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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/ o5 I: I- H. i# 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.

Heaven
, J3 R, W/ H+ p1 R( q) Y7 I The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
8 b1 ~3 G/ K. w; ~5 j A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
6 ~8 {! m+ C8 e5 A) O1 \ But just a very small stone.
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" {1 X, h8 }9 [7 Y* s6 c, ^5 `) { The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
' [3 c6 C2 g8 D Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

: C/ _- v' I  S# z1 y0 V The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- P0 E2 t  d! b$ F- ?$ Y/ r. l: [ Its signature of concentric ripples
) Q* |! w6 M+ T) R/ a/ a* Q Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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5 u  b& ]' C5 b: C The pebble creates its worth and meaning
% \! S' Q: M9 `" j1 T3 [' e By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
% i, m3 S4 z2 |2 j! ~, T Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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) p0 Q! M7 h9 x  d Aren't we all pebbles?
: h; N3 @; D+ ]1 C$ O Feeling small and insignificant
7 f2 Z/ `3 N+ k7 k* y. w- F But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
  Y" Q* n* O9 @& F& B Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
* E) `$ Z" U0 h; v4 m* D Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
7 h1 o$ D) c( n- T. ]: p/ p Creating ripples
0 P, E2 J- f1 ~% b that leave unique mark on our world
' s; d+ X' L+ p3 D6 m# m7 H/ K Not because of thoughts
) d0 v0 _$ m; i2 `6 { not because of well meaning plans
8 h  D, d. Q8 k* s1 y: i7 ^ But because of actions.

# _- N" M8 s( d- D/ _0 a Our life's prayers our answered
9 P% w# w/ v+ L9 N  X Because even the smallest pebble
+ U: S  T, Z% v, I& B, K# e4 L/ T9 T) e No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

" K7 Y$ z' w3 M- X And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
- Y6 [: Q  X6 R- j7 ^4 f1 h: g1 q3 c We will gently leave this life
+ k( V, x) p: y2 b8 w With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
: i) t( |6 B3 J  y8 [ The world will never be the same.
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5 b; I, }' Q! k7 n7 u/ Y3 P And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
* g" A# H5 U8 Z- Q 8/18/03