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.

& d- s, a. s2 H: K( \% U+ ?. P 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.
  _& A! C2 }3 e9 |2 A& E4 N
* V: x' ^$ q4 v2 b Heaven
1 E; o. Z0 F1 J: O The pebble is worn smooth
  \% u7 b& M# g, e Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
6 u: N9 t9 b: ~8 l5 I% J A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
; y3 [' Y' Y  o2 j0 j7 ~' I An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
* u7 k6 j; r8 b) Z# R/ P" W1 n9 [ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
0 o" s5 ~$ `/ X; P) a# [
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
, M9 c; b  x$ C+ e1 O Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
- ^  Q6 b  q& S- L/ y Gently affecting everything in its wake
; E6 M* I9 h* f Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
9 x& k" D# b6 R3 G! b: D4 G3 m! z By unleashing its unimagined power?
! \& P% A. ^; m6 N1 S7 t( f Into a dueling force of action and reaction
3 w2 n8 q2 m& U6 a+ W+ Z+ ~ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
4 h, Y% C& v2 i* f: h$ I8 x 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:
( D7 d  a" z" G# V/ a7 F6 ~ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
. O  b- l9 M) K2 ?2 w# W, C that leave unique mark on our world
7 u6 t; z, E1 O/ f! e Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
4 I8 A# @: {4 D2 [- ? But because of actions.
8 O7 r4 R1 T7 ^- v0 w
Our life's prayers our answered
: p" h0 ~* X, w- H) m# m* j/ _+ [ Because even the smallest pebble
2 v3 X3 U5 K+ g/ f; I$ l! i No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
% U0 ^' Q% U# o. \" u; Z/ ^ Of those we touch.?

9 T# q: H) b( F8 g And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
) b* |  P) i& S We will gently leave this life
8 F  J/ J( e/ e! p; K8 L With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
! Z' I  V( m& w6 X) h8 E The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
& I+ q- P2 |# N5 j: V+ \
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03