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.

# @+ \; B4 k8 t* W# @& O( |. Q6 n4 M 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.
. R( j4 i5 Z" I
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
+ C! {! ?6 m" u A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
2 {  U& M$ F  p( ~8 i Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
4 g! _% b, a0 B, t$ U- m: ] Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
( I  }: X" `# G Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
+ w1 _: E' y, v7 z, B6 S0 s" D/ ^8 r
- {' d- e9 E  H1 B1 B, E; X. S# ] The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 c, i' z4 y% j2 W" _9 }% ]8 ` By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 M' e1 s6 z; t& E3 y( v/ ~ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

7 Q+ n% n  r& J6 k* A% d8 l Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
+ Q5 K" u: R$ t$ w6 r- T$ | But ultimately recognizing
/ a8 m# _7 k0 O$ r; [% T That who we are meant to be
9 x+ B1 j5 s$ g. W4 ^ Can never be measured in isolation
1 B& C2 M! s( x" u5 |4 E1 a7 @& ` on a path into ourselves.
1 F8 ?( }9 \" S8 p, c6 ]; y
It is true then:
2 L; S. }4 ?4 D, ~" _' \ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
8 ~5 n  H7 m0 X, k  G, W  i2 i Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
; N  ^3 v) a9 x3 x! b" N( N Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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5 [# m! {& y2 X" w* O5 J0 ~ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
0 d  F) f% p: o) |7 o* C Of those we touch.?
3 q' a9 X0 _( w# h& D5 I
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
8 M+ y  F/ M% B0 K We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
* a* V$ u, Q# n7 w because of that one pebble
4 ^: N& ?- ~8 `5 d The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

7 r' q$ R  z5 V Ross Rosenberg
8 \/ l& x2 w9 m. }$ L 8/18/03