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.

) ?; d8 b0 H0 o8 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
6 p0 R( X3 E, \( z* e The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
" {1 _( N6 k& i' f$ M A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
8 B, x- x: \0 ^( A) ?# P4 H7 q A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
' m, `3 j" @! [- ?4 I3 n
The pebble's place in our world
" L# F% m' ]& a1 P7 C; t3 j Is neither understood nor appreciated
7 j4 C) V3 w: f; { But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
) q) b. F7 q, j9 y& \ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
/ ~4 {' J: d  C5 d8 m
8 |* ]* d% _  ? The instant the pebble kisses the pond
5 ], Z' z3 D" ^) U9 u Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
/ s+ B) t4 J8 s5 d& e; ]! J9 c4 R Moving far beyond itself.
  o5 m  E* u+ i2 E/ W5 u Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

9 G4 q* w8 z& }- l5 x, _. h# Y 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.
5 e3 _- D7 L6 v0 j6 Q
Aren't we all pebbles?
8 g  @% U; c: x( e  r  m2 p Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
& U9 t, f+ M# O1 C That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
8 n4 M6 J# L! { on a path into ourselves.

+ x1 l+ k. i) Z9 G) n, R It is true then:
Our everlasting future
: O- R0 r7 f7 u, S7 [8 U* b5 H Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
; u* F# J! \! p; w that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
  O* r( ~- K: ?9 ]0 n- w
: W9 Z/ v7 k" M Our life's prayers our answered
8 m$ ?- T; g9 ?: L- V& U Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
: [0 z1 z9 E8 i5 @- s2 }5 ^% [ Changes the course of the lives
0 p' N, Q7 b0 D% b0 i( I Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
. r# H- ~! P, }; k# z( o3 o  g9 r beckon our lasting attention
2 O+ U# w. c  A& {2 N, ? We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
; m: v* }* \3 A' C9 z0 w9 C) K
Ross Rosenberg
3 c6 ?+ t$ ^. J% K/ e0 T0 x 8/18/03