X: q Moving far beyond itself.
$ G3 Q9 [6 k' m' @ Gently affecting everything in its wake
9 ]0 M/ L6 U; H4 g Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

. Y3 N" Y* R5 t1 {& f The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
& K5 H7 ?* L7 Z7 D9 Y8 e Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
) |- S' S% t: B. N! U- X Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
4 @0 i4 ~$ A2 O4 I0 l But ultimately recognizing
# s. x; N8 d2 ?3 q That who we are meant to be
7 [* T- |9 N0 ~, H0 ~& U Can never be measured in isolation
# o8 Q* c; ?9 E on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
6 N( }9 a6 r7 o! `: ~ Our everlasting future
8 W, T4 g9 X& J5 c8 M& [ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
0 `  M# j' [1 Q$ k( e0 b0 k Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
) M/ N3 U9 x  ^ not because of well meaning plans
; S! I" Q% a6 N9 X& I8 ~: G0 b5 T But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
" Q5 P5 f/ a# U Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
2 s3 f, ^- ?! e' k  ^+ M3 H Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
9 v  r- C, ^& m7 r' U beckon our lasting attention
3 y8 l0 r! {# y! T+ C2 v7 L) p8 U We will gently leave this life
7 c0 n6 R/ z) m; m4 N) W- H With the knowledge that
* B/ L) T9 w) l$ F2 n8 [ because of that one pebble
- d# z, `; I7 F, N( t( x: m The world will never be the same.

# L# y' m  A/ W" t9 d And then we have heaven …
+ j$ A3 K7 u1 Z9 M  b% i
Ross Rosenberg
* Z0 c' R5 A! c- ~( K0 p 8/18/03