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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, _  u, b0 O; Z6 _- ]* l- g6 h 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.

$ u9 ^  e8 K0 P6 t# ] Heaven
  W6 U) Q$ C: s3 S, d4 C The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
: E( J; D: k% B% s But just a very small stone.
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4 q5 U8 q. T3 }+ P0 q The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
) V: R: a- t1 Q  q+ ~7 h Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

! S" q1 W* ~9 Z7 } The instant the pebble kisses the pond
7 {) N! s8 {4 {. y Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
  p6 |0 H( k& Q5 \7 ^6 u9 Z Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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3 B' y7 u6 j# ^* S2 p The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

/ M; v1 x( X# D Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
. I+ a! u; V5 g/ b But ultimately recognizing
+ m2 `5 w1 ?6 i; U7 d2 q1 d That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
+ G* j+ f$ s3 U1 _ on a path into ourselves.

9 b  W  r' }' P/ x It is true then:
# Q# U# {# _& k! I6 | Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
& A# n8 g& D/ @3 J; D2 Y3 o Into the pond of life
& t- i3 [( ~! n Creating ripples
' A2 z( z3 j+ C% {6 G& } that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
, C6 O; m9 T3 |8 V7 J not because of well meaning plans
/ K- {2 X9 r, X  ^; L4 F But because of actions.
7 \+ l" O, ^  x4 _
Our life's prayers our answered
3 b1 I6 d$ `5 C8 r( p, O& p5 F0 a2 L Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
$ s8 h3 I, _* v$ K  C- r% u6 g$ Y Of those we touch.?
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% T- @$ N5 m8 }; Y1 s And when the icy winds of death
! I2 Q7 Q. b: D2 C$ m6 f$ l beckon our lasting attention
( k9 W* [) }! X: [; t( ^ We will gently leave this life
- J3 C# B2 J& t With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
- L9 t0 N1 x  G/ h( b7 ?" I The world will never be the same.
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3 E& n; X4 a' w& A3 u3 r* V And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
" \4 N) s* U. I4 t& M1 i 8/18/03