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 Z4 d; }8 X% {6 |2 h
# q* P4 _& \/ u5 B7 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.
4 }- E. E* l2 `) H! _/ ?
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
' |' P, b- n  H3 {  @ Made small over time
# {0 r) ~" D5 }7 | A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
2 x- A" m' E! Y: C. \; X A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
" L6 p1 A- c# A1 r" j/ v! a' C9 x Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

% x$ `# @2 Z* ^- w! U& Z8 ~ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
9 \' i% X% U2 ^3 | Spiral outwards
/ T+ W' `$ T& z+ p4 c Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

6 d. }% h- W& V3 Z5 { The pebble creates its worth and meaning
1 {+ f0 U, y: x8 b7 ]: ~ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
" C8 V6 ~9 R2 _( H; u Creating karmic energy
6 I4 |$ Z9 R. p. q+ l) n/ k# r Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
/ y5 S& Y) D' p# |
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
0 H+ H( _) m$ N6 _ But ultimately recognizing
+ S& \, U2 O% J8 H9 g) y# v0 P That who we are meant to be
9 R& v, k# K. w2 U6 a! c: J6 d( w Can never be measured in isolation
6 a" o' z$ l! t on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
( C' m/ f6 R( u' \" B4 i7 n1 k Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
; \/ t! F# G3 j, ~. n Creating ripples
3 H) X+ d) k- d7 c  h that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
& R# L2 M1 g6 z5 m5 H/ P4 Z" q; F But because of actions.
+ K+ \' R: V: |  _" v
. x1 ?9 i3 @" H& N Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
; K1 v( j- e8 }; ?+ N' L! B Of those we touch.?
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: ?- f& T4 N7 B9 v) Z( l And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
) z5 c8 o4 @$ w6 y, k% Q We will gently leave this life
7 ]- i& [0 D  F- s With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

8 N% `( C% w8 ]" i0 B And then we have heaven …

: Y# H, q- x! ?2 x/ @0 O Ross Rosenberg
% J" a. x9 b# F9 j1 P6 n+ F' N( e 8/18/03