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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
/ i- p% S" x6 K' _ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
" h4 U: U& @. R: O, e1 s A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
* g2 B; P3 u& G& q But just a very small stone.
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' ]& d8 I5 f; H  _ The pebble's place in our world
- ]6 z; f0 h- Q Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
( ~. {3 b* J) [( c8 P Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
3 }! u1 G4 i3 t6 N" \ Spiral outwards
5 `6 X+ v$ O" a' I3 X/ I6 D. X Moving far beyond itself.
, P* T1 k, ~/ b. @" _, c% h Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
; o4 g1 h# b  T
- u& _( D; w+ q The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
/ E* H, O  r* q4 ]' m Creating karmic energy
7 s1 {* q: j* S) a2 s- V& R Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
- b5 R2 d1 n' U3 z5 Q: Y8 X& l6 m. a Feeling small and insignificant
' l, N: ~1 a9 {3 x; ]  }& I; G/ G! [ But ultimately recognizing
7 t9 v" Z0 V, r, I% k That who we are meant to be
/ `6 Z5 k' b% `+ j3 ^3 ? Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
8 V+ @( n; o( r( y Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# L5 F" |* J2 E Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
9 T6 A* j$ ]$ `! ]  E5 p9 R! G not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
* p6 Z+ W' b; l, I
Our life's prayers our answered
/ H4 P& X: ]" B/ Y2 ]2 s, ]0 v Because even the smallest pebble
- J1 e  @% w0 O4 h No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
/ D0 Q$ u. a& H* o4 f$ Q
6 w' P' Q) B( W0 Z5 y( ]7 \* x- E. g9 x And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
% M5 G  |3 a; \( `3 V0 w With the knowledge that
2 _" a8 d$ y$ Q+ n5 X because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
1 Y/ m4 V8 s3 |# S/ Y
( c0 s  ^7 z& ~0 ?; ~0 G( U And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
2 h5 ]; m9 D( i. v2 m 8/18/03