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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/ K1 S1 z, v$ g$ D 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
5 @6 q5 \4 Q- I6 W) K# l4 [$ H" c The pebble is worn smooth
2 x5 a0 t  x4 {0 _0 l# X. ]; } 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.
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The pebble's place in our world
' b  r8 f1 \- `2 e* M. P' K8 ] Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
0 h4 Y4 z/ A5 H2 C Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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4 l4 h) x3 p- l1 b. S The instant the pebble kisses the pond
* {( J3 J  {+ c5 d Its signature of concentric ripples
: O; A7 N" e& e" ~ Spiral outwards
4 B; t9 x$ E# x0 q Moving far beyond itself.
! ]$ R, W3 M5 k3 w/ e9 @ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
! ^4 j3 u$ t/ M4 A+ P$ l3 b By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# J: r% ?5 x6 \: c& d Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

. n/ v' ]2 z+ Z) {+ I+ y5 a- K Aren't we all pebbles?
$ G" s2 u8 x" s) S2 i1 K7 K Feeling small and insignificant
/ C' r5 d8 @! l- W/ _ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
, u& v! a; R* h. u+ o Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
4 B. d0 ^6 s/ N% ^, Q# w Our everlasting future
* X8 `- F. j2 |7 ~% ] Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 B$ K" w' m6 Z! ^2 X, @; w. ? Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
  f- A# G( C$ ?; Z$ d/ U1 z  ^7 j& |7 E Not because of thoughts
+ N" c9 q5 G! ? not because of well meaning plans
% J9 g- r$ e1 f% } But because of actions.
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' P; d- T6 @9 ^: R  S0 g Our life's prayers our answered
" [% T, \, C1 `6 ? Because even the smallest pebble
8 O* `+ @# b, q7 q. q! b4 d No matter how seemingly insignificant
' h1 d( h! y: I) [& T Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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& p( d+ f4 Q" S' d6 c  S# U* h And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
' ^: U. L) a. B% M6 x With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
( l+ V0 ~! k9 _9 H% l- @9 k The world will never be the same.
  E2 V# |+ K8 w. V3 j4 T9 K% ~
  v7 [6 T. ~: M- A" H; f And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
( d9 U9 E7 }* W' s 8/18/03