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.

2 t8 D6 u1 ~  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.

' r2 C8 c- k$ P/ C" a1 t, s/ l Heaven
9 q. [2 h! R: a, f The pebble is worn smooth
( w$ @# ^' l, B. F- m* y8 [: k Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
7 c) T6 p' p: R& u* Q. {0 Y An accidental offspring of a boulder
$ w' G1 H" o' G9 ` But just a very small stone.
$ {' m" f" Q6 B" {$ U' J2 k
The pebble's place in our world
, M1 l, n3 N3 e) R8 m# f1 P Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
4 P8 A- e. k! a Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

2 b: W- \7 ]/ }7 O1 L2 H( k The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
% S1 ]/ I3 d$ m! j5 ]: a) \
0 [4 C+ g6 n& l' q- C1 d8 { The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
- c( \; V0 x6 ?7 u  V2 i- ?/ K Into a dueling force of action and reaction
3 k! K5 Q# q4 \5 K/ ]2 @% O% m) B Creating karmic energy
2 l9 F/ Q6 N& x Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
. _* U$ q: }2 C. m8 P& z# g Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
& e) B5 r! \& M. t8 A Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

! X# y' J+ L& m8 |! {8 R* m It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ i) k& b" U3 u; A Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
" H2 g& B) E/ J that leave unique mark on our world
$ l9 {3 D* V# A7 t0 B Not because of thoughts
2 y) Y/ v& b; l not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

' W4 c, _6 f* W$ d& D& D% k Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
: d* q1 w9 b% G# @0 r1 Q: C
2 q, p+ `, h" r* [ And when the icy winds of death
8 q& q& A( B, p beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

1 c1 _" O2 g% Y  B7 f And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03