Heaven

khfacdgku

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.
+ c) P* o/ |7 X2 A
. `$ {$ |. C3 H 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
# D7 K& j7 w' V) D9 t. Y  ? The pebble is worn smooth
. _+ t* K5 c7 Z; r8 U- @ Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
7 r. `  ^! A! x" @; L An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

) ]1 Q* p* z; j9 q9 L8 m* e The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
4 L" A/ G5 }. m4 M% w/ X$ x$ ?9 v# A Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

  j, V* a( c  V- `! }9 x5 d3 b$ Z The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
9 L. A4 N  o0 v& k9 O- ^8 v5 D, P Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ J5 }" k6 h+ S6 W' d. ? Into a dueling force of action and reaction
* x1 X& i" f+ Y7 e( a9 a  p Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
9 a1 @& }! P' f& Z$ H  k; e
* x# P7 i1 d. r3 L0 l! n/ t( w' } Aren't we all pebbles?
; c9 a+ h0 p; e" B( Z Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
7 J% W- D  I3 D0 I7 E Our everlasting future
( T6 j' R- {, k& \ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
& J/ r( Q5 r, W, k9 b) t  } Into the pond of life
( O# m" L+ ]' n3 u- ], t% t# d4 H* q Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
5 s' t$ l& e1 I. f4 v6 U, ~4 u2 A not because of well meaning plans
2 d8 F* E0 P) {' x7 I  O2 t But because of actions.

$ Z1 m) d; S8 f Our life's prayers our answered
4 R3 y! B/ F' w+ U7 ~, G; L Because even the smallest pebble
% A3 r. q. B3 r% e+ s  } No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ o* J. C- K6 k( D  N Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
/ f8 I4 h- E" ]- b: A: f; i. v& u
And when the icy winds of death
- j. j0 ]: |* U0 f beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
3 w; ~1 s& r) u: E7 B) N  h, _ With the knowledge that
" `7 _& \) m) |9 @" C6 Z- q because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
! w" _+ e: D6 `! x8 f
3 w/ M0 j! ]4 |& D7 n And then we have heaven …
( R4 M& r/ \8 k; ~8 c' z& I& c
Ross Rosenberg
3 i8 t  k, t: h  X" c) b& l5 s 8/18/03