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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, e. X. {* U+ X  n 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.

+ i3 X- b/ @9 n8 w+ b Heaven
4 G( W+ r7 o8 n* [2 L The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* K  y& D: i4 q/ i' y% B A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
1 V( a* T% x( b1 t$ A" o8 p$ U An accidental offspring of a boulder
9 E0 a: p, l' j But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
" e$ ?7 t- K/ Z  S+ }7 o& O. ~ Is neither understood nor appreciated
: |5 J7 P3 V; B But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
% b" m# x/ W$ C3 y9 n  H" K* [ Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
( ]  H4 [/ h4 v( H6 O" B" [* l Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
8 W" n/ L, Y0 i, R$ {) r Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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2 E8 r& O3 i( E4 \" ^ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
  v3 I( a4 b* B, O, B  T Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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' T1 P% y& T/ L3 {  D Aren't we all pebbles?
: @6 m& e3 l6 @0 |3 A Feeling small and insignificant
# C: T) l( z& j8 D0 B1 g/ T2 L But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
- K: S9 n8 q' J# j, E7 p9 D Can never be measured in isolation
  a. U7 }- n: s. M3 G on a path into ourselves.

- g; i5 B- ~7 M' n0 X It is true then:
* Y% N, [4 I7 @ Our everlasting future
6 p! z0 A; A* p  [$ V2 X1 w5 i; X$ ~ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
/ T( C8 `/ A$ O" E! E Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
$ y+ N1 t5 G. M( m- i- p4 {1 E Not because of thoughts
( S+ U5 K1 `" f7 v0 ~* S not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

' w; n! V# b  J, m0 o/ n Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
- P# X9 w- n/ w: e No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

7 s. P" c  Y  f+ y2 m% [* X$ c3 Z And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
2 d; s5 X: L2 R& E; `9 t We will gently leave this life
. h4 L1 T/ f* H; @' Q& e With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
2 b" o! V! j5 I The world will never be the same.
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' N3 {( D5 f' |$ n/ S7 x- n And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
* H( m6 \0 \5 e, o- N% q 8/18/03