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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4 Y. \+ g2 d# l) ~: ~4 b) `+ o) c 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.

Heaven
* A  f( d' a) y: }# R0 D4 ?- v% K6 ? The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
% ^: H$ ^# K# @8 W2 v A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
6 E" h# d: w0 _/ D- | A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# _, V8 r  R$ x5 H) h- T9 X Its insignificance is transformed
( H6 f( ^# p. v  K Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
7 O; a$ `! Y! q! h Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
2 m  f* ?: I* F9 ^ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

7 g5 Z/ ~, H$ s" m2 G9 y& x Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
+ M8 ]# |) t+ O! J* A8 { But ultimately recognizing
& I( `4 Z2 f3 J) Y5 v! u That who we are meant to be
! W: G1 @+ w: k  v' Q2 B Can never be measured in isolation
4 x( ]* e& c# Z9 }4 H on a path into ourselves.
/ h  |8 `0 O9 L! `/ Q+ u1 R8 Y+ I
/ w6 B/ {# T& b- F It is true then:
7 \2 U: _; z  G6 H) q  `& n) J Our everlasting future
9 y+ j! d, j8 |2 V Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
5 |& K; r  t3 n0 a& x0 C Creating ripples
$ ~' D" Y5 b7 ?) s. ?) c' L8 L3 r that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
. h% [! j  k; |% @* X; Y4 \ not because of well meaning plans
9 O) Q: @  Z; x, F But because of actions.
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7 n3 b" q+ _7 d- \. d Our life's prayers our answered
4 Q! u+ A( o7 I/ @ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
# q6 i* P* e; I4 h Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
+ x6 B7 Z+ q! ]! w because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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! M' |; C9 Y9 b/ S! _! _ And then we have heaven …
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) z3 u  t+ X  S" e Ross Rosenberg
# |$ ]3 @. c& Y- k3 z; `( v 8/18/03