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.

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
, ^7 t# a' B0 u$ g$ o The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 D4 _/ d1 F" M2 X4 Z An accidental offspring of a boulder
) e8 Q( T0 P$ e; S6 z( G But just a very small stone.

( m4 Y" F; Q% v0 `' B The pebble's place in our world
5 F7 w8 x: p9 ~; L2 n& { Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 p3 i# ~6 y% D4 t; ^ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* D% X/ h; w( d  j% H4 G1 ? Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
) i  C  {$ T) o0 @) d# Q- U) D Moving far beyond itself.
' _8 D8 W- z( C Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
  y7 ~/ t: p/ S8 u) b
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
  b& @8 B) U; _! S8 w By unleashing its unimagined power?
) `5 A7 P% M( S# e  u- u6 f Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
7 }7 z: Y  P2 i% t4 C8 i' V# w$ F' c Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
0 B, a6 k" H1 }8 }5 E8 k Feeling small and insignificant
0 P- g! e3 ]4 p8 T. S But ultimately recognizing
$ z& o  t$ o, e" V, s That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

# \, Q8 b3 M( d: @. S% ]6 f3 H It is true then:
Our everlasting future
; W5 j' B8 P: t; Z! ?5 `& F- j Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! L; y( ^! L& B Into the pond of life
& S4 A$ c3 t8 ^( _2 s- } Creating ripples
; y  z+ w) L+ t$ E that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
* d5 `# k: |4 l not because of well meaning plans
+ m: p  o# g% q1 k( }. q But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
% [4 q5 Y7 M" |$ G0 k' N' w% { Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
' C2 Y. q$ K) ]  {: Q, B Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
# _% s6 t& r: `
7 o: S+ z% f! y- V/ r& H$ x And when the icy winds of death
" _- ]7 L8 U9 T, u) x8 { beckon our lasting attention
2 J' ?% n. t8 ~ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
  r9 l7 A* h- V  r
And then we have heaven …

( n; O& D6 ~) y( A3 D Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03