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.

3 V% {- x, h0 L) O+ d+ t 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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1 n: i& a# Q9 r# Z" S Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
; ]+ _8 Y1 u" Q- g  I A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
- d  l. J4 H! _. M! Q  D But just a very small stone.
4 a: H5 R) _4 b  W# [8 J# @
The pebble's place in our world
1 R8 ?4 F2 `$ {, {5 ?: | Is neither understood nor appreciated
1 ]2 {% g. j4 `$ | But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
& R$ ^5 c; _1 I Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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3 d; B3 M# J: [! M+ _% r The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
: E& Q$ |. r' v* t! e6 f Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
1 j! r1 O/ n( X0 A6 { But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
6 q! J# H9 U: ]) @" b/ M Can never be measured in isolation
% ^5 k6 }/ z4 E" M9 x on a path into ourselves.

* l! a8 |& ^1 }0 z: r' P- o% s" Z- X" R$ y It is true then:
4 g* \- c% l  C* V& r  ] Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
& B4 ]3 S+ ^  ~* Y$ J3 p* V2 D' K Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
1 |' A1 j/ V* F$ G' ? Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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) G5 e, ^  W5 T: H8 f! Y Our life's prayers our answered
) K# j9 R; x8 y1 k1 x) _ Because even the smallest pebble
8 h# k7 H" v2 R; S& L/ G# Y5 z No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
! I1 A+ K  }0 j+ W8 U beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
/ O0 x! r" X" p" o  z$ Q% ` With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
' H" T; Q7 O2 J! W( w/ M- h The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
7 I1 K6 B2 @  c3 J# z
9 X! ]# {3 S7 F1 G2 I! d3 {2 b Ross Rosenberg
6 G' X+ B, X/ d  o 8/18/03