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.

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.
1 q, A5 O* _4 }5 X0 \5 l+ j
Heaven
9 V/ w0 S( O2 y The pebble is worn smooth
- }  Z0 v0 G& r Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
& Y5 t5 r0 I+ ] A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
) J: ~  s1 F6 C  ?4 K  Q But just a very small stone.
. C: \' ?  _. [) [/ B
; u8 V" n/ U0 m$ G, q  n The pebble's place in our world
: [* ]' j+ I6 H1 k' A! `& f Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
- y% ]3 A  ?" O1 d" G Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! w3 [) P3 D. c. c; O3 [ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
0 b/ {# k$ z; M- Y# G0 j Moving far beyond itself.
2 Y' N2 |" k2 q; h, D Gently affecting everything in its wake
- ?5 ]4 E, A$ K& l& H Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
0 N. H( `1 b- K7 n9 c6 F
+ W1 A& U. H1 C+ e6 c0 p( W2 H The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  [! J# P! o3 W" T' K  i  H, {$ s, d Creating karmic energy
+ {+ f! @7 t( a2 `1 p" h, {, u  s0 a$ J Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
; ^; l: D) @. m+ m  W! i But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
- i! {. g& r6 p on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
5 o6 L# h6 ^7 K) K2 ^* O! l* M, L Our everlasting future
0 ^% _: h: Z( @- k; N Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
, U( q! N  k/ d! z: _+ R) O  ] Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
: L! y8 G' X1 E( y7 ` that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
1 X8 n. \* ]4 d; i# s% t- T
Our life's prayers our answered
: ^) j9 ], k% O  E9 b Because even the smallest pebble
, l, M6 G+ u3 [# \  D: ~9 ^ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
3 O5 g6 d" W% H Of those we touch.?
2 [# s( H& P6 \5 j
And when the icy winds of death
3 h; S+ C# Y: R, n7 Y9 ` beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
' M: j0 A% ~! {0 A! \+ u( B3 g because of that one pebble
8 K, `0 g) z' B  q# E! d4 R  c The world will never be the same.

1 ^3 i% Y$ E) O( r; q. J And then we have heaven …
9 s& g: G+ y2 m9 w+ f3 w
$ i2 a+ X6 }1 c3 ^$ n$ ~/ H! a Ross Rosenberg
% o+ p; C7 `; J2 V/ g 8/18/03