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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1 I2 I9 Y% i% F1 U7 h9 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.

Heaven
. i5 S# N1 a6 D( n The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
2 q- `  O$ i+ t" t9 |. x A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
/ W* E  R, v) R6 B: o5 O) e! g4 H 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
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
/ p! Q) |9 V" H$ e# n* z Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 b5 K8 T5 j. P Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

& L) e  j" A$ T8 ?" j: O The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
- A. a8 P3 _% L& t& L: M Into a dueling force of action and reaction
; [1 f6 x0 Q! S0 O# j4 y* @; o Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
+ O. T! a/ v( W- N5 _2 q) n5 M Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
* C/ @% X* C- s0 |2 X Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
5 D/ e; {2 o6 S; t6 g  k Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
6 H* w7 s; }$ ^! o7 Y& M Into the pond of life
  W: \& H) m3 @) e  ]8 B Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
$ v# K' A; ~& W  { Not because of thoughts
& Z& Q" Z. F: a3 ` not because of well meaning plans
9 g' v; L0 S& g' K0 w) O But because of actions.
4 s0 Z4 W7 Y' R5 E: L! Y" ~
! j( C2 l7 O* b( r. d) _0 o2 |' w( X Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  w2 ?% S/ f" x2 Q9 ?; _4 l% N+ L No matter how seemingly insignificant
' k7 G& a' x% E Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
- M3 p- W& Z- H0 r8 Q- P
5 \+ o5 i$ c1 x3 r And when the icy winds of death
- g  D7 u& [) X. ~& i4 n+ D beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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- E4 q! {- z/ ~' h And then we have heaven …

' \% V  M; I1 {& v8 c1 @* @* ^ Ross Rosenberg
/ d( x* E" V$ X9 Q) v; i/ @9 j0 p 8/18/03