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.

$ u7 h: o. T# o* @! p 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
The pebble is worn smooth
  J# t" M2 I6 f9 Q; i# Y& k' m0 Q8 i4 Z Made small over time
4 Y/ L  {. f2 p6 d% o A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
8 ~% v  W: k7 N* D% F; M% V; @ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 b6 U- U( `! X1 `7 L/ h But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
. P! \# D! a7 w+ S1 e' S Is neither understood nor appreciated
' x/ u+ c9 y- F  f' i But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
& J0 Q: x- O( h3 s8 K Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
: I/ I, {: Y( r( B5 d+ v8 \  u" S Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
: }, E' ~5 X9 F- E Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

6 R# ~: w$ C4 N/ K- B The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
% e4 _/ h* R7 `5 c  C2 y/ l6 E Into a dueling force of action and reaction
+ W# ?5 g& C# V0 d: p! X Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
1 `0 F, `3 n' ^ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
0 V, M! N+ q' s& [7 K. r) ? Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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# C3 P0 ^  X% [ It is true then:
& s# n' H6 x& l$ M4 C% C Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
# a0 v- k+ H  U% C- Z7 r# N: A Creating ripples
; {2 m& c& @1 k5 n that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
1 z9 _( P# ^7 o. u$ H/ B8 J3 U. ? not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
# \8 \! [( _" o. n& ~1 p( p! @! H- B( A Because even the smallest pebble
/ k9 _- v, ?0 x# n7 l" X1 r1 K) L' V No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
4 ^/ y/ I3 u  f2 R' I, J% @ Of those we touch.?

3 G& y* Q+ D, u# n. K7 S) \8 ? And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
, q( U+ c% W" p; Z" {4 x% m5 s We will gently leave this life
9 u5 ^: v/ z% k4 U3 n, d7 S With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
9 R: n* ]! V; j7 B5 y- U# W The world will never be the same.
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) V' q5 F- a& I" D# z! ]2 T And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
# x$ _4 B: w( h 8/18/03