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.

2 d6 d; _% E' r1 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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
6 [" {' m5 e/ r% [' t, a  v A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
1 C8 O, V7 s4 L( W An accidental offspring of a boulder
7 G9 Z5 l% g( Y" z& p/ } But just a very small stone.
  _# ?  m  h6 h$ S( H7 @/ c
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ k' q9 a6 N( P! Z8 u4 M1 \, s 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
$ W4 u5 q% b5 C! o* A( ~ Its signature of concentric ripples
% Y! u  Q/ q4 } Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
+ F1 j! o% s5 c1 E" J4 M4 c, z Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
1 q0 y2 }; R: u1 i
7 j9 q( K1 R& h+ C The pebble creates its worth and meaning
" I+ E8 u# ^% u3 u) B By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
5 v: V4 e4 R2 ], `( E5 \& v7 ~) H  T Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
# @! @4 M8 l8 E+ _2 z- Q
+ S% ?- P6 V4 n! j Aren't we all pebbles?
- |/ N' Z1 d1 |: ]0 D Feeling small and insignificant
1 A2 M3 w; r. a& q But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
; r% a, T: u" s7 {; I) m0 m/ `- x
0 ^6 z: x, k) Q3 U7 \ It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! K: |( X! e$ `/ q$ U Into the pond of life
7 m9 X7 s0 [. e- g: K, Y Creating ripples
7 t% B8 y" H$ f) S+ { that leave unique mark on our world
3 V6 ?; E9 c; v; y" V% |8 S Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
. q/ V3 v5 N6 ~, g; a7 @5 q; i/ \ But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
; ]( @& q, ]: V) m4 ~* x/ T Of those we touch.?
. |( E! w6 m# {7 p0 g( o
# D5 T6 P7 M9 @ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
. G0 e: G( m  }0 y# h With the knowledge that
0 Q8 b7 z9 X! x9 L4 A  Z because of that one pebble
0 _6 V: S( M! J+ G The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
6 s. F; y; e- {  b0 T
4 P/ m* x5 f! c" m* w Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03