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
0 {! X, d. R3 L  G Made small over time
8 H, X) D" Q! w# d& I A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 ?* G) @' W& H" _, x" g An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
' ~+ N* V; B, g  o Is neither understood nor appreciated
, V1 B: i4 J% D# p5 S0 i$ W But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
) {1 |- U3 b& H' u! \/ y, S Its insignificance is transformed
- l, W' ?/ \9 L2 T* }% X5 U Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

; a( c: \. c! I! H The instant the pebble kisses the pond
7 @( O* |8 G6 q Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
" L; z! u7 N. M  I% N; ^ Gently affecting everything in its wake
0 ?4 G  `! P" m( P2 G0 B- f Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
7 B1 I: p9 N) d) @
- S; C1 m2 q4 P The pebble creates its worth and meaning
& W* q0 i4 ^/ v4 b; R By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
6 I) F% f* J& u
5 n; V# ^4 R4 y4 ~ Aren't we all pebbles?
, p2 _% Z  c: W8 q Feeling small and insignificant
: \: v8 z" ]+ J But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
6 e  O  i9 d' s0 |! }3 Q on a path into ourselves.
' z3 j+ @9 ?/ [, U1 c
It is true then:
  h" X- X( S& f; t Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ C  c+ [2 v& f! q Into the pond of life
  r7 P/ o7 e) @; { Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
& {4 e5 A# |0 G% f But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
- s2 d2 T0 n/ a$ A! Z2 P: f+ i! { Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
( V# P  }4 y' v4 V9 R: }# e7 Z Changes the course of the lives
# @" P  ]; d, C8 G$ p Of those we touch.?
, @2 _1 s+ W6 m" L" ?7 f8 x
* n+ R5 e; _2 `" I' D5 ?! E And when the icy winds of death
6 I3 Z* f( o5 l7 \. X5 t* c! b3 X beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
, }9 r1 G( I3 R9 d& k With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
0 L! c7 s( ~# W8 p6 c6 S8 e9 g7 `
And then we have heaven …

) [3 k! K# N2 s$ o Ross Rosenberg
* f) T+ O6 F  ^( K 8/18/03