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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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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. ]8 ]. G2 k" y* j Heaven
+ q! Q$ ?( y! @2 r* w$ I The pebble is worn smooth
1 S5 E' s% i8 w9 [; }/ ]* H Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
. S. y% Q* t# m& X! d An accidental offspring of a boulder
6 c( B+ b5 r- M* d, B But just a very small stone.

, M- d. l2 m2 _  _: \ 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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2 f/ W3 |* N8 N. I, F The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
' X3 H" }! c4 s" s Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
  b2 u. c. ^8 ]; } By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
: S0 D* g5 Y% Z8 e Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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% f% g- X$ b) K; b4 \ Aren't we all pebbles?
8 c1 u) \4 F( D3 v- B Feeling small and insignificant
2 N: Z6 `! m/ C$ U8 ] But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
$ ?. `9 o) r! H& Y1 \ Our everlasting future
$ k/ j  D! K* ]+ j, } Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
$ H3 {3 O7 I* f$ ?0 J Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
* |* j5 ~" U& y  C' F; p; L% C But because of actions.

( y5 Q# k' x: u* `7 { Our life's prayers our answered
) V1 n8 U4 f# a5 r! l3 x+ s Because even the smallest pebble
" u, C% B" L; s1 D+ N No matter how seemingly insignificant
. b. o5 ], Z. h( S% J+ x Changes the course of the lives
3 ?- v5 Q5 }) s6 f# j! [ Of those we touch.?
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" b6 C* W& S% B* B& j  ] And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
" ]5 ]8 R/ a* @4 U. Q1 L We will gently leave this life
0 R) m: V" A, e+ ~. ^4 i, \ With the knowledge that
8 [* G& W# ^& i, F' J because of that one pebble
. V2 R. l- O- i: l& P! n( a The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
0 B) _; @0 P, U2 I 8/18/03