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.
1 i" {5 v% X, h8 R
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.
5 \7 N! o6 r- D, G% J6 I/ g: H
; G  m! {" a, F Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
# l! Y' U7 @4 O7 u 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
8 z; O! r6 k8 t- T# ^& N5 G But just a very small stone.
; ?* ^" n$ i* p. j9 K! B. m
The pebble's place in our world
+ n0 W5 a- n/ t2 s1 h- L4 W Is neither understood nor appreciated
" @7 b) x# n8 w' \& s$ G6 h& e/ q But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
) e+ J3 q1 ?- \% h: D
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
* G* e+ c: x9 X# _7 N! p3 B Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
: Z( g5 Q4 f/ E% H Gently affecting everything in its wake
. \2 J: ~% L' P  | Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

4 y1 M  m4 `0 ^9 R; f9 P The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
- j6 {' w/ g1 M$ V& ~ Feeling small and insignificant
- X, G7 f+ r4 l7 z3 W. z But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
4 G+ m5 \+ s6 }4 a' C/ P on a path into ourselves.
4 l2 f! l; p+ A' U* Q2 W4 b
It is true then:
5 d4 A8 ~/ @8 ~/ p Our everlasting future
( j  b8 d3 \" G7 U Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
7 I3 g1 D# {$ q3 [0 ~ Creating ripples
# u0 P; Z; s" A2 Z) L- z0 c that leave unique mark on our world
" M' w/ m2 G8 {( a* m4 [ Not because of thoughts
* ^" y9 c7 ^* B4 V not because of well meaning plans
; ^* `; L/ T! _( S7 s$ Z But because of actions.

4 O) u1 N# M' d" F Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
* C! r2 W+ V1 e4 P+ T Changes the course of the lives
( y2 `- }& b- _. A Of those we touch.?
3 }' t* y/ q/ {% }2 f% D& H4 ^
And when the icy winds of death
* R' c4 E  r' ~+ W% Q beckon our lasting attention
6 O) H$ Y( o$ \6 t, w0 F' u We will gently leave this life
7 T, C2 S6 r* ^) S' {5 K# { With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
) v" g7 m. i/ h5 q The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
* Q, q/ Y' G/ v6 e/ [1 ?, B
4 X* T0 M- J! G7 g% X8 Y" x Ross Rosenberg
( P* t. L. Z- T6 b# b, C 8/18/03