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.

; {- A+ K3 x0 W6 ?% q; T. t 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.
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' ?+ d5 m( x) g) b) s0 @% ? Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
4 W4 P9 g8 a9 k9 ]5 g Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 J" @$ {5 }  z* k( V# X 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
, R! ?6 }  C2 O7 y4 I' s( z Spiral outwards
( u0 T" w3 m' A. E Moving far beyond itself.
2 T; z4 S' T2 e! V9 ~  U* B Gently affecting everything in its wake
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
: \, E$ T+ u% t Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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, w1 r* D; m+ C9 t$ V8 E& b Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
, z( D3 Z. z6 x8 M4 E That who we are meant to be
# }& }1 Y; H* W- F' t Can never be measured in isolation
4 t" Y9 D; N4 h6 H1 ~2 ^0 O on a path into ourselves.

7 m5 ~* G. X0 f It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
: r3 e- Z& J6 A. r0 @! v Into the pond of life
( [& C  {0 z: t  Z! T( `& R4 m: p Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
0 O! Q( w% A  l! z0 _2 q! H/ S Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
2 D9 d4 d" R4 q" F/ t* p" H But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
( B+ ^; |6 e- n/ ?( X4 T, t$ ` Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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$ S/ Q  u6 q: S, L8 u. R And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
- F9 i0 O% |% t8 D We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
( H! h9 C! z% o The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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# A' A* S5 _. o+ J" v  b7 P* a Ross Rosenberg
* z/ r- t  g& U: J0 Q 8/18/03