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.

  Z' H# o: b$ `4 l Heaven
' G5 a) Y7 X  r5 B; a# p) V5 Z3 ] The pebble is worn smooth
; x/ `% d# E, G, B& m0 w4 L0 ^ Made small over time
0 ~1 h8 z( A5 |0 q  X* e3 ? A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 {2 \; E4 W! N$ Q An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
: v0 E0 x! X. E
The pebble's place in our world
7 b2 x- x& q! e" r9 m1 l( D Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* T6 j; L! Y9 j Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
- {; j2 [: X$ \' H& `8 F
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
  J& L1 Y( D6 k' v& }6 q$ ^ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
1 a9 A0 d  M  X: l5 z: y4 V Moving far beyond itself.
# g  U# T* ?/ q. J  H Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
! z. r8 f4 g* F$ `; q+ [0 V By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
) d( h0 a! E6 T! e$ P& W& K9 E5 T8 l
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
5 g5 y& `0 \7 t$ }9 K( D: F That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
: G. H) {7 Z9 E  L" U9 t; w Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
5 O7 K* Q/ l. O: d Creating ripples
* q6 z7 {3 @* B/ Q+ R* `; P that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
4 g) p" O8 `( }+ c% ~" z not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
1 @' m# e# y5 D% c$ C
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
& Y) h9 D: M3 Y/ J  {& Y+ \ Changes the course of the lives
7 J4 y; z. s2 }" l1 }- l, l  Y Of those we touch.?

: T& I$ k2 R9 e: r- b# E And when the icy winds of death
, P/ `# Q, ~& c3 h! L beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
2 d- c0 t2 N8 \6 {) N+ @ because of that one pebble
- |% D5 K9 s' d7 @2 |6 K$ q: @ The world will never be the same.
) c$ f( _9 f* M8 y, p) x
" p" E7 l6 A; _# t And then we have heaven …
4 C. b$ S8 Z. h4 J
Ross Rosenberg
& H0 {" A, H% J! b2 v" T! {. J1 R 8/18/03