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.

$ W1 l' ?6 V& f5 K/ r# M Heaven
* {- @; p; H! V The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
0 m- q$ h" z( Z, N) E A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
2 W  \# e3 r, u: F A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
) c3 f/ L7 Y3 n- U6 n An accidental offspring of a boulder
' v6 @& E; i# p But just a very small stone.
& Y* H5 g5 p6 l, K& ^' E
" B5 R6 Z+ _) J6 e! J* s3 J The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
+ I7 @( r  q9 ~8 P But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
3 ^* F$ o2 [& e) _1 v
; m+ X! ^# \; K The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
+ B$ F3 [* s) g) w% _ Spiral outwards
$ n( u  A. h* S: q  | Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
" a% H  F+ J4 e$ `, T Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
. J  z4 r8 X5 S
' H6 m! E7 ^+ O# {2 q0 C0 {3 W The pebble creates its worth and meaning
6 T% a) _& K9 ^$ N3 V% w By unleashing its unimagined power?
, y0 t% g% H8 E% k4 R. d Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# o& S3 ^: V( t0 z$ D. n Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
  D+ K9 U& @; h8 _
5 [3 Q/ E! I6 ^1 ^8 D% M/ j Aren't we all pebbles?
7 y! J, B3 k" _* C: ?. l Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
/ V& Y+ s$ L. `! Y, Y$ T That who we are meant to be
' h" r0 ~* i4 [% P; e* t; Z Can never be measured in isolation
; B/ _# A& A* W% y4 N on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
& c  s3 J2 j" p Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ e7 U0 ^1 ?6 ~9 _ Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
, x8 l) b& T1 C$ Q; w that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
. C* A+ Y; w* Z9 F5 o/ @2 ^ not because of well meaning plans
2 O, ]+ O8 j  ]' i But because of actions.
" Q$ `  y# [0 {
7 K0 i. j8 t- y# K$ k- { Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
! z0 }6 y# t7 \; h7 ? Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
3 K0 D9 ^& k* s' ^. q* Y, I
% B) {8 S3 Q  W6 v, C And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
5 Y( k, k. D7 O( p. R/ n/ a8 f* d- L With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
+ X0 ]! I# B) U7 Y The world will never be the same.
4 k' y: ^' d! ~( o! ]4 ?
( B4 p6 }% `2 R" j2 X9 U And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03