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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% e7 b# I1 `5 l2 S& P% u7 ] 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
The pebble is worn smooth
  D1 m0 D8 V# R5 b' H& x Made small over time
" J7 k& r( ^: @- [+ p. X A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
+ m$ P# ?$ U; g An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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# l0 u. f, q2 ], w+ p The pebble's place in our world
* j+ J) F/ O3 W0 I! U Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 D6 m+ l/ y/ R& _7 U5 c- r! ? Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
" B" s: ]9 p# Y" L+ J" ~
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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4 G* s. \/ @7 A: R The pebble creates its worth and meaning
& n! a) p+ ]4 G By unleashing its unimagined power?
0 G7 Q( E3 C, ^, F2 v# k/ E Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
8 p2 i3 J/ `4 P2 u1 V" z# z/ A0 V2 b Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
- J1 _& T/ F/ N/ L& z/ B- C But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
5 G, L' F1 G* J6 k7 P/ j Can never be measured in isolation
8 H0 `* V" U( D+ s1 K* ] on a path into ourselves.
1 j& P$ x8 n5 e6 K, V: I
It is true then:
8 j1 }8 _( \- L4 C Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
; P8 |8 H/ y( G3 v; T Into the pond of life
  l+ S9 ~) c: {+ Y% @  f6 h Creating ripples
' W" o- @4 O: q2 r( k that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
! P" h+ @8 A  E& S! D not because of well meaning plans
, n( O" D' h% G. B3 L But because of actions.

# O! F: \6 ]% p. v$ D% C Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
% h( i/ {* s" N No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
1 C" Q8 M" ?; n+ c/ G! R Of those we touch.?
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: l6 U! L$ e" ]1 D7 p And when the icy winds of death
! p5 d2 g2 ]5 ^, q  z, j- r beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
* t) f! I( f. _* a With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
4 ~) _( B/ Z; z% q. X$ s8 o% t The world will never be the same.

  x' ~$ |2 U$ r$ W- e* ~+ [ And then we have heaven …

9 \6 s% T# J" ^* T+ N Ross Rosenberg
* P" ?4 l! @: A1 ?, } 8/18/03