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.

( h% q; i4 S. ~' q) h3 L8 ? 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
& l+ a: `/ b( N1 a The pebble is worn smooth
+ w% b! V4 v$ f' z' I$ G3 E) K Made small over time
8 K$ l; Z9 N1 P+ d0 \$ b# w A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* a3 P  a" G5 N8 m0 }: G: w A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
9 X+ h- G3 F2 u- a Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

+ q5 p8 c3 @9 b# T( a The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
# R2 I7 c/ `4 g! o: ? Moving far beyond itself.
. O+ _! i6 p+ o+ R9 v! }9 x Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
9 @  _" u  ], c. i0 U0 ^3 w
: P2 h* r# c" J% U The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
4 N0 w5 F% g; o3 L/ o- f! z0 T* x Into a dueling force of action and reaction
: W- R3 a5 Q. g2 o Creating karmic energy
8 o1 F& N; I3 a: P4 y; W" d Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
: u; z- N3 Q. w2 Y8 H6 H) t
4 V2 Q4 @/ ^' y Aren't we all pebbles?
$ ]' u, G: e9 m8 o9 Y Feeling small and insignificant
+ O. Y8 o0 t2 I. G, I' b( h1 J But ultimately recognizing
3 F9 K4 G* T' q) P. w% t That who we are meant to be
0 R& ~9 }2 P# @8 s% t Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

5 T7 u5 Z7 x" ~6 w7 y% P+ i  z; a% G It is true then:
: C* ^+ l7 `  _; V3 L, o5 u1 } Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 M2 a- N/ c: R4 B9 c% W Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
5 B  Z0 _0 C# U" g Not because of thoughts
! ^4 S6 e2 @7 ?; b; P$ D not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
/ {$ R+ ?+ U$ I9 M No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

! }1 y! }  R9 ~! H1 T* {- E And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
# i& v5 t3 |  G We will gently leave this life
. c1 {% Z- |/ j) W! P* t8 | With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
) O  @# a0 G$ l2 F
And then we have heaven …
0 j: [) h& J1 d
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03