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.

5 h5 N& q/ X" {: p$ H7 @! 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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
, o' l! {% D1 z6 ? Made small over time
% K' R6 S5 ^# ?* }4 l5 R* E) Q- B7 v: N A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
  R9 L+ k$ b9 a, x An accidental offspring of a boulder
' G7 s1 U0 ]* w3 u6 t9 t. l2 s) m# } But just a very small stone.
' E; N* j: `0 }) c
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
3 g9 S  I3 E* M Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
. U+ e4 Q3 d) s3 S. i& e
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
6 P3 v# s6 V4 d8 |; p7 E, E Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
" r4 B/ M$ c" _) Q4 W Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
( R( k# s  ?4 [$ c" K+ Q2 { Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
5 H! o  g. v% Q5 [: E
3 Z/ O0 v+ [+ b+ F The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
# v( n/ c4 D# ~1 I' r$ |
9 s5 }# J8 t% T Aren't we all pebbles?
3 z. f2 S3 d1 v5 s/ V  s" x  Z Feeling small and insignificant
3 ~, Y' j2 T8 |+ U: c! H But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
7 W* J9 }# u4 e2 Q Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
! D$ H' e) Z7 U8 g& T. E Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
9 Y8 j8 u) T9 @' h1 b. v Into the pond of life
" k! [5 I. c3 r6 ~; V Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
" |% ]6 s8 V4 Z' N, D, Q, a" y" e Not because of thoughts
$ q! a- J$ D4 x9 |: N( a not because of well meaning plans
: Q* R2 H3 Q, e, X8 p8 [0 q( ~ But because of actions.

& a2 E: }6 |$ f0 J! r" @ Our life's prayers our answered
% H- d1 R  G7 a8 p6 E Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 t8 H8 w7 V, \" L/ C6 P5 H Changes the course of the lives
0 r' T0 z6 q7 |, z# w! o6 g Of those we touch.?
7 ^6 h' d: I* Q
) M# D# V3 O  Z4 {7 \ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
, p. ^* J6 ?/ W5 C! ^ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
8 Q1 e7 k' u* f* \: ^2 C$ F The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
9 x; o1 h8 a$ _$ {3 T3 D 8/18/03