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.

+ |0 e4 q. c4 ^( Q  K' Z1 x8 A 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.

  v1 ^4 S3 @) c# W0 @* v$ ?3 @$ Q Heaven
3 e( M* y! q+ p( X( E! Y; V& ~2 t The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
/ B! I  H+ y- }& b2 p6 @! A. D+ X An accidental offspring of a boulder
! c7 l8 g2 d; O But just a very small stone.

1 S7 h5 h, ^! L; l The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
4 \* B8 P3 j+ _0 i( s+ s Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
( r- v" \! x$ c Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
& f3 J% D6 R' E
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
4 \/ j& E7 k1 T. D' [ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

/ Y. n9 G  n0 e Aren't we all pebbles?
1 l9 _0 w  a7 I& o9 C. c5 n( Q Feeling small and insignificant
8 J: O' e& b4 @, | But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
: _, w& ?2 T% j& }! ~& K Can never be measured in isolation
" p* u2 [$ M) B3 q on a path into ourselves.
! b% W* \' j8 C# p3 ?
# c  w2 Q2 k: t% Z9 R( q It is true then:
Our everlasting future
, _# K% d7 y+ ~1 S* n. l. o7 l Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
* o: h# w- |9 o# T; O7 e' _+ U Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
: ?' o0 ?+ b( t8 M& ] Not because of thoughts
( R, U: ~- i5 E: X! [5 ]5 q not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
/ g# j" U! r1 c; A( }
: q2 \& u8 ?0 |% _9 t4 f) @& a Our life's prayers our answered
  q6 e9 a3 y- c) H0 S1 ?4 { Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
! r2 `, ^, |( e5 t: A. b3 p% Z Changes the course of the lives
1 x, f4 B8 \  \4 L. J" j Of those we touch.?
3 q6 n% e2 A, n, ~0 a
And when the icy winds of death
0 U  E$ B( w5 D7 a- D  ` beckon our lasting attention
# ]4 O5 P) x- x# C( H) }2 }: ^! J1 u We will gently leave this life
# u' Q8 n' i& r+ c- D& g/ [ With the knowledge that
# S2 N- F+ G, s4 O( o4 I" ?; [ because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
/ u" O  {# v4 z. S/ X3 i9 a7 ]
And then we have heaven …
/ i# L8 l! ^( R! j3 [. r& _
) t# Z2 X7 z2 M% j  G/ @0 S Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03