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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( c8 ?1 ]. I5 ^4 ?8 A 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
. b2 n4 b$ g. V2 B The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 M2 s- s* e# S# G A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
1 [' t6 U; @7 A0 r0 D8 h An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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9 n% A6 K0 p( c0 U/ ^& l The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
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.
, K9 n" _& b  g Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
: W5 V% @+ j2 f9 W8 h7 i Into a dueling force of action and reaction
6 @' k9 C5 B: p. ^( I# v6 [! j/ T Creating karmic energy
& W4 h' g& O% C: v0 E2 B Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

8 K3 d# `$ X; B! [9 } Aren't we all pebbles?
8 c  o% x% a+ m7 o& g+ d( w$ x Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
0 Q+ ^2 u4 \  a* t Can never be measured in isolation
" A1 e* @* t3 G! b: H. u* S9 ~ on a path into ourselves.

, `7 w8 A3 c' V  n5 L) d- r It is true then:
+ ~. U/ P. }% s, U8 T, B: ?+ g Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
; u9 g& {& M9 U: ]* P" S# u1 z Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
/ p* j) V# {5 D/ {8 U6 f that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
$ j2 q- H" A# `! X8 r. I$ [+ i But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
1 g+ |# ]% o6 o$ b& Y2 A1 b6 q Because even the smallest pebble
' S0 G. I/ c3 D No matter how seemingly insignificant
) A+ s% q# n- \+ s. w! t Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
0 Y  Y$ G9 X: R" ?. F8 v beckon our lasting attention
! C3 f/ d, v. Q5 I( \ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
8 I, M3 }% H4 P: h' @8 M9 t. h# } because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

8 K% f( C# L; p" N4 Q) C And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
/ }$ O3 p# V. c+ } 8/18/03