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.

- c& U: b$ I$ N/ W1 x 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.
1 ^7 f) R& t/ M2 j4 B
Heaven
$ [2 v, Q+ i- `- ^  D The pebble is worn smooth
( I, ?; ]! B+ n: R Made small over time
8 G% ~- A3 ~# Y) J# a  ? A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
* l# H1 `2 H& A% [ An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

) c5 j- ~- ^7 |( w' i0 z. ] The pebble's place in our world
5 N& I0 E) k+ S  d" A; T6 { Is neither understood nor appreciated
, C# W5 W. e4 `: b; V. ], ^4 ?2 z But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
8 ^, i, S  g( e7 i+ d, O" k Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
, A! E+ |6 l/ ]' b- q
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
, f+ z& a2 H3 C7 W( Y& | Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
; X' Q* y1 m$ P) J6 t Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
+ z/ l; W" C* c Creating karmic energy
; ~, k3 p4 K- f  O) f8 U$ d% O) G' P Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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/ u- i' V. L5 n) b$ h* R; j Aren't we all pebbles?
; @9 k4 v5 X# m# k, O( V Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
, X, n0 c9 ^' D4 } Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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' \6 L% `$ {& t It is true then:
Our everlasting future
* S- A* s; _1 c Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
4 H( W9 f' L5 Y( M/ \' ` Creating ripples
4 R7 b5 B: ^1 ^; {6 t that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
$ q, o% _7 L8 `3 d/ @& ~- Z not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
( g; }4 p2 c5 {$ U& O Because even the smallest pebble
' u# ~/ j4 Z2 m" C$ ?5 J% g7 P No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
) m# o) [. a2 ^& k8 u# W! s' t: H beckon our lasting attention
9 g+ b# j/ H& r0 ?, o+ A We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
% Q  @8 E7 ~. Y The world will never be the same.

# `) r- N, N3 Q' l6 v And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03