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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" [) i6 g" @9 a% Y2 M1 E' q 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.

7 t  I2 p8 D+ @% S* k Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 S, [& \- W5 r  B- U An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

5 Q5 o% l' v& t+ I* |2 _ The pebble's place in our world
3 t+ z! x& I6 ^ Is neither understood nor appreciated
2 `4 {8 d' w' U2 S' D But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
: E0 j% v/ |" A Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

  o5 [# l4 q- i# o- b The instant the pebble kisses the pond
5 ?2 u" r$ M3 F, o  L- X8 o- U Its signature of concentric ripples
8 K# I$ M' I3 I9 V* S& \ Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
; r# @" i- i5 T Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
; p9 ]2 o! F: h4 f& J
- X7 y! u0 O5 g6 G The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ l" v' _, d1 Z By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
% W3 e' n8 u. E- X* D/ t Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

& ~+ y/ u7 P- W4 E+ Z Aren't we all pebbles?
: h1 J% i/ y0 q# y! U; r# M& h Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
9 O+ j9 z) W3 [+ e on a path into ourselves.
- o) g& G7 v1 U
  t  N7 _' W: l2 J9 u1 S It is true then:
8 f" E, g8 {/ Z Our everlasting future
8 m- S/ S+ R" m1 e/ ^8 } Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
, w' P' l9 C2 {, S( r Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
& x3 t2 N" Z. t3 n6 L not because of well meaning plans
8 D7 B! G- N) B* I1 I% F But because of actions.

* u# l" d- o* a0 X Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
* I1 K/ `, {/ h5 n$ d" [; N No matter how seemingly insignificant
3 H; M6 m0 `% e- e. ~9 ? Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

2 Z4 N" R/ e; ]" c And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
; ?) K( j( g. c- Z& r1 { We will gently leave this life
! k. z. G& O3 x7 o* o3 q/ M: @# u With the knowledge that
( K- Q- F- r, \* d+ m$ F( O because of that one pebble
: f5 d' w0 U1 k+ J  _9 ] The world will never be the same.
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# g2 m3 P- H5 l4 k And then we have heaven …
  Z, B  ?! n4 d3 i7 _3 `1 F" a: @
+ p3 t5 x* q# f$ w4 I- ?- A0 }' E Ross Rosenberg
5 E$ ~/ i+ ]) M% T  A- @" X 8/18/03