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.

3 h8 a- ^* E! M' D" v, z' J3 J 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
: r2 J: k8 T" Q. `) Q$ o" g& B! ^ The pebble is worn smooth
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.
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+ S4 M0 L( d$ Z The pebble's place in our world
7 w; C( L3 Z; }4 I Is neither understood nor appreciated
; e, v7 }, m4 n" E1 h- ~: F But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
7 w; E: H4 `, e& y, X, o3 J Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
( P$ G8 @& Z( s) I5 D; I Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
0 I5 x# u& {( Z1 p' A  O Gently affecting everything in its wake
# u4 H/ W+ A7 Z+ Y. t) |% b Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
6 N. A1 t, m% [$ S/ o By unleashing its unimagined power?
1 }' x5 d, r+ \4 O2 ]7 O/ R Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
* u1 [7 f: ^% m# e! E5 h Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

: R0 N# J0 [) d" t2 s Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
  j9 S$ u3 E7 ? Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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; P8 C% h9 O, c6 ~& \ It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
: ]5 p1 Q( ?" w Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
: q- ^# m1 A, O% y( |+ z! \ But because of actions.

: x8 O$ Z0 `  y# \* J+ m Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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' R  r" g8 s0 F# k" z And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
8 s7 ]6 g9 b2 T8 W  b& k3 S We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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, y' d. J' u- L$ D: Y: T5 c) ^ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03