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.
0 g' r: h- ]" M* Y  l
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.

* y0 x; L' A/ f# ~8 v Heaven
$ G8 Z' b, q0 P5 }( G; R: n The pebble is worn smooth
! \- Z" h1 Z; I7 _2 y/ Q' ] Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
1 U  p( i/ O6 L( M An accidental offspring of a boulder
7 R( ?. z5 y9 G% l. B+ j But just a very small stone.
+ b" t5 j( D  D' f; D  X- V9 M
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
% S. J( O0 A8 S& C- } Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
" [/ X. H% F% Y* [* W0 ^2 c
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
* l& b! [5 ~7 a5 g Moving far beyond itself.
" e: W' V+ D* H. e1 n Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

- @, F. y3 P/ U' K6 b, g The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
, a+ }/ l0 o5 j( ^, p# W Creating karmic energy
/ A3 G9 i, {1 y. [9 S# B Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
  E8 \, b, R* r) Y. t  p% H) n
' A+ U* }6 u# k6 ?9 D Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
/ p- d; z5 A/ U2 L. q But ultimately recognizing
7 J/ `9 ]5 t- d That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
7 K( s- e, d& l; b0 z4 E9 p% O Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 _" |, |" I9 J! k% `2 o9 H, S Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
  W% G5 g* d, D+ c% |1 N that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
5 a& M% q/ s! k* ~. @2 F$ o; { not because of well meaning plans
, B) Y5 E7 h9 k" O5 V2 g1 J But because of actions.
1 v8 V0 r2 m  H2 U6 \+ s
  l% k- z" g9 ] Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
' h  F& m0 g7 K' v, a2 L$ @7 S No matter how seemingly insignificant
2 J' w+ e* m* A% {( n Changes the course of the lives
) p# N" f+ N8 p/ H3 u3 Z. U. q5 ?1 ? Of those we touch.?

: b. R( x5 l4 ~9 c+ y And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
- _$ O- o5 ]( i, [1 r% }, _/ g We will gently leave this life
* c1 {7 _1 U) N# } With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

$ W+ O+ e. [! x+ I And then we have heaven …
3 P0 b/ p' z& H
* D5 S/ e; \- ^$ B1 V; H Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03