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.

( H- W; w- \( t  \1 L& b: X 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.

" e6 ~! F8 C9 g/ Y Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
3 n; T! X: \, N2 g0 F A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 g9 V1 L8 C' ^# G5 z An accidental offspring of a boulder
- _% W4 L! k; E 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
9 S: ~2 o; z! i/ P- M( h4 ^9 v Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 B9 K( ]# ^/ ~ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
. |6 ]8 h  B- T. @
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
, j6 U5 l, K3 s. G Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
& c% u* M# T" s2 H" q/ e
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
; R& g* Q' Y6 P3 Q But ultimately recognizing
) `) |' w. v2 Q, M( v$ e, k/ p That who we are meant to be
) S/ u4 K8 @( P" v3 ^# C Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
- F- }1 X( C' x
) q* g2 ]) s# v. Y2 b' s5 o It is true then:
  U+ ~# d& x, v" B" N$ ] Our everlasting future
- _1 o, Q# [& V+ G3 }5 y Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
3 _1 z, ?% u1 N! e; i8 X/ z3 R4 a Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
% B8 B( |+ E  q& { Not because of thoughts
, g6 Z4 j5 Y5 F3 T# L6 [) O9 v not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
( O" n! o- i3 O6 w# z
Our life's prayers our answered
, `( M6 b% L3 @3 \ Because even the smallest pebble
" Z; Z5 u  E: ~* f No matter how seemingly insignificant
  u* `4 `( t# @+ e, \5 O1 X4 r Changes the course of the lives
5 O! i8 o, o0 M$ P, b1 e0 _ Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
; S7 }2 ?) f( Z  H6 W# z! Q9 }: C4 b beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
' k1 F# v) y, e With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
+ W' a' [+ L" f3 q: d The world will never be the same.
4 m! m" `5 A3 J8 j  e, ?: W1 `4 Y
And then we have heaven …
$ }" I* D% c6 ^0 g" w
" p2 L: T6 l8 M- b4 A Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03