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.

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
Made small over time
+ v' d2 @1 M' w; { A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
1 d, Y5 T0 a# `9 F/ a8 H A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
* }  O* a% \& A' N4 ~: Y5 @ But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
7 C+ G+ {0 R. U8 u6 r5 r Its insignificance is transformed
) ^# \/ {# Z6 E! c; j Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

; Z! m& U% a3 J# b* w1 L; { The instant the pebble kisses the pond
2 v7 ?; {0 m9 {# ~4 W7 o Its signature of concentric ripples
: q  q1 {. t% a# z! Q5 i Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
% C9 W, B+ O& C3 i9 a Gently affecting everything in its wake
6 y: ]! P$ \* G- o5 F/ a0 y Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
# U# l5 J. `5 N; I
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
& \, f* V) S6 P) e1 \! | By unleashing its unimagined power?
3 c! \  o- h! p* R7 @& o# Q, y0 N Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ ?" `2 O  b1 j+ c# p Creating karmic energy
) j/ ]0 c' z: \2 K6 n" ?) {. {7 P Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
# c: o7 a- R% \7 I+ Y) b, r+ c+ l3 G) n
6 q$ c& U: e; t+ x Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
. e6 ~: f( R; D; ^. F* W But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
# y3 S5 b" _8 f) p* M& r+ g9 x Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
' E8 V# e& _4 Q
6 L' ?/ q) \! ~+ z# z! j' h* d It is true then:
* ^% i% c. I8 J) }- N4 _. D Our everlasting future
  ?: P1 ]# e6 P3 c Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
: A' _) y" n. {% a7 y Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
# M) Y* t/ }$ v" [ But because of actions.
, ~% k; I. C5 Q! k
Our life's prayers our answered
: Z( J2 R5 k. M1 q; f, S/ V Because even the smallest pebble
2 c# Z9 `2 F8 v# e! b: F No matter how seemingly insignificant
- B$ g" o* P8 F6 E, Y# H Changes the course of the lives
: D# a. |$ V3 _8 ^- n Of those we touch.?

) w  ]5 U. n6 o  f+ I And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
4 }0 w- G" a) \# h We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
$ m- V! r* A. s2 g# h/ n( c because of that one pebble
  C8 J5 r/ I6 }" j, L) n The world will never be the same.
: X) T; c9 |- Z4 r5 @& M
3 _) h/ I( w2 I2 t7 k2 P And then we have heaven …
  ?& L; s" g  W6 y% G$ F0 W
# {. M# W  O  B( f' D; [ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03