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.

( I4 P- [/ R( d7 R5 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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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
! O5 Y( ~: R, z0 Y( i Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
+ \% U+ q- N5 h/ p9 U. ^) D An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

/ H  B1 s* B" ? The pebble's place in our world
4 V: D. Q1 T: I6 p. ~9 C Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
6 j4 @* x. z4 R7 `- o2 Z Spiral outwards
1 x3 Y) c9 ~0 P Moving far beyond itself.
+ u. r) `, M7 v/ D1 X" [ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
  B# }+ c, l" q, R( Y( r$ E By unleashing its unimagined power?
) D0 b: M, P* \, T/ y: m Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
% ^; y4 S+ L0 v: Q6 y  Q Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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3 I. L/ H& t  t' S1 S" ^ Aren't we all pebbles?
+ G3 x! y( O7 b, y4 b Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
$ _4 i* }1 u- v3 c1 a7 \" r% N That who we are meant to be
' M2 }, ?) s+ U" _: `% ?- V/ b; e Can never be measured in isolation
9 c+ e5 U& h' R: f& t on a path into ourselves.
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) K) J( p6 v" N  t( Y; N, ~ It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
3 q, y) y# j# h' ]* a! @% L Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
% x& r( o8 m3 u7 d5 o Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

0 W; U- @( @" z; h7 w Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
$ Z: {- y0 E' w2 T No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
6 n- P$ S( b8 @7 l) m4 p Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
$ N4 e. U1 ~# Y( [4 R: P2 E 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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$ z& s; E! H. V: B+ ] And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
  e3 S4 B) I' l/ P8 v 8/18/03