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.
- l7 L0 ^, f/ J
; Z* a2 \/ L" O" Y 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.

' r; X8 b8 ~" t! W$ t: A' g Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
) f7 _' |4 d1 _7 L A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
# B  d8 Q3 {5 E- t: J A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
; |) \+ r# Y2 A5 L" d& s An accidental offspring of a boulder
# V5 \0 B. d; X8 w& ?- u( k' N, h But just a very small stone.
3 O# h  y. n$ p- ^, ?3 A5 \
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
1 V0 \2 W! h* }' v Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
7 F% Z5 e4 m$ z  S& d
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
& P1 z6 Z0 N' e3 M6 |4 |4 T Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ w/ Z- R6 C7 b( U) ?2 A By unleashing its unimagined power?
! f- @0 U$ H) C& e7 S& ^ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 O$ V2 l$ }6 Y, I$ J Creating karmic energy
9 c3 A' ~. U, {: f8 h. w- _7 o- r8 }' b Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
- a/ F: z" u( Q* l  u0 v  G; E: g9 U
" Z3 O# W0 F6 S; r3 T Aren't we all pebbles?
. M+ C- ~/ N( g Feeling small and insignificant
* t( f; f5 w0 q But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
4 f; Q' o/ o) i; \3 n Can never be measured in isolation
6 q+ w( l! X3 p9 p) M6 R. F; s on a path into ourselves.
! B8 D1 n# ?9 o1 q# p) c, y  {. R
3 O% ^1 B* q) J( Q4 O6 Z, v1 V It is true then:
Our everlasting future
% n( `2 B3 \: j! Y$ E- p" C Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
$ Z# q% q" X. o1 B that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
5 I$ R! n' A7 I# {- p not because of well meaning plans
6 N" g  Z/ y- p% w' G! h, N But because of actions.
6 v7 T% l/ X1 q
9 j# A0 V; _( s. c0 H Our life's prayers our answered
( T+ P6 O6 v! k9 T/ e! l Because even the smallest pebble
0 Y, [1 J% K0 `' K9 S No matter how seemingly insignificant
# g4 B0 s' X% X1 B Changes the course of the lives
( V" z2 y: {3 p Of those we touch.?
1 _# h$ V( B1 l7 }. Y5 ?9 v
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
$ G% k/ L( B  |7 i We will gently leave this life
) g- e) I0 D% X With the knowledge that
+ W7 t8 M9 V5 s  o because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

6 e- s, s# m: L And then we have heaven …
5 ~0 \, D" y) P+ E7 m5 i' w
Ross Rosenberg
. [+ L) v6 j6 Q, _ 8/18/03