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.

3 w. k' {0 X" r; i+ u 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
5 D% W2 q9 b' C' | A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
8 V& H9 M' w. ^5 [1 H8 N3 S A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
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
' L- e& x6 t0 O( ]3 I2 h9 p Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
- z9 J3 i5 ?& Y, F( }, @0 z
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
! T% Q% Q+ ?! s' A4 Q: a Spiral outwards
9 A: A% m0 I, Y+ Q8 \+ f Moving far beyond itself.
" w+ q5 D6 `; v8 P" d+ s3 i Gently affecting everything in its wake
7 F+ t9 t; B6 Q" c7 s3 H Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
9 g$ l0 L7 O% X1 X* d By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
. T# s1 |: M2 L  }' E Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
" _3 |5 p9 P; g5 y7 C
0 S1 a& \  ]+ f& s# d# V Aren't we all pebbles?
3 h- }9 r2 f: E Feeling small and insignificant
* B3 _4 }% ~7 x3 _& U' F But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
9 [, P: k5 O4 e7 \3 S5 c( G7 x Can never be measured in isolation
6 N- u# C8 h& t6 P. ~3 ] on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
1 t- D; Y, z7 A& F: |  L Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
* t" L) L9 s" \ Creating ripples
' d$ U. J& c  b& O( t2 D that leave unique mark on our world
  a, I- S$ S8 ]+ B Not because of thoughts
& n6 ^2 W! K" K1 j not because of well meaning plans
, o  |0 B9 B- e1 y But because of actions.
0 |) c# O/ \  `. ^8 x
0 D! k( i5 L0 \) [- {( u* { Our life's prayers our answered
+ I1 L5 C% \5 f4 N# k Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ S% G8 t, C/ r. _# G6 l4 ?. L Changes the course of the lives
/ R6 q  g& Z% ^3 `" ?. K Of those we touch.?
% O8 x: w: k! @" i1 |+ {% |+ [
- V9 B3 n# W  d$ ` And when the icy winds of death
7 e( _% Z: W! a; m8 P! A2 j beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
9 K7 b! {! u6 _9 z8 k, F% g, n because of that one pebble
" O; P& l+ }! L% r; g The world will never be the same.
8 l5 i. T. W) l% E0 G
And then we have heaven …

* z! s5 z; w# D7 |4 q7 j, k: w Ross Rosenberg
2 G% K/ i  w. H 8/18/03