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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* {! f' I; @3 J# G: j 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
' S* K6 C, `3 ]- [9 T& o  N The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
0 M0 P4 F8 Z3 e3 [ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
+ I7 r$ G9 Y8 @; z9 r1 | 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
. O$ h3 {5 J- ^# s& { Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
2 E# F! B2 c" Z Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
, \6 b! m& j& v' g$ m' v9 ^* a Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
3 Q6 ~$ h; T* \. e7 o" Q# m  }
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
1 }  I  w) y+ c7 }' b0 } By unleashing its unimagined power?
# J- U& e2 }7 K# U" O8 o Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 S  f, k  j8 ^- Q Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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& x2 \. w2 p$ e& ?4 z- Y* O) } Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
- x! l1 y3 j4 o& w. B But ultimately recognizing
8 B9 {3 X/ c. x1 `! { That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
6 p1 M- s( l8 X1 G5 _- @& M: M on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
) A8 v  \) t; E Our everlasting future
- W( L: ?2 D( ~1 H4 ?9 p: a; P3 W Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
' \4 ~, r& y) [) Y9 C' V Creating ripples
$ S& I9 i* m. N2 a7 {# [ that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
7 `3 S/ ?* ?2 B+ {9 g9 k not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

; v* j' T: R4 z# B% `* U" ` Our life's prayers our answered
' q8 Q" f  V9 s& ? Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 H/ E2 h# j0 c Changes the course of the lives
0 C. R3 w) d. R) r' v Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
$ ~9 o9 W# ]; m" k: R5 S- \+ w The world will never be the same.
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% h7 m. @5 j: E+ r6 ~1 v9 a And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
! A, s+ i* C% p- F% ^, \$ q& T 8/18/03