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.

6 j" W. R; }2 r5 i' }4 W% s 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
4 `5 h  h% c, Z0 x2 {: H The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
& K4 l4 S* A3 s. r4 X; _ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
; J* z2 Z/ I* e& \. O0 v An accidental offspring of a boulder
! U8 m0 J  S6 M, h+ N9 U8 [ But just a very small stone.
' k7 p- }; }9 L7 S
The pebble's place in our world
/ o. R! W( ~* r, s' j 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
' `0 W0 z; C6 J. p: P) Y) w" M Its signature of concentric ripples
5 ^  d/ g# H) O" j9 @ Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
& I9 q; A3 ^& S/ A Gently affecting everything in its wake
2 Q! A1 ^) C  \" b' X6 k# ] Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

1 ?3 y, n; o4 `- v. c) U The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
& c- J7 w9 f$ E. R Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
, _- ~( L  w9 d  `9 A Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
3 F5 u) d: E6 y+ l
Aren't we all pebbles?
- ?$ |- W5 B* f+ y+ O4 { Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
4 U# N" k0 A0 ~  w8 i- s5 T' [" m Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
0 }) b7 x( K1 f. d" h( P  ^ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
5 d1 R2 o, G* R, [9 P, R/ C. t Into the pond of life
/ l" R/ O4 S2 M1 v Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
) e# ?. a' l7 S  P, v3 t not because of well meaning plans
: I8 r/ n7 S; x1 p But because of actions.
' `" Z2 S( H/ {6 O/ G. W  k6 P8 Y! Y1 f
Our life's prayers our answered
/ R- p. n0 ^2 O. K2 I) \3 I Because even the smallest pebble
6 M' ?" j1 b0 b- B No matter how seemingly insignificant
" d( E, M0 z% J1 M* T3 l8 ^# P* q$ R Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

* s- _3 N. F; |( ] And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
' b1 k! f5 P/ Z! L5 }7 {- W  T We will gently leave this life
, z2 M3 b+ Y( }3 ^ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
; D% w0 t  O5 y) i. ]
0 U3 c1 r* {, h' a) m! S! @# _ And then we have heaven …
# |6 u7 z) g- X" X" c, _0 p/ y2 l
, l0 V% ^- {$ a/ y4 s Ross Rosenberg
; N; S) g$ M! e2 O6 S 8/18/03