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.

! S( o) x6 }. a6 N4 W& R 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.

- J/ H5 O  P# f Heaven
# {9 T; P7 _; J8 |. d3 y- {! Q The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
  [' O4 m9 `  V A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
; A4 \* \. m# c$ v" s* S! j An accidental offspring of a boulder
+ E2 t% w1 i* h0 q! b. t; U/ w7 H- a But just a very small stone.

/ t: I' \' ^! d$ `; ] The pebble's place in our world
6 R: K) q8 z* G* ^" U% o Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
- u2 T' R1 c, A5 Q* S  q Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
# c6 E7 }9 y! G+ c
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
0 r( _3 c. p& E) O7 ^ Its signature of concentric ripples
4 x& ~& X4 ?0 f Spiral outwards
* Y0 n& Q9 e1 B# \ Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
. N' r+ a6 ?; ^  Q8 D Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 |; y! ]6 r: {0 V6 F( Q! X. M Creating karmic energy
4 p! L7 z9 S) ~% p8 s3 b/ W Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
% H. G: b! U9 z6 {. u6 U4 B- X0 t" I
& B* P, U, {) X9 J: d2 J" ~& ] Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
. G" r' y- t( t& j2 p4 l0 g Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
- A% c; Q! S  C$ f  v4 Z. { Creating ripples
1 |& `1 f# V" P: B3 l) V* Z4 g4 F$ ~ that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
$ u  X4 n# W: [* M% s not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

& J0 R! E% u  V5 S1 | Our life's prayers our answered
: g$ f0 v: w% @ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
. }  d: I- P! C( \& G! w: C Changes the course of the lives
# l2 f& ~( G4 @0 z- ?1 q' `- O1 f Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
$ x1 P+ `$ L  O2 X) P The world will never be the same.

3 e" `, |- L8 d) S6 G And then we have heaven …

4 S* o# B: P' H( q- F+ }! h Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03