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.

, n2 U3 E% q  o' y 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
) m9 e% w2 g! D; ]) q9 Y The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
7 r( ?: N) o9 J4 y A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

) B: Q' S. [( \* Z- ` The pebble's place in our world
4 v( [5 A  R- J Is neither understood nor appreciated
' f& F5 ?5 n9 ^  J# L6 x But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
: b# Z2 ~; y% D- r+ M$ N, X4 o Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
! k1 Q- K6 N$ O9 n; G% h
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- q. C6 ?1 e( J0 L% g) K4 f' D2 h$ R, p Its signature of concentric ripples
8 Y* f2 z# i8 P Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
" V' J/ X6 `% o: _0 Y Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 y! V  r7 g+ `+ T Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
; Q5 v: z" Z3 \
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 G# a* H1 J- G/ l; |; @/ [ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
8 ~. m. v8 c" b3 [& g; N& [* U
; E: X6 G. r7 ^0 f  P Aren't we all pebbles?
8 U5 X5 m: F0 n1 y1 E) ? Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
! ^+ c5 h8 W0 \" _ on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
4 Y/ ?3 ^, t3 m Our everlasting future
* W0 d" K; ~, C$ D Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
; F! t( ~- \: ^/ x' k; F Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
0 z* W) k+ F  m, c' h% E2 h not because of well meaning plans
( ?% N4 i$ [; k, u4 ? But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
- r! w7 C) H( @2 _* x/ L' o8 \ Because even the smallest pebble
6 I/ J( O: d6 z1 v No matter how seemingly insignificant
' m4 w7 V7 h0 ?0 T3 i Changes the course of the lives
+ j# _# ]* }! L( V! S% B Of those we touch.?
& z, Y- g/ G2 o" [0 z) ~2 H+ m$ `. q
! _! V: e3 o6 v( ? And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
; q2 I# r9 Q0 @9 D1 @  }+ ]1 i We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
5 w, m# e, }% k; E; E because of that one pebble
: D: `) Q6 ~6 B. i  p The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

) o5 k! I/ g: X! @9 h0 l Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03