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.

/ Z3 _( v! p+ e" y8 I7 P 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 L3 a! O9 l5 s" M& j& F1 v Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
0 D5 A) Q: b2 W: W Made small over time
/ f- ~' R; p9 e A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
, `, o2 M2 ], K) w4 E6 U But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
- p6 L; V8 R3 d4 K But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
% z  k% ?2 O" j+ w Its insignificance is transformed
9 W6 e# @4 @; E: H$ h8 w' s Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
5 G1 |5 f, Y4 U% q% [# R Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
, I" C. m% G" `' t/ Z, ~) V Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
* F' d6 d" f# ]! h By unleashing its unimagined power?
0 H! y  ?, p) _% ^- [/ Q Into a dueling force of action and reaction
. {" m( g4 Q3 P1 Y# c Creating karmic energy
8 }! F/ T% L$ n$ v% u- `! S Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
1 [! T- T& c0 b4 R3 \; b3 |7 _
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
0 x# y  e2 A0 m But ultimately recognizing
% }/ y) [  }( t+ ]$ C That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
. i4 N& }) K' s. g on a path into ourselves.
7 f& e; x, @9 E. J/ A
) z$ q# q; o" ~$ w It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' J3 k# |: h: }% G: G Into the pond of life
4 ~% y! ]/ J* z4 G! Y8 b, p Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
3 J7 l9 Q! f; D5 x% }% O2 E; T Not because of thoughts
( S; y0 v) D( m% X0 @ not because of well meaning plans
6 x& p% i2 U3 @0 Z. r, j But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
5 L. k9 j5 g6 G% Y No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ m$ S0 N4 J+ X+ I* e8 m% W Changes the course of the lives
9 S3 R- v' U/ D$ s, k/ T7 A Of those we touch.?
' g6 b& W$ Y1 m5 X" N9 q
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
# d" e- F% F, I( K6 m+ ` We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
+ K7 M2 J, a7 r. R, ?9 F8 Y3 C
And then we have heaven …
& B) I+ _: Z, m7 b3 L$ D
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03