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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/ t( V! m1 A% M( u 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
$ \& s6 I2 f" H6 P The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
- V) E3 o" j0 }. J% |* L' |4 z& U A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
# G) i: i6 F1 ^9 R' @# q4 Q Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
9 [& y' v( O; Z( k) R- |+ X* { Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

2 E0 Q, Z, o# D2 U The instant the pebble kisses the pond
9 Y8 y, d' v8 O4 l; T3 Q/ {% z Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
3 C) y9 {4 ?4 } Gently affecting everything in its wake
' _5 J) i7 A( E& y9 v Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

0 ^3 S$ U2 l  c1 O: G- Y) j& y" |# }! T! @ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
* ~* S/ K# J' O+ m7 ]' A Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
5 h0 ~- u8 \7 r: D! Y/ d Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
% j4 f. ~3 {: T! z Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' c% Z  o! A6 }1 j/ F: O4 \% q Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
( E# W: c) [& o# L7 h* N% V' h that leave unique mark on our world
# J2 V8 m1 |+ B9 b  M) O& @9 P/ ^ Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
  s* P% D9 s' o' S  i But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
' I0 s0 e$ \: y3 t% _ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ N0 |( g' F& Y; r5 p0 { Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
, Y  e% H# v% g9 m8 s  n6 Z$ N beckon our lasting attention
! b8 x! `7 B8 t4 C3 B" h( q We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
3 F2 V1 A6 e" ?9 V- B  | because of that one pebble
$ e9 w/ t6 f- T3 X8 w( x% q6 k The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
# x+ c) s4 S* n* Z7 D 8/18/03