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.

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.

# m" v# D# `8 V& l Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
0 T& C& ~8 N1 h, j$ n+ m0 q Made small over time
$ N3 \. J& Q% M A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
. T/ s  f$ ]2 @* V) [; r A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
6 m3 b' }! C( n% s: ^7 N" l
2 c$ \& t% [/ U$ `; S& A The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
0 d# A0 Q! r1 E2 P% c Its insignificance is transformed
4 q( Y: V0 ~3 e Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
0 P( M8 \3 i6 Z  }7 P* S$ I
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
, S4 t  W% l& e) v7 ?$ T) e" @ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

$ ]/ y/ e1 X% R* K The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
; B0 }5 w  P: q# d Feeling small and insignificant
1 Z1 y/ Z3 g( X$ M( W# T. A But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
0 h) B+ Q( u! c6 Z/ M) y5 m on a path into ourselves.

4 }, A! D% y: }& I  R3 x8 M. f It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
7 t4 r# S, j" A  J that leave unique mark on our world
! _; }& {+ Z8 N- y* l$ U# t Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
) e+ b7 P) J& i Because even the smallest pebble
* Q9 z% E- V- }! f No matter how seemingly insignificant
* C8 M- M+ v# t& O9 W* k Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
) ^( e3 F7 M( }" _
+ {+ i4 {. q$ B) p1 S( u And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
9 N3 C5 Y; S7 F/ Q7 } because of that one pebble
( p, J- j! {$ {4 h8 b The world will never be the same.

+ @7 O6 S/ H+ i) [ And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
) {' b" z. N9 A) ]+ p' ~( t 8/18/03