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.

+ X4 _" O1 a! ~# g; N; @ 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.

  z. A8 C4 O3 I, ]. g Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
  w0 t& \/ }3 z& n; a' A Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
+ [8 x) I3 e$ {# Z1 N A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
- q5 a9 n% Z% _$ o5 g4 b7 I) q* c! L But just a very small stone.
, C( [' @6 @" Y. C
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
, [+ d$ y6 j* j" R! H# |" K! E Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

6 v0 M) d7 Q0 L2 x The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! F/ x2 @% n9 c! y Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
# P2 w/ I5 r( l2 A Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
7 Y8 u: k/ c, z( H! c, u8 H/ H Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
- G  d; r3 w' L" O
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
/ S" P' Y. @. `: n3 _ By unleashing its unimagined power?
  d) K& a6 {, F( A3 v% Z Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
/ T2 ~) S2 k" b* C
Aren't we all pebbles?
0 [) c* [0 ~; q2 o6 F 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.
5 ~4 L) C% n( _2 g
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
: x% S* H3 p% r& w8 C6 n+ A that leave unique mark on our world
) y* u" x7 q: M Not because of thoughts
. [7 X/ e% f6 Q4 W/ Y! \* t7 ` not because of well meaning plans
7 Y% ?* \9 O1 s0 e But because of actions.
6 N  L- E* r  V8 e, |! s( I7 l1 ~$ u
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ y* p$ X# ~2 V  l2 @/ i Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

. ^4 n5 q" t+ n0 h: Q& P2 o And when the icy winds of death
& o+ U7 q- D* E4 E; D7 u6 \5 j beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
; @. P; m6 ]# Z+ i$ ~) r7 Y With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
  Z" c+ T* y2 X+ m The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

/ }2 {8 m4 H8 D; H) a0 [ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03