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
3 {/ ?- N: p% O. f The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
$ O/ F1 c( `# n+ P: L+ T An accidental offspring of a boulder
: T( X2 C! T( ~8 r' ^$ {" v* r+ Q% @9 e8 H But just a very small stone.

: {, g3 W! t# l# J( s2 L9 j The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
4 M! \* x3 J+ Y1 B  _/ B. B Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
! o7 D& Z8 _' ]4 x Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
0 d) B% x0 f1 ^& c" r Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

' i9 S; p1 o% X4 S2 a, h1 K; G Aren't we all pebbles?
9 h3 H1 V/ M* g) e$ M) c Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
0 B% [' s' s+ R8 Q That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
. v  Z  U0 I/ `& E8 L+ A on a path into ourselves.
4 n/ Y4 d& V2 G1 h# I* J7 {
" v/ W5 @3 _2 x2 u) ^ It is true then:
Our everlasting future
0 a/ H# g9 S* P/ E0 [$ t Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
- P, \( b, X- O0 _4 l: _* p- x Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
, H- O' U5 o4 n that leave unique mark on our world
1 F4 n- D* w8 p) K0 { Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
1 i  ]+ K$ D5 `' h+ K But because of actions.
+ y: a, L# l9 P6 V3 ]7 o6 R
, T- o# j, Z1 Q" G3 N5 p5 K3 I Our life's prayers our answered
+ ~) f1 C- y% Y2 x! T/ U0 C Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
, e7 p$ ^; n$ A4 R8 k Changes the course of the lives
% m" I5 I" s; _ Of those we touch.?
/ T$ _+ ]5 r- p& H) h
And when the icy winds of death
4 p" y5 c" R  j  G) o beckon our lasting attention
, m$ p; v. R+ x1 o0 D, h We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
; H1 M" P4 T3 W/ Q9 } The world will never be the same.
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+ x( A2 M; C; n: ^3 |1 Q+ q0 } And then we have heaven …
: r& n. \: }5 [& }2 K# i& u) X  H
( ^! r% i+ H; e5 f Ross Rosenberg
& [  p9 [- _3 b! `- j5 I8 ^ 8/18/03