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.

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
% B9 f# x! Y$ o$ i4 _- k5 h( { 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.

The pebble's place in our world
9 q" u2 `. J* K Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
  O' z8 z% j! t9 V+ I5 w Its insignificance is transformed
& i: q5 \! d! x Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
2 L7 e* I  `, O' ^  l4 O Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
/ ~, o6 m. Y6 S0 m& x- {! c/ [ Gently affecting everything in its wake
, ^( A4 e/ v; m8 R Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
! p: i* v# d" u, F& J. ^, D
1 F2 v! E, m  W: V 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.
7 p8 `. S% [+ ?4 S) V- D
Aren't we all pebbles?
- s9 _0 `: y# A* j8 |0 b8 m Feeling small and insignificant
: C, j/ J; P" i5 D5 M$ V6 J But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
# U+ B/ d$ }  ]1 }( \ Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
8 d8 J+ c1 \3 w) B6 n
7 P& E: l. b1 b! d1 }- w It is true then:
7 W) ?' i9 K% W Our everlasting future
4 z0 {$ [* D6 G7 u: ^! d! X0 j Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 f6 `* [( H7 S: Y Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
8 u1 X# S" o# v+ X
9 g3 l3 |8 F! t6 N' N. s Our life's prayers our answered
" J7 k6 U9 N) X# x% \3 |4 {6 q; \ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
) p) f6 d- I- c  I  k Changes the course of the lives
) e+ d- q  q" O# r Of those we touch.?
. H/ e; i" R1 M- c$ L$ K& g2 k
, c, E9 Y! B* p And when the icy winds of death
# K) Q5 y& Y! ?  k3 L beckon our lasting attention
9 r  X/ {0 t, r* g. ~% `3 h We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
8 V8 U3 V9 {# z9 c9 A because of that one pebble
, t) p1 t! b, X2 F6 ^4 T& j The world will never be the same.
; C, M) l( ?: [8 I
And then we have heaven …

6 ]5 Q. G$ p3 d) f0 k! o Ross Rosenberg
' d- R3 {$ N; ] 8/18/03