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.

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.
% l, c/ o6 f7 Q5 [5 \
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
3 B2 I* d$ ?6 J8 Z4 A) H A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
# O. v4 R2 G( S& P8 Q But just a very small stone.
( N# Y0 z3 U5 {: B7 l
The pebble's place in our world
8 p( v: l3 J. O- X7 m/ b- M Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
/ ]7 K6 Q: M" b& T9 B9 e' _. h Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
, ~8 M$ k4 Y2 \9 E% ^
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

/ G$ ^! c% N, M  T8 x! C" } The pebble creates its worth and meaning
& g0 h+ T) a( w: f& D2 E3 g By unleashing its unimagined power?
4 h$ O9 s9 }3 j Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
# `" ?1 q9 ~/ s6 Q7 c Feeling small and insignificant
2 d5 d' E: L3 W0 C$ W% p But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
# |3 @6 e2 a" y) U% n4 a2 k Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
& |. \5 M' z- _9 s- l
It is true then:
: j; i9 o' x7 ]: e Our everlasting future
' B3 ^8 {& S! U- s9 U" u% S2 C Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
, I: l! I1 l, V' N7 ~% j Into the pond of life
" N2 o0 K& P4 P5 Q' l, Y) w' v" a Creating ripples
: V8 E" T; C+ x  q: Z* y9 X' ~ that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
+ v, A0 c5 U2 Q
" w% ~/ ?0 l. I Our life's prayers our answered
2 I1 A1 [) b( T9 t Because even the smallest pebble
: ?- b6 J+ N! n9 d- G, q3 D$ u No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
+ Y+ C, B6 Y5 C$ D Of those we touch.?
( b& z5 T' w, r7 O( A
And when the icy winds of death
, k1 r6 R( I8 J9 p9 U beckon our lasting attention
7 \5 e/ U: I2 B8 }, }. R3 L3 G# I We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

! m  z# E% I+ M And then we have heaven …
- f2 l4 y7 S4 M) l: p+ V
; b: Z5 z- p  S6 l; p! ^( ] Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03