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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/ |( ^- z7 [3 r 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
$ E5 Z  j* f! g% y# p( c: W The pebble is worn smooth
+ U8 W$ [- Q3 K Made small over time
" K1 L9 ?9 y2 R A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* F7 R9 y) z2 z# N2 y4 k" O A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
- n% P: |2 S; N8 v  F/ t An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

; l9 C! ~. [2 a The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
- N; g$ J/ E9 P 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
( b" G$ W0 h2 H9 D2 ~/ s0 a1 O; V Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
) h' G# {6 G  j1 ?0 b1 N: `/ L Gently affecting everything in its wake
. J  e1 p# B  k0 T Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
& b5 p1 S: s5 w4 n0 V! Y+ V
5 s4 K  w% ]8 g8 ?/ ^ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
% Z& q( m8 i5 b By unleashing its unimagined power?
' [3 E+ Q: d6 K* Y Into a dueling force of action and reaction
* S' o# C8 r  n Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
2 `! T  N3 Z' U& ?2 ]: z
2 P) i% a: h! N/ v* x4 B6 o' [ Aren't we all pebbles?
% e, z+ q- A5 W! [( S4 _ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
  {" N+ y  Y* E9 [ Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
) _5 @3 k* e7 Q% E2 n6 X. R Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
! Y" A4 D' W8 @( } that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

* O+ K5 z2 v& z Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
4 q7 \( }8 t" _8 p3 k" ]% Y# t- c" o Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
+ Y# x" ~; w) P/ h* A beckon our lasting attention
1 U( L& T- G9 H  r/ r2 G$ }/ j8 T We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
7 m3 H& K' n" {& _1 g1 G8 ~ because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
2 T9 E! h' E/ y7 `8 k 8/18/03