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.

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.

5 h6 e  T  c9 ~# v" _2 ` Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
; d( ?- @1 S" p A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
7 E$ u& q6 H' x7 I) ` An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
' F9 ]: p' m1 X( h# i4 v2 I4 n. K$ g
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
9 z# b* A' {# V8 l1 P7 q But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
3 n4 U0 U+ w( F- n; N8 f& H. s Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
7 L9 m+ \, l# }, Q: r4 u$ G+ ^
" G; _6 M! G! X2 X The instant the pebble kisses the pond
4 k7 H3 t" t( G3 a% X0 F Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
# r/ L0 R4 @0 h( A2 C& {/ | Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
- I9 Q" l$ }. L  B' O4 a; z+ W, y# ?
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 k+ F- T( t2 ?, b! ?# r By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
( I( G7 g1 @/ k& f. K* ^" Z Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

/ g" J/ i( P0 V. ]- ^+ W Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
9 ]" J2 ^( y) D1 i1 b But ultimately recognizing
7 i6 x6 j3 [7 H: {- v That who we are meant to be
  s8 O5 }, A7 N5 g; |6 Y Can never be measured in isolation
$ J; R* E7 C3 s" g7 | on a path into ourselves.

9 L( Y9 F) y1 h8 F) n It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
2 R1 {& _* Y9 |. F$ j  q5 p Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
  ^+ N& g5 N  d& d( B not because of well meaning plans
' |. ?* u: Y5 Q But because of actions.

6 O! l& F* r6 h Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 u" J" u+ m: m5 A9 Q Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
% u. V8 w2 n& o. H. u/ z3 V
And when the icy winds of death
  h! A! j* i4 S; l  `0 g9 W beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
' I7 n$ j2 O( u+ G" ]5 Y! b6 X  t With the knowledge that
5 R4 |$ m$ ^/ i9 @" u because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
4 T$ N; P, O7 Z 8/18/03