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.

3 q* `" L' C- X. l9 v 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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
" D7 T# [$ C7 m& a  N* w: g Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
( i* X- V' Z; \7 c4 ^) U An accidental offspring of a boulder
. w' B! p% f) t0 x  _9 ^+ q  z( d# M But just a very small stone.

( e7 @% u& a) ?: j* `0 I7 @& E8 | The pebble's place in our world
/ a2 \) y& K7 `* o, z5 V Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 _( M9 d9 ]& Y4 Q6 q Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
- b( {. d, F5 D5 T; H+ u Moving far beyond itself.
, }0 q5 ^+ r+ M, k+ k Gently affecting everything in its wake
( z: D& W2 r4 \4 w7 Y, C1 [  j) ? Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
2 _  ], D: J+ h3 A' m
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
" T3 R- M3 h8 A By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) ]4 Q! n) q/ i Creating karmic energy
1 r# E# q/ H) ^' r Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
0 L; t( h6 W' y, X5 i
* a/ t$ X; p4 k- [- c- T" `2 q Aren't we all pebbles?
5 `: Z) u0 T; t- l2 s0 Z$ A Feeling small and insignificant
9 F+ ~, |1 B' D( ^: A$ Z But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
1 {) p. \8 F  G  T$ Z  k. z Can never be measured in isolation
3 I! j5 s7 ^6 t9 q on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
. ^6 j5 D7 A; K+ w8 w+ w Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
, f: ^5 k# o- q2 ? Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
* w  C4 d/ n% d8 ? not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
  j4 Z% |, D$ ]4 z+ \. V
& E- j" N+ L; q0 I1 S8 e Our life's prayers our answered
& {5 n2 }' g, y; u Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
- c9 [* K- `: \- j+ p Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
7 j/ ?1 X: O* q! A0 I8 j
% D. K# ?9 T( |3 X% t& f$ Y And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
( ~3 h. k1 m5 V& O, e  `6 a We will gently leave this life
: x8 _$ ~8 k) I, I5 G! o* R With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
+ m" w! A: i$ V/ n% o The world will never be the same.
3 N" \( b! ^( l! l7 T6 W, Y
/ ^. L/ f: C+ i* [6 `8 F+ v% t And then we have heaven …
" o1 Z5 N. C( m* y
+ j8 |" E+ j( i" p Ross Rosenberg
, n4 j9 F0 J/ U( a 8/18/03