Heaven

khfacdgku

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.
8 W' [$ d& x6 W' ]
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.
. c+ p7 k4 H" s3 i4 W
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
! S$ C8 t, k1 z1 i; g, N& ? 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
" T  r) I  E5 ]5 l; L1 u6 ?& J0 d Is neither understood nor appreciated
; d4 X/ K, p9 H+ r; d But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* T  M7 ], h/ S/ K! b- g Its insignificance is transformed
' {" A' b' a, L3 D Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
8 R, ^! m8 F2 S! t7 B! ^
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
+ S) e8 ?3 S' l0 _- { Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
& M" [/ A) G8 I3 ]4 q Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
* z+ f" x8 X$ _" ]" Z) \0 ~+ m' h
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
6 C: x7 m" }# ?
: g- {2 U1 C# E2 ` Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
* n/ t( c8 i: J! K Our everlasting future
! P0 g2 S: [$ d6 r Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 |) v6 |2 K+ Y) a Into the pond of life
/ Q1 ?- a3 t4 ]% V" J: Q Creating ripples
1 k3 F7 M- ?5 u that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
& M- p) o, e' W+ `5 P& j not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

: e9 s  q' i9 t7 |( _* U Our life's prayers our answered
  ~6 o% y; b2 D; P Because even the smallest pebble
* R) V3 G9 g7 `) O; p9 R$ m No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ u$ o$ N" T7 S$ M/ T Changes the course of the lives
) N0 X; R2 l6 x, ?" K- e; U& K Of those we touch.?

" V& N/ m: C0 e% e  V And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
# L  q5 X/ M+ O2 I) e5 c% c We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

5 j3 w& t, M2 ]0 v And then we have heaven …
! x- U+ W: s& Z+ t
& @, S+ a4 D: c2 w8 } Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03