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.

9 X6 C" M0 s3 R$ ]' F( L 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.
* M. ?8 s; O1 y; a3 ?
Heaven
7 \2 S5 o9 u! h/ ^2 W( v4 z( ? The pebble is worn smooth
: j' h) V3 ^. }6 z% Y3 L, Y& M Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
+ {& o1 N5 O; D( i A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
& B7 @) b( O5 {9 P( H; k An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
  J2 h, o3 E& Z7 E& F5 m' r. n
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
' n( P! o! c& p  }7 I But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
, K; F! K/ o# m1 a. p Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
8 @% T5 w+ \/ V: r0 J5 G
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# }- R5 A* }! z 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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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ u/ m& Z% R# X' h By unleashing its unimagined power?
& W, T5 K9 z3 m; o Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 X+ U7 o" ?1 Y4 Y- R; c1 K Creating karmic energy
" i6 ^  Q; N+ n4 x: | Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

( u( X8 B  {: u' f1 Z; x Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
/ q3 p  O7 K# {, t: D But ultimately recognizing
3 M9 T- m0 D) C1 ]5 {& t" p That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
; T3 Z# Q$ r. a% O( Q on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
  R2 S2 z# w  a9 ^* i8 } Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ N& s& s) n9 [0 _; E# M: Y Into the pond of life
5 L1 c5 T! z1 A% v6 ? Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

) o7 K# S8 }* [1 Z% l  G Our life's prayers our answered
1 I; V7 |0 Z* r/ b! V6 K& n Because even the smallest pebble
9 r2 A/ e, g& w. x- O* Z No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
7 i, b" j) o  E1 }' K& f Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
8 r* N$ |" g% c3 F& W! y beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
2 a9 w) M0 E6 H$ f! _' ? The world will never be the same.
; J6 t+ }1 f) M$ Q; z
' b- J( k4 _7 _/ I% o And then we have heaven …

# w/ `1 w3 y; n! u* I: I" y/ ^4 H9 W Ross Rosenberg
! D- k: ~9 ]) T/ v; N% g 8/18/03