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
' y0 H# w1 B& R' z* G1 I The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
- `. B- @- Q% J9 S An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 O6 |- y) a" C But just a very small stone.

3 o; o# z7 W) R3 N# D& B8 N The pebble's place in our world
# E+ I2 j: L& ]# u Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
) U' {% D' o+ d2 e2 Q! \ Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
6 D- h! T. Q  ^+ S
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
" V' y' A- I4 b Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
9 B  [2 n7 ]1 z" l1 P& e Gently affecting everything in its wake
4 f) D9 j. m% M& H$ _ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
% ~- d' n1 V% \( W( S" X/ Q Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
1 r3 z, `2 w* t7 d5 p
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
7 g1 P9 M2 s: O- ^  E( c$ v But ultimately recognizing
# o3 L: P( L! I That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

9 ]- K' V1 J# u2 K It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
7 G0 x# d9 N2 x8 i8 q' o, | Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
9 }# {9 N1 p0 K3 z  H; ]& e not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
) O2 y5 s; c$ ]6 i% E# } Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
0 p+ V4 a/ h6 }2 h+ e; F Changes the course of the lives
& N, D( k  {0 c- I Of those we touch.?
( G& T  J: s+ ~, r6 Q1 g
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
1 f& W1 h7 n* {) |4 C4 q0 Y With the knowledge that
% I4 p) ~0 ~8 |) ^: U! i, \ because of that one pebble
6 V7 `3 p# M9 B8 s, e$ t* k The world will never be the same.
( F/ b. m! j8 B* c! m' c. c4 U/ ~
$ N$ N; Y% X% l And then we have heaven …
" E+ R9 y" p; {) N
& o( R. U( y. c1 b Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03