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.

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
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
* i/ }9 P9 ]% z5 `$ E0 B An accidental offspring of a boulder
2 n# _: @  E3 Z; @# w/ q But just a very small stone.
$ B$ a  p4 ^$ ^& P2 |
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
: ^; l6 l( S6 O: F- | Its insignificance is transformed
& p3 q2 N) X; L- i/ \ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

. @) y5 ?3 t7 G  @ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ [8 T* I# T3 ?0 m7 H; O Its signature of concentric ripples
' k( Z7 q, G7 D8 l Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
8 I; r' r4 m( U1 C  z1 Q
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
( a: _, H' Z5 b" X& a9 X0 X Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
) q* J9 l% S# U8 n: E Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

2 V2 A5 d# j% ? Aren't we all pebbles?
+ Q# K( e0 X  V: N) y. z5 B) e Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
( u( r$ a/ U- D( o9 i* T3 t* }+ w on a path into ourselves.
% h- b7 z9 q& n' l. T
$ B7 Q# |4 D7 d It is true then:
. A; O9 ~$ r1 f& P0 H- s, h Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' z0 J: r6 \4 I- ]* ~ Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
1 v1 c- j. ]- J" | that leave unique mark on our world
" Y' }) g6 f6 b8 c" f& A Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
; k+ ]. ^2 w  t But because of actions.
3 Z" w; y4 T  N  ?: z
( B& ^1 C- o9 B$ S8 ]. D Our life's prayers our answered
; ?- A" c$ l! T- v Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
. t( ?. K5 J3 C Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
1 \5 T* ?5 P4 ]) I
+ X$ \# y! e# u5 x+ n  u5 K2 ~3 E And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
3 I9 x6 {! @& D1 h+ f  Q0 A We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
8 k" P2 E9 U0 S, P The world will never be the same.
5 R9 ?5 r. z4 {' t
: l( g2 t2 ~0 |. f% S And then we have heaven …
$ I1 C) D0 r- J% d% ?1 _
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03