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.

  T$ ?6 D9 E2 S 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.

3 n" H# K/ I" ?" ?9 y( ?5 D. O Heaven
; J5 U: i3 z0 f7 I7 S The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
& f" {$ B6 i- g+ N4 ~ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
' y, _& G3 A" j  M( ] But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
6 B; c! H9 |' g5 v* ]- D8 k* _ Is neither understood nor appreciated
9 N' b- c* S( @, J/ t, I But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
9 X$ X+ T( x# y9 N* j6 I( q Its insignificance is transformed
' q& J  A6 f% t( S3 c, u& H Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
$ ^# P% u) R+ I+ _4 S4 L6 E
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
; M. x, k+ S: V7 A# e Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
' X/ C4 q! A2 u: g+ \ Moving far beyond itself.
* ~- q" l- h6 X1 W. T1 r. @ Gently affecting everything in its wake
  }4 o2 O+ a: F: T" B Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
6 e; y8 q) K! Z8 r0 K  T$ E
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 X4 L  J" e, p4 J3 D By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
5 M5 \' C$ T- j1 b4 ]) P0 k- y% l
2 f3 o) b( x8 H1 L: E Aren't we all pebbles?
) j* s8 g- r  P* l- J) l, _7 F: p% z Feeling small and insignificant
. F2 n2 D3 s1 u1 l  d8 | But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
$ e9 j" r3 C) A9 y+ l
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ O/ H6 T4 I) | Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
7 C, P4 D3 n" S6 Y" y- e9 E that leave unique mark on our world
" ^+ T# K9 w; X Not because of thoughts
. ^( t" f7 j1 v' E  V) F. ~4 V not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
" l5 W6 y" R1 h
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
6 X7 G) e0 W/ U9 a; w, ?2 B No matter how seemingly insignificant
. Z1 ]4 o. Q! J4 B Changes the course of the lives
$ Y9 J! v, K  x$ b, g) r Of those we touch.?
3 I- D9 F$ `! ~7 w
7 b5 C7 W2 F  p) T- s: D And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
8 [7 Y3 @! s2 }% f We will gently leave this life
. }$ M; f. M) t$ E0 v With the knowledge that
; ?0 M* a1 h; C! _  G% u7 _+ _ because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
9 C. u8 v- D$ A, W
. N* i, f/ X  ~( A5 `8 t1 x$ P And then we have heaven …
! P( j  Q+ n$ Q* K
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03