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.

- \3 L0 ?! K- }/ B 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.

; Z1 W- ?% Z4 T9 q Heaven
/ Z8 `8 a( H- X. p8 _ The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
& ]$ V' `* [) B$ H An accidental offspring of a boulder
$ O5 b1 S$ |0 q1 t But just a very small stone.
1 g" `# ~& [$ l
The pebble's place in our world
5 g3 {: U2 }6 Z$ W7 [' }6 a Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
8 [7 s1 J+ X1 K# O! F! s
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ f* u1 {) P, u& g; g8 s0 Y Its signature of concentric ripples
/ L3 W/ p  r5 k. H* l5 D1 E  i Spiral outwards
/ n2 a- J" O2 e# k Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

* O% r+ r$ M1 h6 v The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: r2 n- S9 T% Y2 F7 I+ q7 b) `% x+ r) @ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
+ z# a* t1 ]- R8 h4 _; B/ @0 p Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

: }( }! z) i' v! b0 h, W2 K$ } 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.
7 Q1 i- W' l7 M4 ^$ o5 z. d
. o  x, w8 g. f5 E+ E It is true then:
Our everlasting future
" }& a) k! r' `- x Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
, u4 u' W7 q9 ^, l1 @ Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
0 ]9 p6 A; f" W* t- s) A' _ But because of actions.
# V( |" c7 q9 o+ _& `9 `
Our life's prayers our answered
$ C$ d  w+ C4 I: Y5 @" H0 ?7 h- F2 c Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 W0 D6 o" s' n) [7 ^1 i/ f0 S! z0 R Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
7 Y. r3 `/ q( e7 E0 Z% k, n) L" \ With the knowledge that
7 f( Y% w$ Q, ~% ~; ~4 S; a  [ because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

: F4 I% v( Y1 m& V/ | And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03