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.

* ?0 h+ N  ?! ~2 n( @: y 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
  c$ l5 t1 A% @2 |. h  ]& p Made small over time
; h( F* @* @& U4 Y+ d A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
; a( c, u% j! h
The pebble's place in our world
' i5 q! x+ i. N6 B1 Z Is neither understood nor appreciated
  P3 _* @  Y" R- m But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
! c* h8 k; |. W" d8 t( I& @0 z: [ Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
. }3 q4 Q" `# a4 k Its signature of concentric ripples
5 N2 W" d: F- `" I; F. H8 t Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
0 k/ G, d! g0 z; E, { By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
2 H3 d0 Y1 F& x* D8 M9 l- J- N' C* W Creating karmic energy
: |# M6 ~% [; U# a6 M Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

0 M1 m- c* g/ Z9 \% a Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
# a# N6 ?  S8 b" V But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
2 ]' v! e% ~9 z' s* n0 t on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 @5 h% @, R/ B  w+ S( L Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
5 X  y# H; |6 w4 R) k that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
6 w) K, _/ ~& m% X" z/ O But because of actions.
( R: \  c9 O* u7 p/ k
+ m  L3 U7 P8 u. w1 Y- M( o" Z Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
& s) A9 W8 |+ f- a No matter how seemingly insignificant
' X- E. T1 ^; Q+ _0 y7 T Changes the course of the lives
; c+ i$ g7 x0 b& K* O Of those we touch.?

" H' R% k0 W/ ^ And when the icy winds of death
, m4 X+ x3 u  `% G beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
( Y9 Z- s2 ~& C1 h( d because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
, v, z" f+ x( ?) N
; `6 `3 B/ u: K! x% c And then we have heaven …
3 \5 o% g9 |) v1 b3 F( |9 }. v) I
Ross Rosenberg
/ M( r* B. \4 x& m/ M$ | 8/18/03