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.

6 r; x/ m# ]( j/ B# ]1 o 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.
9 V, U* j' b: Q* Z8 Z. v
" m& E6 y8 E, P) C: ?* I+ L Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 C# @2 j0 k! q% u& X An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
, F. |  F5 t  Z  |' |
The pebble's place in our world
, u' {( ^9 b! O/ ` Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

; D# f( E" P7 X/ i The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
/ {" G. R/ v' w8 P% \* Y$ j3 K0 @9 ] Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
6 r) Q7 \# O( @( H9 |7 V Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
  f' Z0 c& M; J" `2 n
3 H, F1 D  d" k The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 c5 h: |& B8 ~ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 Z# v5 o: w7 h Creating karmic energy
9 B4 ?& q% Z/ c% |* { Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

5 z# y' v, o' O: I Aren't we all pebbles?
' u; `. `. w, `2 m Feeling small and insignificant
. W5 s. u& \# O! N* G  D But ultimately recognizing
) E% H! F8 d2 C3 c0 M2 z That who we are meant to be
' L# [8 M( Y/ z Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
" F8 f" ~7 U! U' y* Q1 \( f
/ d7 _# X/ j- \& l2 {" r# g. | It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
* ~+ y9 c: Q. v/ T0 e Creating ripples
8 ^# |1 Z! b7 P5 {/ I that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
" Z! V7 {: F9 s7 x( u
5 }6 J) ], T5 ?* j+ t' o- ]- e9 X Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  E5 g2 U/ o. z# ^" s No matter how seemingly insignificant
2 H3 A* K; n2 N- f Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
/ J- d& v  k5 h* {! M We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
  D) R: Q# p8 K4 R* B6 b because of that one pebble
6 \, g% H2 E" U6 }2 ], y The world will never be the same.
! ^! |( X/ W8 H  f) G
" a8 ^; t$ w# @: T3 F And then we have heaven …
- K: v: w! c! @/ H
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03