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.
7 @' n3 }! W/ J3 _; ^! K7 n
+ ^& V/ I- l3 F) 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
- L& n7 P2 \% _0 F A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
7 H0 b7 ?: ]4 C
2 y! P8 `& }5 Q! n4 g The pebble's place in our world
+ |/ M! w7 i5 H7 t6 z' U4 l Is neither understood nor appreciated
# Q% J; S# K4 ]' ?3 S But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
, B0 q( ~' V) W* X9 \. R* o
3 O' y1 z3 C. X! N0 d7 i6 g6 K8 u The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
5 c& }! }8 B" y. _  f1 j Spiral outwards
0 M. t- k, Q5 f  D Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

9 j* ~/ H( B" g9 M( E+ N* z+ s8 W The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
3 N+ R4 Q; N% z' z- | But ultimately recognizing
. a7 P4 k9 \) z4 T6 Y( v( s/ r. Y5 C That who we are meant to be
# D8 Z5 K, L% d* g4 N! f7 X Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
3 k1 y0 k0 M! t: D. p; T Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
3 F( D; q" q& d9 r* T5 l) X% L Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
, A3 C+ o8 x; @3 [: r6 s* u Not because of thoughts
* s; I( u8 F! X% t: H not because of well meaning plans
+ s# a7 C8 c9 L! D6 h2 b, Q But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  F& M* P) ]9 i1 K5 t No matter how seemingly insignificant
! k, V5 Z0 L  H0 E+ k, ^$ b Changes the course of the lives
) o+ y' l8 A6 Q9 h3 N5 H3 C Of those we touch.?

/ ]: r& R' a2 i/ m0 I2 \! |/ F And when the icy winds of death
- H$ H/ O$ o& c0 b" F beckon our lasting attention
: R  \+ @$ K) R We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
/ u! Z5 [( C4 L0 [$ ?& C The world will never be the same.
% [! u' j6 ~; {. {0 y) ~
* I( h# e( Z$ K: D( K And then we have heaven …

# n$ Z, D9 J# ?4 w4 T9 }+ p4 k Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03