Heaven

khfacdgku

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.
1 T% ?; \7 A1 B3 A6 U5 Z
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
8 G9 }( F8 F9 @9 v& T Made small over time
. c5 t2 Y9 v% [+ R A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* N, d& }# {3 n. K, C" M' \1 Q A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
4 J7 Z. A3 S% f3 o% x9 b But just a very small stone.
( l9 Y/ ^3 e' n4 ?  L' R% I5 S! n
% z9 C" `% v8 C0 J# }5 n# i The pebble's place in our world
# T) o# k: ~$ c4 b$ t* h Is neither understood nor appreciated
* G- K9 W+ @8 G7 @- m But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
4 b, o$ J; X" i/ E8 I Its insignificance is transformed
* {+ a8 A" t: Z- c" L) L Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
/ t& O: d- R$ U! }
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
# V9 l& b9 M: m0 z" e) m Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
8 q5 |+ t. w/ {6 k( I; M Gently affecting everything in its wake
. R  v% m( w0 ~) H4 } Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
& O- f8 r( t+ D
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
4 |. @3 G5 g/ y& T" x By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
2 e$ S1 ^) L4 w  y: l Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
0 T) n- b# B; G7 }- y* G That who we are meant to be
3 V2 \3 L* y0 o7 r Can never be measured in isolation
- E. I, F+ `- s# q2 L on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
2 Y$ B7 @8 W9 g1 D! _ Our everlasting future
  I; U' D# U, ^- k3 s Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
3 n* E! R( D- E- K7 u2 Q Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
* n# \  O( U& A; J* B' @( I( z" ? that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
2 o9 o* E* \5 S# k/ w6 f9 g" q, h8 B7 [& |
* v/ Q) [1 e: y) i5 z/ Q+ V Our life's prayers our answered
9 p; k/ R" ^1 |: d! L) `4 a Because even the smallest pebble
4 O/ X; z1 V7 f# j1 n: k6 F No matter how seemingly insignificant
7 v- Q  U7 Y& F( X1 y Changes the course of the lives
" L& T  V8 H: i: c8 I! v Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
9 }' W  \; m% v( A: [' C$ R We will gently leave this life
3 t( W6 |$ _  T% m With the knowledge that
: m3 l: }& k9 D* |. q! ]0 m, I because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
$ b- N- z# I8 ~/ Z
And then we have heaven …

& V; Q4 n+ l. @& T1 [ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03