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.

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.

) }. c7 K/ z- c  S Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
  V: s  I, Z* D 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.

. \7 @; s9 U9 U' n; a% Z+ K The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
/ C- `& v! q8 v) z, O Its insignificance is transformed
0 u* X" ~/ C, f8 I  R Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
) y1 D! [5 _' [3 A, e! z8 L' v0 e
7 a+ I; t. g6 z, ?6 |: w! W( R+ S The instant the pebble kisses the pond
+ _8 Q7 Y: l- K8 ^5 g Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
- R, J0 Y' m! f$ `, w Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
% S. j6 j3 c  \+ D3 i! Q  B6 D
# r! B0 f% n# S1 n( z) { The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' m7 N9 W6 W  c) O4 R7 h! a By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
/ X# G' Y. z/ j- ~3 [( W- L Creating karmic energy
- }/ H: Y& w5 Y! f8 c' S# s- F, @ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

6 c2 j$ L  \9 A9 e7 x$ t! W Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
4 L; {% b9 h( }# P But ultimately recognizing
; i) n/ f/ u9 B" w9 Q* H That who we are meant to be
' z; ^0 s  j2 g Can never be measured in isolation
: M0 f; f0 ?0 T3 d5 x: ]4 Y on a path into ourselves.
5 G7 @. M/ O9 K9 g4 M- t9 B
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
# Z( R, l. ^" B, b Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
. I7 j% ]+ B' k2 n# N0 K But because of actions.
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( `. ^; u% W9 ~. Q. Y1 Q! P Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
' g% X% z& g0 p9 b/ j6 Y5 ~ No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ c7 P9 y' V2 Q, k- D0 N* U Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

! T/ L; Z8 D: w9 [1 Q( b; x And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
  g* P" j, O/ w. ] We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
4 K- h- J/ M: O# H! S$ A6 D because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
/ m- g7 d7 U( X
8 C8 \; t, N# L! z" P/ V; e And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
0 f1 X0 z5 |  I( O5 |% } 8/18/03