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.

' h9 ~9 ]0 n+ W 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.

+ q* h- C- ?8 q6 H, J1 k! X. F Heaven
" K  V/ U. l! i7 F; ` The pebble is worn smooth
- Z8 p, J5 g! h: u3 K; Z* {& R2 y% V Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
5 O0 A1 H! c6 m But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
: o: v4 N% G' z! R  ] Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
4 j1 }5 H2 C4 b! P) z" Z: U Spiral outwards
) I* \+ N9 l5 o' Z/ {/ }! r" I Moving far beyond itself.
* p( m- l2 t: X, O. G( ]% d5 t5 z Gently affecting everything in its wake
) B, O, G/ @1 w+ _ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

- i% S6 t2 `; B1 C The pebble creates its worth and meaning
; C5 y5 W# |* W2 O By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 R: S9 \$ ?1 `' _; [9 n Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
6 B5 i. K: L7 y* ?. H8 b2 B( { Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
" l- Z) }+ p2 j8 _1 B
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
# B- u8 M" a. w0 x- h But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

) g8 _+ [0 o# U) v It is true then:
Our everlasting future
0 U3 o+ \1 M+ U% _1 y Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
+ \. z4 h9 f- n. P) X7 ]  G. X3 D Creating ripples
$ h4 z" b; Z2 `6 y" C: l that leave unique mark on our world
- [  m  \7 ^) K  G- b& Y8 D Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
1 ?5 G0 m9 g+ B; o But because of actions.
7 y3 h8 [" o0 |' e1 _
Our life's prayers our answered
1 p! a( f: ?! a" f- ]( y Because even the smallest pebble
1 ~- ^0 b3 k' }! v No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 f# q  o3 E5 V+ b6 p Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
$ U% {  n& s3 i! w
And when the icy winds of death
- `) z# Z1 T) d% |6 S4 O beckon our lasting attention
5 I8 N; A- n% r% e/ z4 x5 m/ i  R We will gently leave this life
5 P2 h4 u- p. { With the knowledge that
8 k) V$ p! S: ^; T8 z because of that one pebble
5 k' i8 u8 X8 N% s2 [6 @8 v The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

) z$ [: |$ D  H. ^* Q Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03