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.

& b" ~% S5 K3 {5 x/ l 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
; L1 O( u+ E# H6 y8 F. v The pebble is worn smooth
  s; i! A; ~; J1 n, H Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 I; w9 [! T9 l+ s 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
& P- g5 C! j: o8 C1 i- X$ l# c, E Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
1 X# }) F  I. i
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
! N& i, u* V; C; S" v Moving far beyond itself.
8 f3 h5 p2 r3 T3 ^ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

9 J* e/ A8 O" x' \8 M! `$ e# Q The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
# B4 d+ G, ]9 @7 }6 y9 o2 ]1 O- ? Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 g/ s+ V* o2 x3 F* n( B( n9 T Creating karmic energy
: [8 k7 V" T  k5 B Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
/ u# Y, e& _3 Y+ Y Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
+ `3 F4 J' }' [, i) ~( H/ P That who we are meant to be
7 h8 [. F7 x, c( p Can never be measured in isolation
$ M1 L# c) J1 e6 Q: b' e; X' C/ } on a path into ourselves.
& n" i. {9 X. B& F3 F7 m- b- G
* |$ Q4 j* o( j, L3 b" y It is true then:
/ @$ T  f: ]( g$ ?+ }) Q Our everlasting future
. J! Y4 \- S; a2 V5 b# L Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ F+ r& X" v7 c* y2 O1 A- `' i( ` Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
- y% C! o, b% } But because of actions.
  v- g( [( J( L  ]! z: I
. d2 m9 m& o( n; E  x Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
1 x* [) n, b3 n9 a! E; h; n; D No matter how seemingly insignificant
  q  c! @/ H* u* O% P/ v Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

4 H" q; N/ c/ l7 e2 h& c And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
- Y" ^* ~) i* ]# s  c We will gently leave this life
9 V$ h) O/ \8 d2 S( ^3 l With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

* C/ O2 b+ j' x  j# K And then we have heaven …
  i- [5 f8 e7 d/ C
4 \# i0 x% c2 z7 _ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03