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.

& p1 Y& R3 v* d 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.
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/ t1 W6 w- U/ l& M, I: m Heaven
( h! \( }" H& ~ The pebble is worn smooth
4 u- Y( {7 a  S Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 b. U; F* j4 ?& }& O But just a very small stone.
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* _7 S2 C! f: [; S8 z The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
6 \9 ]$ T" L3 R5 M Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
$ I8 v; f  x9 ?( {2 G Its signature of concentric ripples
, z1 G2 R% m7 W* t Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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. `: u* S/ t& }+ v  ]& P( _; D The pebble creates its worth and meaning
8 O3 P( ?# K& L  o By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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" b% {7 t6 ]2 ~9 B# m1 f Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
6 H5 [9 f6 Y4 n) f  C But ultimately recognizing
8 G  T3 |5 a: s9 x That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
" i2 q  Y! w0 W on a path into ourselves.
: q  V. [4 m  @; \1 }  W, B2 N
( }& c" v( v' y It is true then:
$ M& O/ n' m8 P* R Our everlasting future
2 w  S) r; {; N$ \* y Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
- z% t7 U9 r! Z) @% E$ Z not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
/ }2 g/ A3 p  S: B9 A: N4 \4 B Because even the smallest pebble
; }. R! t# y8 ~$ T  x No matter how seemingly insignificant
9 G% y2 P- g+ e; E# D8 J( c Changes the course of the lives
6 }6 x9 p) O; L" D3 R( Q Of those we touch.?
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4 U+ A0 ^" Y& q- B( I# i And when the icy winds of death
- w. p0 v! h) {) V- Z2 J beckon our lasting attention
& T$ j9 p: }/ {0 B We will gently leave this life
& y/ Q  C5 Y+ E With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
$ `% H& j5 w2 z The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03