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.

0 d9 S, B$ }/ m4 L0 N4 A 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
- c- r/ G* `8 }9 G The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
) S/ I" e5 ]  D3 D A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 p% [' N% l% J7 b An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 W' e* Z; j( Q8 p8 ^# \ But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
) ?% H6 Q& J! k; r, b Is neither understood nor appreciated
* N1 b% e% g) E But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
# p3 {) x, u9 x+ T( E5 F Spiral outwards
! p+ ?! \: \5 H( \/ c1 q Moving far beyond itself.
3 d4 A' S* J! F! c- V Gently affecting everything in its wake
. E* Q$ \  H- t: [7 X Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

* R* y! e% I' `; j% e( I The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
) I1 c7 f  y1 J- ?" `9 `+ Q0 C Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- W6 r: |( l! X Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

  I4 ^5 o: h, n Aren't we all pebbles?
2 Y1 w9 l- p; B% W0 P Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
' K' s( y: ~# X9 `0 W That who we are meant to be
5 T9 d8 D0 ~' G. U+ Q& Y# x Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
& u3 K" X9 ?" L! b$ Z4 T  Q* k Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 U! O9 d" M" }2 h, s Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
, a& u  ]9 |( z- M& J& @ not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  e7 b: ~. A1 s) N7 M7 \ No matter how seemingly insignificant
- E  Y! P4 {* M. ~& e5 H Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

! H( O- m, v( N* v) L And when the icy winds of death
- H4 Y* z2 }3 v beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
1 [' D( D* W1 f* z With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
" V* C( W, ]/ x# D The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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; k- y: v/ X% r4 }; N Ross Rosenberg
! p( ^* n; J4 ?6 l 8/18/03