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
; n- e5 }  m. s  P6 \ Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 ]& I9 ?% h+ B2 f An accidental offspring of a boulder
% t( b" ^3 ]0 ?! F0 O* I0 [& u But just a very small stone.
. D+ q) t7 }; r+ \! o9 A4 u
The pebble's place in our world
, w8 l8 L, ]% n! i% @ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
. f7 D+ d+ ]0 r8 H Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
/ J( |8 N8 \+ o- N6 U
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
2 X# L/ K( v/ U! v* m) z3 h Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
3 {# G. j7 o" p. y# D( Y Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

3 W2 q  f) ~1 T& `: r4 p! E0 R The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
8 W" ?/ K- c7 \' x) c2 ?$ z1 w( q Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- w9 ?* |$ a- Y  C Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

  l+ N( [8 q: u* z6 n* E Aren't we all pebbles?
" U  y0 L, S* E# Q+ { Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
8 }* r/ H0 I: v6 {. m That who we are meant to be
) d! r$ F, E: c) k- z Can never be measured in isolation
; B! n  J8 y: C4 _% X' p" p8 Z on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
8 g! }! o4 U' o1 B6 ~- v Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
! s/ a6 O" h% z( u4 L2 d7 y. W that leave unique mark on our world
' i4 K* m4 l8 }5 g0 A* o- |3 D Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
6 y0 k4 g+ o$ k3 F But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
& [1 k8 n# u4 m  S7 d0 l Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

$ l1 v' g; Z2 u0 g6 k And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
; ?( {( O3 d: |2 n7 c" V* ~ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
. d& h, _5 Q6 p# T7 s1 f4 x! O 8/18/03