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.

( l' H: w. v! V) j6 I 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.
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6 F" _. b8 L$ F( ~$ E Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
0 k# \* _8 F: T+ A6 ] Made small over time
' H7 U  q& m, q A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
+ P* ]& Z9 y0 P& W, D! V9 F But just a very small stone.
" z3 u  H& q& c3 I3 A5 Q" ^
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
: c. G6 ?# [$ @0 B8 z: l  c$ y2 }# o But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
& A. C3 A9 _) ~7 v Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! [, x+ i% J' D: S Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
) A. e, x7 V1 ~$ y! m# y Gently affecting everything in its wake
. s0 s& N9 h" U 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
, ~1 v# X& U6 T1 o# ?& a! s Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
( L: {2 b0 v' U+ F- R3 d' Z Feeling small and insignificant
% w8 l6 x7 I& s9 t: S  a But ultimately recognizing
+ l8 a0 [1 p! J0 R" p That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
8 G, X4 _* i. g6 N( Q3 s Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
, s! M; q# r( ^& u Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
3 h  }7 O% B% A- Q6 V0 w Not because of thoughts
# G- c3 D6 I( V9 J3 K" a) Q$ W not because of well meaning plans
2 ]) B6 l/ x8 g! l6 a2 e But because of actions.
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# m+ u! u) f9 d1 q5 z5 _ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
5 @, C3 e6 _  M- B. ]: `5 i; n5 ~+ v No matter how seemingly insignificant
1 `( G8 B8 h9 ?' e/ b- j Changes the course of the lives
% K0 L* M" a$ } Of those we touch.?

$ a4 I3 X  K) A6 e" f7 ~5 u And when the icy winds of death
4 }- x+ W9 {$ b5 t beckon our lasting attention
4 x1 L: ]  U0 Z! Q& O We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

2 @  t, _1 ]6 u) I And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
5 t/ A. p' g( H; ?& _ 8/18/03