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.
; P$ j% J7 S) i
6 g1 |% T6 Z7 t4 l3 a' C 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.
( d' t6 W! @# x
! P; S: `' {8 E' _) m Heaven
6 u8 D" h/ q$ I) l  u3 ?2 X The pebble is worn smooth
5 N) X4 Y% o7 o) ]( p Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
6 ~& [* D& k' z* f2 [! t3 ?% e4 S7 W0 J A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
9 Q9 Y3 Y3 X. u+ S" f An accidental offspring of a boulder
5 `$ n5 u7 r5 N! q9 T6 \ But just a very small stone.
# R% D5 h" F3 x5 b7 X' ?
The pebble's place in our world
8 s% j0 }' Q2 Y0 m6 j3 A( Y Is neither understood nor appreciated
2 O. ~. C- }. A2 c0 X) w But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
  f, j; o- @' U  q; @ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

' ^% A3 X- c1 _2 R# y2 L' L! r The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 u( J% \7 k2 ~. r5 ~ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
7 T' d2 k# U5 l Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 s: g: n0 U6 a4 Y1 Q Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 W$ u! P, `+ \5 j# ~7 C Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 P! u& ]- J8 U, ~3 m8 P: c Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
) y: {4 w' c; i- f
Aren't we all pebbles?
4 ]! j  o2 u+ p" M, l! T Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
; ?. k1 y, P1 x( q+ a0 n Our everlasting future
7 G1 o" D" I7 x4 w1 y/ e" U% l Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ H" s3 u& o$ T. x, J" G5 w. ^' Y Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
7 R0 w5 ^/ g2 C8 s% o, z Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
$ `6 o" n( s0 N7 o4 h9 v5 k
# l$ I$ o2 ^- \, x* \/ `  W6 d, I Our life's prayers our answered
7 U- ^& E! K7 C2 `/ T+ r Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 R( |3 g7 @$ ~: n  v% } Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
* v4 W( r- G! }5 _ We will gently leave this life
( x. O* D0 v: Z2 e2 G With the knowledge that
. d8 T/ m1 H0 r because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
2 q+ ?9 Q  Q. P
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03