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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! z* J# s& V+ 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
+ F- B3 ~! h: d6 Z8 E1 e6 S: c+ w The pebble is worn smooth
6 U6 j! W6 i: r, y; s8 z Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
! z1 F4 Y- H9 \8 a An accidental offspring of a boulder
5 \( k) R5 |" l% N) u4 Q But just a very small stone.
+ r3 x) b% G- U( ^9 S+ L
The pebble's place in our world
, i; W8 v) x4 X# o. L7 X, ]7 N8 H Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
- ~3 _' I. Q& Y! ]# C0 s  Y Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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3 j3 G$ D. j) B$ o2 z2 f The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ _% N8 E5 G( Y: w3 @ By unleashing its unimagined power?
8 M) `5 f" Q+ D; a5 D" ]$ u% O& g( M Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
, X; y( F: r5 O1 {5 |% i Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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3 d5 L+ ?: l; f, \  n Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
. l! q2 q( }# B7 K$ n1 t' y But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
, [% L0 N# V* o, Y! M on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
3 R$ h( f4 q5 Q4 ^! k Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
  t3 S$ O6 H9 T. Y& M, J! \3 I) O# U Creating ripples
. F* E/ u: _# ~ that leave unique mark on our world
9 U3 `% |/ V. f Not because of thoughts
; x5 }6 R7 ~% g- ?# d not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

" r  Y" m; x! h2 a* q: z Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
  _2 ~) c6 S# D) Q- C0 M Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
/ J0 v5 P, e7 Y" P 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
# ]. y! X& u9 g5 _ 8/18/03