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.

# M6 y7 D( `1 F0 R* G5 e0 W) y 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.

5 J! L0 ?3 D# E, q Heaven
% @2 C" C- F/ ^" B4 @, e The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
9 \7 [& Z) `6 Q4 T' s! c7 S A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
4 M3 ]% N: H9 J7 c) J. q An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

4 A) c4 \4 q- D% W$ y) z+ Q The pebble's place in our world
, p. i6 s, Z" d* F1 a, v. q8 ? Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& ^" L  m$ K8 g1 U% O  e Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

# v! ]. @% e% M9 P! {5 @ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
' T$ V9 F6 z+ M9 b" A6 k
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ n% U5 }  s- c- M  Y  V, K9 w- ` Into a dueling force of action and reaction
; I9 d9 v- K# G  B! n% F4 z* P Creating karmic energy
& d3 ?, t& q+ @( O& @$ M Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
2 ]) T2 Q0 w+ `5 I
9 g# W( S6 W, y# L0 G2 } Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
3 W7 P! X, h3 o$ |% F8 N  g& q2 @ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
7 {0 U; i- K" ~6 R4 O Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

0 x2 ^6 V: X) ]6 m1 ~6 \3 e It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
) n- ^! c- E; P  v$ v Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
- [7 i3 x) @# l3 w2 y: W" x( R not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
& i& b! ~$ ~- L1 V) t
1 d+ A. C% |4 m8 a$ x Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  y) _* M" n8 Z No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
" r! c% a% U: i( ~" N& h
/ X) m! Y$ I4 Y7 `) V. C And when the icy winds of death
) Z; E7 l* _$ q( ^* I: W" r beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
! [: J5 m9 ^# K- ~+ ` because of that one pebble
8 B) ]5 l# J% f6 H7 J/ _ The world will never be the same.
: V" d: a2 [* U* [1 f" }" r
( q# v+ ~7 r% Z6 _2 u And then we have heaven …
7 M7 \9 {& J: T, ^) R
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03