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.

7 r$ }1 V$ i" @8 D 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
  B6 V* @+ K& \  o" z The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

( |4 e3 y, p3 F. U( q: ~, `9 Z7 ]4 ^ The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
3 Q1 ?* M) {, X) s- [8 o; O
- Z( [2 N  V* i* g7 ` The instant the pebble kisses the pond
5 t) `2 e: {+ c Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
8 a+ Q4 {, [* o5 r$ a( d Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

5 v. m. q+ Q9 C4 `5 e7 C$ i+ J* q The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
; C- S8 l! R6 F Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
% z2 l# j8 Y, b7 L& p* r( y Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
! u8 ~, B8 p9 E7 a' C
3 L0 s1 ^) }! G; f1 ]$ V- |* W" Z$ T Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
$ P# I. L( N8 t' V: z8 r But ultimately recognizing
: x+ `: P( a9 L% a" g) f( i That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

/ N2 l6 X: N5 |" z& y4 p" k' n$ l It is true then:
% ?3 C' `" w5 u; F( e Our everlasting future
+ N/ q+ w7 {; k1 R$ k Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
. w& u8 g6 h/ Z5 s1 F& d! E7 f that leave unique mark on our world
+ w! w+ \, C0 p Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
/ m5 K/ Z" h+ T
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
% q" i7 j& R; ~- U' y8 R No matter how seemingly insignificant
% G/ ?$ |! H7 O' K, U) ^ Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
* m& u# `; {" e2 T
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
! w5 p  R! t$ q+ K With the knowledge that
7 ^" v: ?2 O& c5 w- u6 B because of that one pebble
& [, R0 }2 _6 x; r3 j! l The world will never be the same.
0 A* |! `, \, h' ?5 P
4 a% q, T5 O; h- o& o0 y9 U And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
- a+ u) {& e$ d" } 8/18/03