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.

' d3 n, |0 I5 r2 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.

; v9 F0 ]2 T/ ~( e Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
' ^' m( _4 j3 f0 R+ v- }& X- E) U But just a very small stone.

+ U- [% \' n- c: G The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
4 Y2 |0 b0 R: ~" N2 F7 ~ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
$ y, A8 N8 o  x4 ]1 E Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

; E. V0 M# D# E6 g, N2 _ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
+ s  X. y8 h9 Q3 ?2 l; u& v Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
* {3 h3 @' d7 y4 m# S
: N& z$ K. }( @$ a6 ` The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 w1 c& \; h" ` Creating karmic energy
8 J- }2 x# P, P4 |. E: \ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

% B( F# S! Q' |# n5 ~' V1 G3 Q Aren't we all pebbles?
4 N  @6 a7 X( w7 X+ c% r Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
$ p( ]# h% `! ^! `! s That who we are meant to be
; m+ z3 K7 ?0 H% d% A! N& D Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
1 n. Y! Z1 u2 ]) t Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
" p2 n! W2 s: @* U* w/ ^ Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
! |) ]" W7 R" l7 ] Not because of thoughts
# I; M+ x. G! q' c( [ not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
$ K2 e9 v+ f7 p) Y: e
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
7 _6 }. f% u# w1 S0 I: i Of those we touch.?
7 T; ]- Y  W/ t5 R
; R: Z3 O. g; G0 _4 n/ F0 n; g: g- A And when the icy winds of death
1 L2 i9 S  e# z. u- B5 d beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
$ ^' h, M, F9 _  i, o  O The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
  J; x2 C: p2 x$ W) x! A0 J6 K% J
9 i3 _+ n/ b3 v* {+ S3 K( h1 h+ ^ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03