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.

" \  O- n, Z- a. B, q  k 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.

Heaven
7 @7 w/ V" t* E( r/ V0 c The pebble is worn smooth
1 l; m% U" m" H Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
, T2 a+ G4 \# N7 U A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
8 _2 T6 n( r  Q; n
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
; y6 o" g) f; F4 e9 O But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
8 f% A& e1 z" O7 } Its insignificance is transformed
9 i0 C. u5 T( _& B! W. T' ^$ {, X7 c7 s Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
8 D1 y+ K. w; ?8 t" r
! R& \$ w- Q- r: u The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
, `: E9 g+ m; n+ T4 F! Q Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
4 v+ g; W! i4 i$ r5 s
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
6 g" p) z& o* Q/ D8 u8 o. p Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
4 Y4 |) @; P( a. @! I That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 a. {$ P9 C9 M- i* Y5 B4 l Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
# U2 ~; G  W$ u) H3 [, i8 ` that leave unique mark on our world
" }  r# _- L" u/ u6 [( c Not because of thoughts
  [5 i! S/ d8 c+ S$ P; A not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
9 h$ l- n& U" }& G No matter how seemingly insignificant
2 [; G) R. P0 F9 l3 z' v Changes the course of the lives
! G/ z/ C1 o+ u8 Z  X Of those we touch.?
1 ?+ A0 {) M' j" d$ K
And when the icy winds of death
/ B# }& }! m& e! ]8 [ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
, a8 @9 R0 R  |+ Q With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
4 K! f- D6 @) G
, G+ S5 B. z+ O- s; K; c And then we have heaven …

! n' n5 V$ Q- W) V: s% l Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03