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.
4 @4 d0 K# X' E* Q- Y  T1 h0 b: L9 M
% g- W9 w  o( h, V6 Y+ x 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
0 ~4 s8 E# P4 X The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
4 M# i* \0 O% n. P0 y9 ^) x- j  V: e A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
, \+ V7 E! x9 a" [1 D A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
& E) ?! X4 x+ ?( V But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
& q* P( o- v' G9 |# y Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
$ S& ^3 R: z) R: I
* v  _) g8 E6 c The instant the pebble kisses the pond
: v7 A: p( Y; t1 b- h: C. R Its signature of concentric ripples
% R" m, |6 z* K Spiral outwards
1 e* n' q5 S$ X7 \4 e. z Moving far beyond itself.
  N5 z4 J1 T# e! b Gently affecting everything in its wake
2 d5 u8 z6 Z  z; C9 } Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

! ~/ E& i. J- m6 j$ n The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
; q6 f$ i9 |2 V/ t* D$ u Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
$ Y; r% w6 Z/ n' M  q; L4 ~
& P4 U/ O0 q+ G0 G+ u4 ^ Aren't we all pebbles?
1 Y1 V, Q( z0 k: E# `* b Feeling small and insignificant
. I$ q* |% Q$ E; g8 }' K3 Q But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
+ c$ h- {  ?" @5 R3 H7 J' { on a path into ourselves.

/ P6 E# m  ]& B6 x& k9 j) ^1 r It is true then:
% ^: H  K& h+ L. R" V" Y Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
3 c3 X, ~9 Y$ D2 o( } that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
  Z) i0 I3 B4 a" s& z. O6 Y+ a not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

) T2 L0 O6 M$ A' L Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
; l. ]* N8 i  S4 h* M Changes the course of the lives
/ T5 U8 ~5 e0 c Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
0 g" c% M3 |3 m4 g  o We will gently leave this life
" z7 \! Z: t. ^- N/ x# `2 C 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 …

Ross Rosenberg
5 E: b* L- a. r8 c2 P5 R 8/18/03