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.

$ s6 T' D8 o8 A, o. d 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.

- o4 Z- K* Y, f: M5 {0 T, a9 ] Heaven
- B6 L6 G- a5 B2 ]; x3 w1 }4 j The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
# W& m9 ?( ~$ t5 T% _ 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.

# t: R5 f! ?6 `# ^) U1 P, t The pebble's place in our world
* x3 L3 H) Y$ T! m3 O% Q2 H' u% `# @. z Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
" D& C( b4 e+ K! c, j5 | Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
. y$ b7 X6 C. T! G9 ]+ n
% p7 Y! ?, ?4 M, o) K The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
, b3 h( G: Z  j# I/ i* y7 W Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
/ B. d% s7 ^* W% o* G  z; t Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
; `' V, e3 H+ s" j/ k* Q Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
+ s: J$ D/ U1 Z/ m% u That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
" Y. j$ j# `# Y Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
1 y9 g6 ?& H- I that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
& }8 C  A- r% s+ Y; C not because of well meaning plans
, ~8 E& m+ K8 h' ?+ t& f/ s, I- j But because of actions.
; V- J9 J/ w/ ^% X
1 m( s$ h$ j: y! s# ^( [8 Y  U Our life's prayers our answered
+ {# q) u1 ^- }  w7 S; k Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 [1 f$ r% U3 K- c/ D0 W Changes the course of the lives
  ^+ |; Y. Y7 W0 o4 H Of those we touch.?
# c2 }1 ?) Z1 B7 a1 s$ d
And when the icy winds of death
2 w9 Y. T- p: S4 L7 D4 b4 D, }3 `% x beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
/ Y5 U1 c  A* d because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
8 h  e2 L8 m' H0 Z, t
, A( l; w3 G$ k4 `# c And then we have heaven …
9 W: U: p0 W% W% a
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03