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.

5 z5 ~4 I; k# a! r; ~ 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.
$ X8 |  i  P) V" ^9 @1 _
; I5 h0 Y" a% y3 f/ o Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
- \( Z% t0 |/ h. @0 }7 ]- V A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
) ?! ~+ i+ O+ R* P A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
% M/ A1 u9 B7 z An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
5 H/ k& r" l- M4 t. q
9 f# y. T- e# T' ^# G9 ? The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
' i5 A, Y2 U% K Its insignificance is transformed
7 g7 F3 s* }3 H$ C7 w* G Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
/ A' @3 l- Q# W8 N
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
: _! R) F. I. T# C- Z9 T4 ~+ c/ t Its signature of concentric ripples
8 O  h1 F) I* |. Q* u0 L: {* l Spiral outwards
2 U- P4 |( K- n! E* B6 \4 _- q Moving far beyond itself.
9 j# B0 n1 y2 H2 A8 h Gently affecting everything in its wake
9 P( m; ]2 G' k Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

# P3 K- S9 a/ H* M The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
/ P4 G& P8 S* u+ j1 V8 J' w Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

2 I4 H' f5 S# I) R7 g# q$ }) e Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
, ^! n' [7 {5 c2 i But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
  h- k7 m& f9 A5 v: P+ h* ~, P) D on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
: w+ K2 D' {# g7 s9 Z* \ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
! C, S2 N* S" W) u Creating ripples
5 {! `# j* s# K; v that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
- r5 T" y% G; {  U" v( T0 f6 V2 `! O not because of well meaning plans
" {$ q% x) K* V+ D0 m But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
' G/ x8 \. M8 W  z/ Y Because even the smallest pebble
4 H4 ^' Y7 {! L4 T3 E% r8 v& P No matter how seemingly insignificant
: \+ F: Y+ B( Z( X9 ] Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
  b0 c! ^4 b2 a1 D9 k beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
3 g- Q, @/ G' K+ Z9 u5 N/ \ because of that one pebble
7 Q: k7 C  S- E" s1 { The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
$ q, z3 L3 g: r, j% ~
7 }* \( j* H  y5 y7 y' ^& J Ross Rosenberg
* w" S/ y! C" s7 A- J* A 8/18/03