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.

5 Q# @; R' K6 o& { 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.

  ^2 a5 ~# w+ g Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
5 u: P: U  {9 W" H A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
" e: V# [, A& D  U2 \ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
4 |/ J" w# K6 I  ^( ^- \8 K But just a very small stone.

7 Q* M1 o+ E" g! d+ z The pebble's place in our world
2 s6 q9 O  }$ J; g4 @ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
1 x0 D8 M: V1 A+ g/ F" y
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
- y) Y  f, \0 J8 n4 t- E! Z Spiral outwards
: y: r* [& I1 v) J2 D; A Moving far beyond itself.
, q" Z" V" p$ C0 w0 n/ p Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
, v3 _5 N/ z2 q: X
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
% }5 K8 T0 ~) s By unleashing its unimagined power?
$ C5 U9 S/ {. I Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
" }: n: W4 e, i
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
, N' D# ~9 a, e9 |+ ]3 L That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
) l" b3 n) q5 A* A9 R. \ on a path into ourselves.
. c+ |! f/ P8 f; ?. ]
- d1 g2 d  R0 m: N& B. @+ d It is true then:
! Z+ N! x: w, ^+ v) v2 V% D) S Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# O! D% c( w! R9 b Into the pond of life
8 b3 L% K3 {! z6 o Creating ripples
9 |$ s' h& P1 L/ z" N that leave unique mark on our world
2 P- `; \& |1 x6 R$ s Not because of thoughts
) e! A/ E% q! k$ c8 L! F" b  B0 B not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
/ h# j& c. x& n- p5 k0 r
Our life's prayers our answered
. j9 `7 I* t  b6 y% h Because even the smallest pebble
  W- ]. T5 V1 `2 D# n No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
' M, y$ F4 o5 F' F9 X3 M  B' e6 l& ] Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
4 ^" x0 y' i8 |1 X0 ?9 t0 J& o With the knowledge that
2 j8 F4 [0 ^8 e+ Y because of that one pebble
6 ]' Y4 @& D! o The world will never be the same.
% r2 F/ `$ N# X" s0 i/ r; o8 y1 G
7 o& ^2 M6 G0 U9 Q9 R And then we have heaven …

  e1 u6 v" _9 Z3 {3 e. J Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03