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.

) n5 o2 W8 K+ o3 O5 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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
1 j5 i+ ~0 L6 h, g  C" D/ g  a/ P) P Made small over time
! L  ?# A/ X4 S3 h A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
2 s1 ?3 m. l7 _) Y But just a very small stone.

& s* R+ M2 r# E) X# U3 _ The pebble's place in our world
8 `% u* t  Z% Z4 i- V. `( D Is neither understood nor appreciated
( w5 v, |4 }8 @, r& l6 ~: W: ~ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
' @5 j* @$ b* f- F. V1 v0 | Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
1 ^0 M' v% w+ x2 m Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
9 l3 ~& ]' X  ^& d0 @1 N" o' c Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
' K! g) Y2 q, F
1 q3 r- n+ k% \+ c- r The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ l; A- f+ D* I) A7 f1 m By unleashing its unimagined power?
$ G! I; E. P& G" u Into a dueling force of action and reaction
! p3 |. B  O" J4 L Creating karmic energy
6 {# j0 s+ U. i* V- k Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
+ |8 F& k, B  x8 {, q But ultimately recognizing
7 ~4 x2 B3 Y/ h; p! C That who we are meant to be
% F' u% J' t  B6 V5 i; n Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
6 n: h8 M+ P5 _0 e/ `8 F4 i$ I
. I0 }, {/ N; c! B It is true then:
/ ~1 k) A4 z& h6 a Our everlasting future
9 d( o0 G* ]& Y. B; S Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
( |* R' w2 m/ [' ?5 v: n Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
# Y' h1 H! o* {$ Y+ `& r9 u Not because of thoughts
! I* D& w, R! U" F+ P not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

0 {. O' \5 K/ [2 M! P Our life's prayers our answered
6 Z7 a) e, v' I0 @+ ^0 Q& p; t Because even the smallest pebble
; u- o( I5 m! O0 _" J0 @2 U No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ g3 x9 H/ a, V  \; Q Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

6 c+ x' S0 |6 a# ^ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
# x1 s6 Y9 ?0 u% @1 m+ J We will gently leave this life
5 h  o) E* |* ?" r' q7 T" o' Q With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
8 l9 y8 ~. q+ ]/ d The world will never be the same.

9 L, ^$ v. y0 ~" }. \5 x3 D And then we have heaven …

$ M' v3 Y: C$ i! o Ross Rosenberg
; [5 ]9 c9 n1 [! t! d' x 8/18/03