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.
8 e& s* \, E8 D. M
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.
! y. C  o. c6 M! _/ s
) Q, o, L& X) G3 R  w Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
. U0 }3 u# f9 ~( ? A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
! R1 C$ }: A+ m* Y* s+ Q An accidental offspring of a boulder
% E9 W3 U/ ], h7 O But just a very small stone.
: I9 Q& [3 v* k. N& x+ ^, a4 p
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
7 U) g7 d" X/ B6 ^, \1 C Its insignificance is transformed
# I3 Y! I9 D  e% S1 c7 I Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! U6 o9 Z9 n. M Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
" ~9 K' P6 J) t6 H7 E. s1 S5 |* C Moving far beyond itself.
8 b: A* }2 x2 X2 G, [* @( s: ^1 f; K+ { Gently affecting everything in its wake
  A& [8 F5 u' i0 f8 J Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

& i! w7 Q  a7 h! m; G* y& ? The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
* n2 d* o4 U4 o; |8 y Into a dueling force of action and reaction
& V# ^+ l" l0 t) @+ |0 I Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
) `0 w% \8 h. c" } That who we are meant to be
) h5 o  O, h3 d- i, w1 b0 {1 W5 P Can never be measured in isolation
3 g' _6 k) s: D' _* u/ ~5 e, c on a path into ourselves.
- i2 ~$ [7 Z; i9 r! ]
It is true then:
2 y0 Q: d( B% z+ } Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ j- D8 [" ~( [  T Into the pond of life
" h+ q( L& z; N0 y6 p" t2 l Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
  p* a1 w8 d- ^6 [3 B* _ Not because of thoughts
" r4 @2 g& s$ c; Z0 W+ J# ~. l5 H not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
, ^3 b* f% [1 R; V$ s Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
4 a7 t! }/ p$ g& q* a  X, V
And when the icy winds of death
+ P3 _, t& ]. N; M6 V% ^& w beckon our lasting attention
6 @+ N" X2 H! l3 \ We will gently leave this life
# _+ u3 |5 U/ R With the knowledge that
& B, q/ ]% C# h- l- J. } because of that one pebble
9 F# ]5 b% [+ a* i2 Z, {- \! K. P The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

& g* P" ^5 T! x$ P Ross Rosenberg
% V* `' B8 s8 u 8/18/03