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.
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9 c7 ^0 }) k; a4 | 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
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
- W; E. T  J  v# J, n But just a very small stone.

/ ]6 n" I# M( Y3 E The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
1 {4 `$ ~! `4 z8 \# V5 N But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
. x9 d( e! l5 Q4 ^4 J% ~ Its insignificance is transformed
* [3 ^0 m' u% V) B" T Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

' e2 W0 B! z/ _, @- E) q The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: X: ~8 t( ^1 ~ By unleashing its unimagined power?
2 }$ N2 L1 V" ~+ [% W Into a dueling force of action and reaction
5 C, L/ N9 Y# ?( x1 q# x& ~3 ^ Creating karmic energy
: Q+ C# L0 p, } Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

5 E, }3 B# P$ m9 }* r' V1 d$ F Aren't we all pebbles?
( `# Y8 }5 _- p6 p7 i( e6 N Feeling small and insignificant
7 c7 e+ ~5 k; h6 \! m But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
( O2 p$ m; e" W" E7 _ on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
; Q# a! y0 |0 D! u" |. s. G Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
2 S7 u: w( l3 O7 o' Z Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
" {4 i/ u# F% N& t, V3 j" L Not because of thoughts
! r  E! H* g4 _ not because of well meaning plans
  h4 l* ^3 h9 Z9 l* }9 Z. V3 Z+ M But because of actions.
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- a" V! g6 p: r0 \  }; b Our life's prayers our answered
. M8 E; v9 e* e9 F8 a- G Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 r# G8 I! I6 d  E! R* X Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
8 Q, ?) y; E+ c With the knowledge that
$ J# Q8 G* U; N" w+ W7 _; B; \ because of that one pebble
3 j% h6 |  f- U" g8 A" {5 { The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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  I" ^7 d* B7 m4 d Ross Rosenberg
$ B" M9 J8 F$ n; S, K! b2 e 8/18/03