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.

Heaven
4 ?' N% L4 S. n! w; u8 M The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
$ H9 F! W' v  E( f; o6 p A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 ?- P" O+ I2 r5 Y, A* M" v+ i8 c* L A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
. }1 a) E$ {$ W+ ?3 X+ h( I But just a very small stone.
5 B3 i( W- L0 Q
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
1 y0 @' Z, Z" I& Q" s, v Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
. c0 a8 B6 P/ \" ?- w( Z2 j Its signature of concentric ripples
3 G8 ]7 [+ r: Z/ j9 { Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
! U+ b4 @/ O' o. x4 A: s# H Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
) s2 n) Y) o  \+ q" d8 {8 J By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
5 Q; Z2 D+ D% t5 A  c3 h& T Creating karmic energy
; Y0 G7 ^' H- m4 G9 e4 ^ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
* k, n' B3 f0 b2 j+ S. c( s
Aren't we all pebbles?
& l6 M+ U, K. l, G% c: a4 L; F Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
0 V+ J6 X4 l6 j2 T! w: ` Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
3 W' r! C4 K( Z6 L: T. \
It is true then:
% P# \) o/ @$ A5 \! W, s Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
0 K9 {8 J! K# N; c& e Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
4 z* V' Y% j) [8 A  I8 k: m* z Not because of thoughts
# [# p& A$ U" Y not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
$ M- B& E) w. H# [
Our life's prayers our answered
2 B$ S5 _7 H  {4 G3 b6 R Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 `7 m" S0 z9 R  I$ ~8 `1 G% K* G- Y Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
  K1 W- F& W1 [$ @/ b. w3 W( h We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
- `# u/ \4 `, q' F4 ~4 D# s because of that one pebble
7 L1 E# w4 r, _" R: @# h( ~ The world will never be the same.
  S/ ^2 X5 {5 X+ e2 B8 ]
4 l' {" n6 ~4 d7 ] And then we have heaven …
0 X( L$ B: i9 d+ x3 O" \
Ross Rosenberg
  `! v: I8 n) \/ f$ U 8/18/03