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.
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- Y, ^' Z% X3 z2 h2 o7 n" A 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.

& a; O: D! m+ B/ ^4 Q Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
- S+ ?. q( s# t2 o. _  c! ?+ D 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
: V1 X4 J. D: j; b But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
2 i6 b6 g' K  x+ G* ?; q/ f/ e Is neither understood nor appreciated
# X8 w( U6 W) `3 P. D! ?/ k9 r But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
6 }! B' B+ k  m8 Q' @7 q2 `  V Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- H. b1 ^$ a) s/ `% m7 V) R( _3 z Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
" A3 s5 D# ^* ~ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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% @! T; a, {# x* v: ?/ z The pebble creates its worth and meaning
6 V, U1 g+ U" u2 U- S" X+ [ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
+ _1 N6 ~3 W$ L! q, _. l8 h Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
$ r$ j% H$ J) ~8 A0 `" w
. u0 Y4 M+ P: Z Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
  P- E' T3 ?8 ~1 d0 K5 _4 z That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
+ ]! G/ _# E  K( p4 R( ~ on a path into ourselves.

: x* q: M$ ?& M4 l6 p" w& Z. f It is true then:
Our everlasting future
, [/ `/ O) E% K) d3 n5 w4 v- g& y3 a. S Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
" |2 W! E8 a" X; K! {8 @/ N Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
9 `' L5 r( r3 r4 v# @; J0 q Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
4 L" W( J' p  E0 R But because of actions.
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1 ?9 U3 f( c. B Our life's prayers our answered
: Y0 p1 U$ d. T5 \: x% d/ V Because even the smallest pebble
7 K! \) M; t9 S3 A/ N  r No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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8 Z1 B, m7 H+ _ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
  `) Y) q" ~. X5 L1 n! @ We will gently leave this life
  d! m6 o0 Q: z% i0 @* V- m With the knowledge that
# r7 Z! H( N6 x5 K because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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* j3 @  D* k2 c- m And then we have heaven …
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) P4 J$ x9 B$ [6 W Ross Rosenberg
1 ?' U, {& K/ a  i6 y) v; _. N2 C9 i  Y 8/18/03