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.

% O  Z- |# y8 k) ^$ a Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
7 Z6 {! D. e$ s A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
* M7 o4 s7 g) S  ~ An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
7 M" m5 T) }2 Q
0 _  c/ B: t$ ?3 r* ` The pebble's place in our world
: [: |1 [1 I& Q* S- W/ k Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# i; g+ k5 L. D; ^; e- e% } Its insignificance is transformed
# j! a9 u- b; o Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
3 ?+ J7 s! F! _: v/ ]" m. R2 k
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
' _; t5 M7 |) Z) v Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
5 d1 Y1 k. K# B7 i( z+ g Gently affecting everything in its wake
) m. G) e: v  S) z, J% ~) U; X! r Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
6 l! _# s: f8 f3 z, F4 _6 I9 E' |6 J6 \
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
, i8 U2 o% H7 i/ U( ] By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
7 D( |3 Q+ j4 P$ N5 J8 J+ C
Aren't we all pebbles?
0 U; M8 l4 X$ t" l+ T" F Feeling small and insignificant
0 P; B: U9 j2 ~- S  A( P But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

  M! q- {9 _- x- N/ Y$ i, a It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
0 }( ?. _( d7 r/ [1 W3 [0 `9 a that leave unique mark on our world
: h. k8 Y1 B" ~: J8 t4 w Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
2 T% z4 p! o& t) E2 u' F4 G But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
) [$ K3 L+ |# h5 `' p- h No matter how seemingly insignificant
+ G/ Z6 J1 M! W8 b" G8 p. \ Changes the course of the lives
8 V( i' W0 V4 d7 x8 { Of those we touch.?
1 P0 _, w5 J! A
! p7 c9 A% v( u: B5 r# y( n4 a And when the icy winds of death
, i+ {7 `" E0 N1 d. h1 V beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
% X; P! _* _' ~1 ~( {* b
# q, M- o: @; h& \, o And then we have heaven …
1 a8 A( E% a' K( [* Z. k/ K
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03