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.

" E8 }4 x6 g; U; 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.

+ g7 `. p3 g8 J3 m Heaven
: N" j! L+ u/ w7 S" V* g. d9 p The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
; Z" ]! _, n+ @7 Y. C/ w A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
+ R5 m+ O- U& |2 ^
2 u# d* g5 U, i The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
4 F  v, ~5 Z6 E3 i; M Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
+ k  s6 A% D& Q! F$ ?. |, W$ V( p( u
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
6 |/ s& w/ \) n3 e2 a Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
$ c" K- o% e* b Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
3 r0 C( \9 d2 S9 _ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
3 ^. y1 B2 b* e: s5 j( `3 L* B( Y3 g Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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  q3 H. a, l! v2 Q Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
3 x- z2 M0 E' ~1 B$ S. n* V* C: d Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
  J4 n+ z! A7 i4 l, R$ ` Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
" z6 I' X( W+ x0 P) O; j Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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; ^& y- P0 Y9 u1 I- A6 ~; ?' R6 p Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
* q2 R0 H! r  F No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
4 u) |3 c7 w9 d# ~( @ Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
# N1 G+ \" V) r% F We will gently leave this life
' g% O. X/ R% x1 q! \$ N With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
- c7 X4 c/ Y8 I' n. x
And then we have heaven …

8 z) {9 \; ]: p. f Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03