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.

: @5 V' i' v, e9 G6 s0 F 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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Heaven
8 k* t$ R4 [+ ~4 s7 {5 x The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
* ?: P' Z% ]& q! X( k$ G/ C4 }6 ? A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
+ e0 ~8 |2 P4 \% Z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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9 T: d" V6 g# s The pebble's place in our world
+ r9 U/ ~' L7 m# M6 v+ k/ U3 n2 j. }7 h Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
) w2 y4 ], h, f$ s0 W( X5 u Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
8 Q4 h! {/ g4 C Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
$ M/ ~+ l$ e/ |( ~. O! w0 F Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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" A( Z$ O+ M1 ^5 X Aren't we all pebbles?
" F3 O- R5 V8 G+ I$ t8 k! f Feeling small and insignificant
+ B; j( q6 A' z6 D But ultimately recognizing
; p% P2 m$ i/ `! K4 d) f That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
3 I0 p7 k; P) W. ?3 ?0 M on a path into ourselves.
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5 p( i+ d! o. }+ B7 A0 I3 x It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
* P/ P% `% u% m+ A- ^ Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
+ z- {+ M# Q4 d: } Not because of thoughts
5 k9 \3 F0 z' Y& [ not because of well meaning plans
! R. N8 S5 p) w% x; M But because of actions.

9 i, J5 T1 M- B7 m8 X7 K7 R) r+ B/ _, ? Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 j' m7 L& f. V Changes the course of the lives
6 ?: N3 X. b: K& W# u Of those we touch.?
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+ ^4 M" ^( [' e. Q& e4 v) p6 @! Z And when the icy winds of death
5 M* y2 n" t4 |- a* H$ B+ Y beckon our lasting attention
* z) J( H) i6 j2 m# v We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
: S8 j7 [0 Y) E5 x The world will never be the same.
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+ Q4 V) O2 a& W; k And then we have heaven …
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0 [/ a7 F* b( v- s- ~ Ross Rosenberg
: ^; o7 ?4 \1 ]. {2 I 8/18/03