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.

) X! s/ N3 t- |3 R. ~ 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
& H& n+ r$ t# q# m0 A; p Made small over time
' V, f( g- d& W A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' j8 \/ A+ s" U& S* T. r* P  {+ ] A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 u+ n/ Q! |# j, ?) U0 f An accidental offspring of a boulder
2 d$ I3 p5 B/ L" \  Y* S: p But just a very small stone.
+ A( |/ O' @/ D# L6 a
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
+ J% q& C# G+ F! q1 t Its insignificance is transformed
7 t3 @+ G( E2 }! V Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
5 \4 ?) U  v# P* K8 s5 c1 N8 Y! a# x
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
; h+ z, @, p) G6 W5 V) r' K9 l Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
4 }$ }8 k3 H- m1 E Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
4 l) U; z7 i) ?2 Q) P
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
& s$ O1 [6 x8 B By unleashing its unimagined power?
3 s5 I  q+ l0 O; ~+ W- L Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
  |1 P1 W3 p0 @6 W0 c7 i# \
Aren't we all pebbles?
, C6 H# b% m. I: e& ]; L& D% _2 r Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
+ w4 ?( w; P9 v7 b' n5 _ on a path into ourselves.
. \7 a1 h3 w  [; R5 ~, j' M: K( o
+ y' B* V/ m( z: r  ?2 M It is true then:
5 `0 X8 h8 @& y Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
8 p- C& N8 U( |% k- h Creating ripples
" H4 _" C3 F+ u8 \5 ?, a that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
$ `7 K! x" `+ ^/ y" _, Q not because of well meaning plans
3 J- p5 a9 J! Q8 x But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
4 |9 r$ j( {/ S Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
; A3 N0 P8 e6 m5 j( P2 u Of those we touch.?

6 M6 Z' K! ]0 p+ I0 X3 } And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
: H6 w0 f; P) F9 ]' h6 c" c With the knowledge that
. z( m6 C. h6 F  ?. e because of that one pebble
- l* B4 H# ]% X; J The world will never be the same.
+ v$ B# F9 e7 o
And then we have heaven …
4 ]; V" Y0 |) ]3 T+ x8 A' e
Ross Rosenberg
3 }0 u* g) Z; ?# h  Z& `, A/ f 8/18/03