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.

9 `( \6 q: p5 L) \ 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
. r, e! T# h, ^* g5 ` The pebble is worn smooth
& T! u; k7 i" I) V4 V4 l  c Made small over time
# g# s  r7 R6 H) [ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
. \, P* w+ e' p3 I A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 w% Y( O: b& J7 k An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
5 E) e9 Q! |* o7 D6 V/ U
The pebble's place in our world
- f* `) N# E' c; T+ I! H* h Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
6 f" _6 \" A$ `* V4 P Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
% [8 d3 N) y/ S, ~  [* A! ?3 P+ I Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
: G) R0 _0 D/ P
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
4 \  F9 q; O5 C) I% {% H By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
. u& x$ u" s: T1 }- Z5 \ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
7 J$ q2 V* x# O7 k; S Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
2 [' \0 V/ F. ]' y% k That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
! J- s- h( u5 m% t) x on a path into ourselves.
, x. u) o4 O" j5 M5 a: O1 A
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
) t' z3 q; U% z0 @ Not because of thoughts
% ]/ y: i1 {  z3 v* t' {9 W not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

8 E8 C. x( C* Z/ y4 V% Z, e7 c" _ Our life's prayers our answered
4 t! {+ K1 H# ~( \# q) A4 Z. c Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
1 N( q9 y. u6 a0 x1 I Of those we touch.?
' u5 J' {* H+ Z% k  l
, Y, E1 `  ?: i, J: l- q And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
2 \, s" L# X6 \% l With the knowledge that
# R  Y6 R$ Z+ {! {4 D9 r: t6 R, q+ A because of that one pebble
4 h& [0 k. f5 F# O$ h% y The world will never be the same.
/ f% f! K( V2 }
And then we have heaven …
+ N. ~* ~' W' @0 y) b- F( a- @" I7 o
Ross Rosenberg
( J4 w: m4 {4 K. e" P! ^! Z 8/18/03