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.

2 ?1 Z8 V, z9 t. w. }" h2 W 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
. `9 [1 M+ F7 A0 g6 M% S; V& a, { The pebble is worn smooth
; H0 K' I" W3 |- S: t Made small over time
+ v. Y5 f2 F9 h A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
+ S- D5 m2 ~8 c4 p An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
$ U9 L4 K. @' Y( T$ K4 j
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
: z2 b3 m4 I6 A0 O But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
+ P$ t0 C+ P5 w+ z% k# e Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
$ b1 N5 |# ^4 c1 z
% W- g, w! l! p4 j The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! @+ g1 D0 ^. G, Q9 ? Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
0 N! S' J" n  F8 C3 K& ?0 O6 y+ ] Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
% k% M, b- u  ` Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
* [1 e  z. B+ H# Z Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

4 N8 s( D# u3 @* C7 c  r) } Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
$ {5 N- |( M$ {( K! p/ o That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
& Z4 V, p7 _/ @+ h# g4 ?# G
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
+ ?4 d9 C2 {) ?8 N2 l Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
9 [. Z! Z) a5 \! n, W4 w Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
+ P% f% s' D5 ?) X/ a. m& I$ U But because of actions.

/ M( t8 F! m& J" t- i. }* x Our life's prayers our answered
1 L& S, a* n1 W+ w# }& L6 [) C Because even the smallest pebble
, q. }1 ]% s3 p% K; w No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
; b; Q* a% q+ b Of those we touch.?

" u; A6 R% g, u/ f And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
. a) b# X' Q0 G7 A7 ~ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
4 u6 X8 |! u, z! m% e because of that one pebble
% Z9 h9 b: |: w The world will never be the same.
) o- P6 p' L! ]2 X9 G% D9 R
And then we have heaven …
$ X9 A( _. K4 r8 ^, H" Q
Ross Rosenberg
* T2 w- L) Q: h+ b 8/18/03