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.
: F: t. U4 s! q0 }" T
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.

- j) o  e/ x8 j2 K! Q# K Heaven
% t9 T# Y; w  b4 o" D The pebble is worn smooth
* I1 D2 s: F& q* g Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' t; [' R3 q# a" k$ C A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
0 R4 `+ S7 r7 Z: |( h( N But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
! K9 @" X/ Y8 O( V  b7 Q& Q But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
6 }. u+ j7 |+ v5 K+ w% ? Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

, }; m: \0 U: M. h. O8 U( F. w The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- I* S, W8 Z7 f9 S+ I& X( ` Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

& S2 x+ g3 M% M- A/ m  i5 U The pebble creates its worth and meaning
5 ?5 O7 b% d' |' M By unleashing its unimagined power?
  G& R4 W" I. p& l! O Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
7 \. u' r! F9 \% u$ R
" j2 X/ B+ O5 |* j+ H Aren't we all pebbles?
3 g( |& a) a5 F5 g5 y% G: o Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
2 b7 T3 V/ G) m Can never be measured in isolation
" K; |9 e% l/ b$ T3 C on a path into ourselves.
2 k0 }  Q) P& z5 x% i' _, O& ]/ L3 n" I
$ D) ]3 U1 G4 N) U5 ^ It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
3 k2 N$ H9 Z2 G! v4 c6 N Not because of thoughts
3 ?7 _! L0 y2 d5 }: V: d not because of well meaning plans
1 q% u! S+ M' t; O  V: ?4 } But because of actions.
/ m1 r/ Q9 l8 Q* w
Our life's prayers our answered
- b& J$ \1 [: t/ Y9 A) X0 Y  L Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
8 G4 R1 ]  t6 m  ` Of those we touch.?
! \+ ]8 `! o5 Y' G. ]
9 {) N, \+ [; q. h. D# A3 _ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
; X5 M, d# |1 B0 S4 n/ z9 X3 B$ r" G! j We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
% m) X* r6 z8 s+ G. P/ l because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
0 }5 q+ P% ~  \  G5 p& y
' N# @' G- s9 A Ross Rosenberg
1 B5 I; w- c( [+ X& _, u! \ 8/18/03