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.
; d& k$ Z6 s2 h1 j. r$ l
5 S8 H' o$ P+ M) | 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.
( c# y& z- R$ {0 k- H: M' t
Heaven
* S7 l# u  A3 b7 E The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
1 k6 r- l1 b- G$ R( j+ x# z9 o An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

# O- z- [' H; e1 ^( r+ M5 \ The pebble's place in our world
; n- {& C# i: ]; n6 }# L* q Is neither understood nor appreciated
4 q  F8 P& c( J' { But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
0 J2 U* G" F9 ^4 d5 O" P9 W0 O Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
( w. C% A. V9 H0 O
1 F& Y. x9 A3 h The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
& Q& I% @8 {5 W; z( z2 h Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
, ?6 ]& A" `" W0 t. t Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
# P- z7 z7 P9 D. l, W" e0 Q+ O
1 x' k! o9 e7 y& x$ @4 X8 a, { The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
, Q- h" P" o6 w6 e: [ Creating karmic energy
' h- W1 ^  {; d2 E3 u3 A Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
3 G7 b) R$ R, W/ p9 ? Feeling small and insignificant
* i  S/ F  U# l- c2 ^( w4 s But ultimately recognizing
: x+ U* \9 p5 ]' Z. X3 o& x That who we are meant to be
+ J, }' P2 G( t: `' A% u$ `. R) Z0 m Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
8 |! Y0 x# g, U- B8 ~: n7 H Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
; F8 h* U) J% b. | Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
" s. }2 g5 ?, I8 U9 x Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
- F" Z! O  J* y  d& D- ~
Our life's prayers our answered
; [  \5 e, h, B$ D% Z6 x; Y% H Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
. w! F4 z7 D4 B% ^5 C# H Changes the course of the lives
9 X  V8 W. x, ?- P4 A( y; a+ `* | Of those we touch.?

( d0 D; \! ]0 m% x" ^8 w: n And when the icy winds of death
1 a/ K  N4 l$ _* n6 M beckon our lasting attention
3 ^- \; d  E% a7 V9 o3 ? We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
7 p8 C: j( b- \" } because of that one pebble
( Z" T3 N6 n( E9 o) O! h" H2 h" n, L The world will never be the same.

5 S2 F9 I( [9 L5 @. p: P5 \ And then we have heaven …
& _! ^( f  Y/ y, _% a- P/ N
3 I8 q% X5 j$ y1 B Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03