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.

, n0 n. H4 V1 {; d; _" ?: x6 s) z! J' e 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.

3 t- l7 u8 l5 y1 ?5 f- p Heaven
  `5 _. \4 O0 B The pebble is worn smooth
2 A( [, K0 e/ x. e8 F2 Y7 z Made small over time
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.
0 M3 ]3 @# G3 z8 b4 v4 u
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 k3 c% t9 _/ A* l: J/ s  c( a6 X But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 r9 h, _1 P, g Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
: E9 i7 G5 G; ~/ o2 U: w; }* V* F Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
3 n2 v4 K) G1 Y, {
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
+ j- Z' i; p4 _: X Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
3 W0 V) p, I1 p& F2 Y Feeling small and insignificant
/ m' K9 @5 }- O) `- ^$ P But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
5 }/ o# y! U# r; s& m2 `( C Can never be measured in isolation
9 L' s% `" b8 p on a path into ourselves.
* C" O, i6 q( U; O8 |
* ^0 H  y9 J! F6 }1 E* [8 a It is true then:
+ `$ [! W6 x: S% O' X Our everlasting future
) r8 f6 D$ C* a Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
. g+ `5 L3 \* M9 C Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
; j, ?; U" b( l& ?) A! _ Not because of thoughts
: Z. C8 g. G3 W% b. u not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
3 T# @  N2 L8 v No matter how seemingly insignificant
9 ?% u* B( a  M$ r1 G& C# G& D! S Changes the course of the lives
  X- z0 z/ L) a5 e0 K  S; C Of those we touch.?
# o* y& T6 c8 F+ w
0 N# o/ s* c  x* L And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
( Y8 |6 t+ I* E6 R: Y" W We will gently leave this life
/ J8 W! l4 E2 L* F0 r With the knowledge that
2 H$ h# o6 j! \3 S. i& b! \ because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

% a& _8 e5 s; h& l8 m5 t/ x And then we have heaven …

% m: g. T# U8 B3 i Ross Rosenberg
* H  D( i) ]$ A/ S0 E% c9 K% S 8/18/03