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.

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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Heaven
2 Z3 P$ g! J& R  h1 \9 n& @7 L- G 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.

The pebble's place in our world
8 o; D$ k, {; f  i( b Is neither understood nor appreciated
: t$ S8 Y# L' z8 \1 ~ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
% e9 ^- o4 m+ U/ f Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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2 p2 I8 |: j5 Q- L: z. f6 v The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
0 Q* ~4 @$ u1 h1 l+ r# c Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
  L2 c* v0 i8 L. a0 B+ R Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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0 ~. ~; I3 C7 ?  N6 k The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
% E! l  N. ?- H2 c$ X9 R6 w Into a dueling force of action and reaction
' ?8 a7 K  N8 m Creating karmic energy
. f7 L5 r# h  L: R: l1 E$ J Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
+ X2 o$ |1 v) C5 E3 V7 t! ? That who we are meant to be
8 |4 e6 M) @0 c) F* `; G: n Can never be measured in isolation
5 d1 Q  o! u( ~4 k/ {7 Z5 e on a path into ourselves.

. w4 d  K- I/ H! A It is true then:
6 O2 [7 p# v3 `5 {8 X Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ M! a" h6 x' p Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
. w; _: o; O  c3 Q# F Not because of thoughts
! b8 N2 B% @5 V* G5 u not because of well meaning plans
: A6 a3 h$ b4 f But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
: S* k. w1 H% @ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
+ e, D3 {$ K0 u/ g Of those we touch.?
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5 F( O, I$ g! t8 c/ o3 C( w( n And when the icy winds of death
& ^: @" C% ?  q0 B beckon our lasting attention
0 _. V% _# [6 y! o, I0 i) g We will gently leave this life
1 [/ ?0 V9 j$ |* z9 E) H With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
" _. Y  Z8 P7 h2 z0 G The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
  [5 Y9 ?6 f, W  x+ C) ~ 8/18/03