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.

" u" [9 D$ Q: b# L& G Heaven
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 J/ ~% G2 F8 t' O1 i An accidental offspring of a boulder
* m: `1 E, O' M% b3 |+ b But just a very small stone.

  ^: t& b/ D2 D The pebble's place in our world
: G. V) D/ e+ c, D( I) W2 Y Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
$ L! B* z/ M4 ~
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
9 u/ |- H1 X& G3 v- a& ?9 Y2 q Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
" H9 v# K. q$ F6 e: o7 E Gently affecting everything in its wake
* a# \6 p; {+ N9 u Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

- g+ O2 I4 |. e$ q% E: v The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
* }* f, D' m4 b Into a dueling force of action and reaction
& M2 @  b  Q7 U/ @, J0 W' a9 ] Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
7 J. u- q& x; I( d
Aren't we all pebbles?
/ _2 N( Y, ?- l! s Feeling small and insignificant
( O3 y4 Q2 Q( g$ j$ ^; s. e But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

& L% w0 }8 _; w It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
& g2 W4 x; q* Z: u, j; b7 s" k that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
: H$ X; j9 I, b, m- R" L" o But because of actions.

: b4 j* m1 u3 \% y' U" I. c7 q Our life's prayers our answered
- p9 F- Q* D" b  q+ g. p Because even the smallest pebble
% h6 E, X& T4 Y( F) w7 h, f$ F No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

. y! C5 j& i. o$ X And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
) o, }2 u4 `# _/ n With the knowledge that
) G# \# _& C! m. U0 K  N3 P because of that one pebble
8 {% H+ D9 G% t: r- A: Z& E1 @ The world will never be the same.
* g+ U: b9 x; B( D
& M8 _& b1 L. I# M And then we have heaven …

( k7 R& }: P5 Q) V, k, g Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03