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.

2 i+ \9 x* I2 V0 [( i9 r 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
: `, E7 M( o0 h The pebble is worn smooth
% c4 p/ k: u7 [! k Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
) ?. C  J' d+ g5 v- M* b Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
' e" W* Z3 D/ a0 p$ d
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
3 U1 J4 ?, @4 v4 U8 ` Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ l8 e; L4 e" b0 W, j Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
- k) Q# t# c& }, L( ~. I0 G1 N
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
6 u- p# _' O5 `% G# c5 b4 ] Into a dueling force of action and reaction
. U/ {- l8 y$ u3 q. ?0 E( d$ y9 Y Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
2 o4 v& n" z# g% ~
, s, L# I& B5 F/ J9 Z  w Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
% r  i) l- [. H4 X# { That who we are meant to be
3 B4 I4 U" K. Q5 \- C+ p$ } Can never be measured in isolation
  a6 E+ p: ?$ U# _ on a path into ourselves.

6 T( E; N( J( w, }4 E" H0 s, T/ u It is true then:
. E6 C  K4 {( S( z( j+ L: B; R1 ~8 O Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! _4 ?" m/ u( H7 k0 }( @ Into the pond of life
6 b- c1 C. k# B, T4 G: {2 b Creating ripples
8 I% x& H1 i/ F+ D that leave unique mark on our world
* o7 |2 f2 A. F2 i6 D8 ~: ?; N1 Y Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
0 B9 Y* z/ G! M5 N7 c# e$ S But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
9 h+ r" F# Z! K, Z Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
; k7 q8 Q6 r. {/ x Of those we touch.?
2 k+ c9 l5 W1 N6 Q, X; v6 m9 E
: u" p8 x. B8 S$ g5 _% q And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
# d* U' F: I' Q- h3 L We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
7 E! R" l) j& [+ e7 O
! Z) o( @# n- e# d7 j# r And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03