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.

1 z, M% z' T6 y) H* J 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
/ l! e7 j  d$ ^3 W6 L% u A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 w8 D5 A% ?- M. p1 Y9 A An accidental offspring of a boulder
9 B: w0 f0 a. k# B: ^ But just a very small stone.

# d+ r# Z! h. o$ M5 f The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
( _& G2 b3 N4 T$ p' @ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
+ V) X) I' Z  x! M% `# B  M Its insignificance is transformed
3 H8 Q& J/ N5 W" |! i5 n% a Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
8 L2 `5 F9 X/ _" H3 P: K: O
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
$ N( Y4 P6 K+ W: F7 }; k Spiral outwards
, D" C. s- K% b8 x7 \- p Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

9 I5 a5 b7 X0 f6 ?. e) Q$ ? The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 K2 J/ d6 o9 K Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

8 L# ?) z4 w" ~5 [$ |8 V Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
4 s, W  t  h' j) S5 w8 f But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
* D0 U) D0 ?- c3 O5 I. Z on a path into ourselves.

) ?4 K0 _1 J) l% `( @ It is true then:
9 `) {4 N  l* U7 p Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
. \2 ^0 i% w) I* Z: W/ Q' F Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
2 Z+ [6 V; p+ Y But because of actions.
# U2 x( L2 a( E
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  [2 _- S& T2 _+ T; x/ X No matter how seemingly insignificant
* p) D0 y6 N" O. ?$ W5 b6 @ Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
; }3 b  H# s, l' J: X. P
5 b( N# K2 q( M And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
2 R; b& ]; A% W& u1 V" F With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
) j1 V9 l$ I7 G" [, h
And then we have heaven …
- c& `8 a# x3 M
% T* P2 m; Y% Y Ross Rosenberg
3 P% E. w! R& |% i1 z  O- w) r8 m+ N 8/18/03