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.

3 v  W8 u- A/ a  x& H. k/ S 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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! t5 A) B5 K& \( o" _ Heaven
3 ]0 `' l# _' V3 L8 Y1 Y! { 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.
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The pebble's place in our world
& \+ c* Z1 r/ j  K Is neither understood nor appreciated
" r& r% p2 V$ A# u But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
1 ?" |( [" v& b& e. O" h" M/ ^ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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& Q6 r( w6 }5 ?* U) A+ D, d: m" W The instant the pebble kisses the pond
+ x0 v6 _% Z. V8 i Its signature of concentric ripples
# R! R  c% h( J Spiral outwards
) P* N8 c8 W5 v+ z8 N Moving far beyond itself.
- P7 J+ P3 ~: F Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
/ t7 j7 E, C, X6 F Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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0 L* `: ?+ ^; q# @6 X Aren't we all pebbles?
* B9 }; b- q5 M Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
" L, A: f) p# p; U* p4 s Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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9 s& @  n/ Y, F% a6 }9 b It is true then:
$ V/ y/ T2 w% T6 m) |! a  } Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
# ^5 B# H$ H# A* o Creating ripples
6 ^5 s4 v0 B. \7 i& v6 a$ _ that leave unique mark on our world
& L4 ]; ?6 K, V, g7 x$ j Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
" j/ U5 p. [. c: a But because of actions.

+ J6 \# O$ u  E  K& g1 {8 v. {# J Our life's prayers our answered
" x$ E+ S6 x; x1 H( V Because even the smallest pebble
) M! E) P3 {! e/ B2 g8 b% @/ \ No matter how seemingly insignificant
1 P* r! T3 B: t' b7 u Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

8 D- S8 a0 C; T And when the icy winds of death
- h+ N7 z2 D0 o. O' [  f beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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: d9 O1 P  a& [ Ross Rosenberg
* D9 p  @+ `7 e% g( T5 X" j6 F9 ^ 8/18/03