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.
3 O! N" B4 ]* J# {4 ?6 F
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
; C6 H, x# K4 C" u Made small over time
- Z+ H9 _3 D  c' Z A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 K9 S: d6 P# l An accidental offspring of a boulder
/ Y9 W( n+ Q+ h9 H9 ~1 r! |/ ]2 F" c But just a very small stone.
! [1 p9 I/ c; i, p
The pebble's place in our world
: F) x- ~' t: X! K Is neither understood nor appreciated
: o, R& b5 n: X- l* v But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
6 f' R* W  S: a# e Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

' I  h4 V3 V) r/ p The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
1 g. ^1 ?; b- C5 O Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
8 `/ y) R6 P( b4 W5 q: l% K) b, t Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
5 J3 V- Y! A( F* J8 a
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
& A% H7 D$ ?( z* p
Aren't we all pebbles?
5 B& d5 f  D+ H! k8 d( G Feeling small and insignificant
; ]" g2 X: A3 }2 t/ V2 i3 } But ultimately recognizing
! t5 O  ~/ a) `4 p' x& k2 Q That who we are meant to be
, W% T1 {5 A" f+ T! d: w Can never be measured in isolation
" |  i" T8 _8 N/ E9 ?; H7 k1 E& U6 X  ~2 } on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
+ I# {' k* H# c! U Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
2 p) X* E4 d; n5 {8 H Into the pond of life
& q: [1 v. b: d* H, b5 A Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

2 }6 T) o, T/ x0 r Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
: X6 \6 q1 H1 I Of those we touch.?

& _2 o$ u  r6 o- P7 r And when the icy winds of death
3 d4 V6 G: Y. h, l( ^( k9 Z beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
* k4 q0 ^6 s3 L8 q/ ?! x With the knowledge that
  M) i& q- R, y) {0 R  A because of that one pebble
% o' v' H9 A) M- A7 r  p The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
9 u* Q' g1 ^5 W( J7 t- R5 m
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03