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.

  A6 S: M# Y7 I. |7 M 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.
9 M+ W$ n2 }5 J* f
Heaven
+ y, t, l# v, z% b0 q; U The pebble is worn smooth
+ o1 z+ Z3 v. L! m" l, s5 g6 U Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
# d. C" e, S- D5 s$ r' ` An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

1 z1 U) l; j0 W2 P# A3 @$ b The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
; t) _7 D* J: i, z4 v5 j; H But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
1 a$ y0 q/ N! F5 U Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
0 X! W6 H7 R3 p1 @- j1 P& c
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
! J4 f- Y/ O. D7 ]1 Z+ v; d9 l Spiral outwards
% M1 B2 Q0 J0 _; q9 v Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
% }+ p8 N% B( A1 M7 J0 N Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
% f, @" {0 ]  }8 Z Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
2 a9 a2 E" A* F- ^/ L" v& R; C Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
* g. k, B1 y4 a# ^" A/ U Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
8 @' v5 U! N% f1 K9 W7 f% A- q Creating ripples
9 S7 {3 K' I! M& e8 { that leave unique mark on our world
' Y; W$ ^0 u& ?1 A  Q! O$ V Not because of thoughts
3 O* v& r" W) P1 x! v not because of well meaning plans
* [" G( Q/ i- x* h But because of actions.

/ x& {! j6 A! M+ Y: f Our life's prayers our answered
9 D0 J. U9 ^- X: l5 `. X Because even the smallest pebble
! H+ O& b4 p2 g3 L3 i* g0 P; } No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
  C2 ^; ~* `8 ? Of those we touch.?

3 \- c6 K% N# {! D And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
8 ]- s( V$ O4 p( C! f With the knowledge that
6 c4 z( ?3 G: r; C8 d+ H because of that one pebble
5 T* u; d5 {) b8 M The world will never be the same.
. z6 G$ M" a  ~1 A$ D: F8 V
4 m$ L1 ~6 E) U% L3 d( h8 S And then we have heaven …
: D- V/ q( w8 p. g4 G4 I. ~9 F- J
Ross Rosenberg
% m7 ^8 g# n7 ~7 y4 x 8/18/03