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.

7 {: v0 w# ]% e9 G" ]7 t 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.
. X! |5 }4 y5 I: J! j2 v: Z
( q$ B% D0 L, t Heaven
0 F8 |& x# @1 j7 l The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
# @: v7 V* d  k An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

, J+ S. _" G; @+ n: b The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
+ j5 l6 F5 J6 o7 J4 P But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
1 L% w* F+ J' S* C Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
1 j8 ]" j3 \$ V1 ^8 N
5 t$ ]. l+ A8 V The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
$ r. y- z. X: g! G% d( ~7 M Spiral outwards
) x5 a" k4 A2 T% ?) ] Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
, F; S  b1 J5 @' [! K( l! ` By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 B% p' S; n" m3 p0 S; E Into a dueling force of action and reaction
3 W# S! c% z  ~! \( e& o+ _ Creating karmic energy
, R  }. b( ^, W) s Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

$ s; \7 r. y6 T* n  k% i Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
1 j; ~: l' S4 Y$ B  ]; K" e That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
4 B3 I) c) r1 K5 p( A& g5 X2 [' y on a path into ourselves.
  v/ B2 C  o3 f8 {* c
6 G  ~9 ^* t, \/ g It is true then:
0 D& l# Z- k# F* V3 y% K/ J) E Our everlasting future
- C: \! c& Y; O' [ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
5 A  I! \/ v# O" U2 C0 R& W! P that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
, ?  I- \2 J- F4 A But because of actions.

+ H9 N, d3 ]; t* J: M8 A6 m Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
) d9 i) W+ J$ B4 W* n Of those we touch.?

! D, O: M( i: O& w And when the icy winds of death
, p, [1 L# }) \% ^5 V& G. x beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
8 X+ A5 Q' f& ^* a because of that one pebble
7 h% R  v1 J* y. K. }6 u& ] The world will never be the same.

8 z' m" ?) [/ d" S/ W And then we have heaven …
) n4 J* O! l/ y9 ]  m
Ross Rosenberg
! f6 R0 y3 [5 {. T! B0 n( } 8/18/03